by J. D. Tyler
“Heads up, kid, Bricker and his woman are headed your way.”
CHAPTER TWO
Abby focused on the waiter’s retreating back, letting her mind flip through images. Not of tonight, but earlier in the week.
“Abby,” Luke whispered hard at her. “I need you focused.”
The image solidified. The man was at a rally. The photo from many taken by the agents the FBI and Homeland had imbedded in fanatic groups.
“Now, Abigail.”
She blinked. Luke never used her full name.
Turning, she saw Bricker and the beautiful Zoe less than ten feet from them and winding their way closer. Abby leaned into whisper in Luke’s ear. “We need to talk. It’s important.”
“Later, sweetheart,” he said, never taking his eyes off the couple headed their way. “Right now, we need to do what we came for.”
Great. She had something important to tell the super-spy and all his interest was focused on some old girlfriend.
Just as she was working up a good ire at his behavior, he slid his warm hand down her back caressing the skin exposed by the deep V cut to finally rest upon the small of her back.
“Focus,” he whispered. “Remember our mission tonight.”
And poof. Her anger eased slightly. He was right. They were a team and had a job to do. Focus on getting the name of the group selling the weapons so they could get them before Bricker did.
“Good evening, Ms. Strickland,” Bricker said, extending his hand to her as he approached. “I’m Adrian Bricker.”
Abigail laid her hand in his and he lifted it to his lips in a very old-fashioned, European greeting.
“I believe I knew that,” she said, giving him a half smile and tried to remember that her cover was the ward of a senator and therefore not in awe of the gorgeous man who made gossip-rag covers on a regular basis.
Releasing her hand, he laughed and gave her his most photogenic smile. “The paparazzi have been both kind and cruel to me. I promise I’m not as dangerous as they make me out to be.”
Yeah, and a cobra is as harmless as a garter snake.
Luke’s hand tensed on her back. He had the same thoughts.
“I hope you don’t mind me coming to say hello,” Bricker continued, “but it seems my Zoe knows your friend, Mr. Edgars.” He nodded in Luke’s direction.
“Oh?” Abigail looked over her shoulder at Luke in what she hoped was surprise.
He slid on one of his patented I-mean-you-no-harm smiles she’d seen him wield on both co-workers and bad guys alike. “Zoe and I went to school together.”
Bricker looked at the woman by his side. “Really?”
Zoe leaned her head towards him. “Yes, I told you we’ve known each other a long time. In fact, since we were kids.”
Wasn’t expecting that.
“Would you mind if I asked my old friend to dance?” Luke said, releasing his hold on her and extending his hand to the other woman.
“Of course,” Bricker said, giving Zoe a smoldering look before stepping to the side so the pair could go on to the dance floor. He watched them for a moment, then turned his attention to Abigail, stepping close enough that no one near them would hear his words. “Isn’t it interesting that both our bodyguards knew each other as children?”
Abigail blinked, not even trying to hide her surprise. “Zoe is a bodyguard?”
He chuckled. “She is. Quite disarming, in fact. In more ways than just her looks.”
That explains a lot. And it made the story of them growing up as kids less like the truth and more like a cover story.
“Perhaps you’d do me the honor of a dance,” Bricker said, sliding an arm around her back and nearly whispering into the ear that held her ear bud and was thankfully covered by her hair.
Choked comments came from the team members, even as she agreed to the dance.
Now all she had to do was place the bug.
* * * * *
“So, that’s the infamous Abigail who stole the golden boy’s heart?” Zoe Edgars, better known as the black sheep of the family said, as they left the other couple. “Aunt Mary wasn’t exaggerating. She’s stunning. No wonder, cousin dearest that you’re giving up your single life for her, a budding supermodel.”
Luke narrowed his eyes at his cousin. “Abby’s an agent, same as me. The jet-set model is just a cover story.”
“You sure? She’d be in high demand with those cheekbones. Bricker certainly couldn’t take his eyes off her. Of course, it might have to do with her supposed relationship to Senator Strickland.”
Luke watched Abby and Bricker walk onto the dance floor. Tonight she was drop-dead gorgeous in a high-fashion sort of way. Zoe was right, the fashion world had been falling at Abby’s feet since she started developing her cover background. But it was the woman beneath all the glitz and glamour that captured his heart. The one that wore glasses and let them slide to the tip of her nose when she was busy deciphering files. The way she chewed on pens when lost in thought. How she stared into space when she was accessing all the images she kept locked in her beautiful mind. The one who loved unconditionally those who got close to her. That was his Abby, and she was in the arms of another man.
“What the hell are you doing here, Zoe?” Luke said, barely containing his anger as he guided her into the slow dance.
She looped one arm around his neck and leaned in close. “Don’t make a scene, coz. Ruining your cover would blow mine.”
Luke leaned back to look into the eyes of his cousin. “Cover?”
She laughed. The same laugh she’d used when she dared him to jump off the roof of the barn into the wagon of hay their uncle had been loading all day. She’d gone first and come out unscathed. He’d broken a collarbone.
He narrowed his eyes at her. “What are you up to?”
“Don’t worry. I take it you got my messages back in October?”
Shit. This operation just went to hell in a handbasket.
“You’re my anonymous source about the arms deals?”
“Yes.” She leaned in close. “And wipe that disgruntled look off your face before someone notices. I’ve been deep undercover with Bricker for nearly two years. The guy’s ego likes having a woman as his private bodyguard.”
“What agency do you work for?” he asked as he twirled her through some intricate steps.
“You know the saying. I’d tell you, but then I’d…”
“…have to kill me. Yeah, I get it, and that’s bullshit. If you’re running some kind of con, I’m out of here.”
“Lucifer,” she said through clenched teeth, her voice dropping any hint of humor as she used the nickname she’d tormented him with for years. “This is no con game. I sent you the info, because I knew you’d follow the money trail and help me get those weapons back without blowing my cover.”
He relaxed a little. Zoe might be trouble, but he’d always known when she was telling the truth. “Okay, so do you know the identity of the person Bricker is meeting?”
“I couldn’t get that information. All he ever said was he’d be meeting the guy.”
“So you’re as blind as we are?” She followed his lead as he maneuvered them through some couples, all the time his eyes glued to Abby’s tall frame. He didn’t like the other man’s hands on her—especially the one on the bare skin of her lower back—and he certainly didn’t like her dealing with a man who was willing to kill people for the almighty dollar.
Zoe pinched his hand to get his attention. “For this meet, yes, I’m as in the dark as you. The case I’ve been building is solid and I’ve slowly been able to ascertain his usual clients and they’re some big names. I’ve also got leads on some of his usual suppliers, but for this meet he’s been super-secretive. If we close Bricker down now, his buyers in other countries will scatter like cockroaches only to buy weapons from some other unknown source. But this deal is too deadly to let go through.”
“So you thought you’d call in some family help.”
&n
bsp; Great. As always, Zoe was in trouble and needed someone to bail her out. Only this time, she’d involved Abby, too.
“You know what Grandpa Sherm used to say, always trust family first,” his cousin said. “And this time I do have a plan.”
Luke’s inner warning bells started clanging. Zoe’s plans had gotten him into plenty of trouble as a kid. “What do you have in mind?”
“I need you to let the meeting take place, then follow Bricker’s new supplier back to the weapons. Seize them before he can deliver them to Bricker. That way my cover stays in place. See? Simple plan. What can possibly go wrong?”
She dazzled him with a smile and Luke’s heart sank.
* * * * *
“I’m blown.”
The gruff whisper came through the phone like a slap in Pohl’s face. He counted to five before answering one of his lower-level men.
“It’s just your nerves, Davis. No one suspects us being here.” He glanced at his watch. Nine-twenty-five. Five minutes to the nine-thirty break when they’d get their weapons. POTUS was due to arrive in twenty minutes. “Get another tray of drinks and circulate the room. We just have to keep it together for another few minutes. The objective will be in the building soon.”
“I’m telling you, the bitch recognized me. I don’t know how, but I saw it in her eyes.”
This time, his man didn’t sound panicked. In fact, his voice was steady, sure of what he was saying.
Dammit. The last thing they needed now was someone identifying one of them right before they could take down the traitor to the nation’s principles, the stupid woman the sheep of America had chosen to elect. Maybe they could contain the problem.
“Which woman was it?” he asked leaving the Michelangelo room to walk over to the entrance of the main ballroom.
“Tall, brunette, long hair. Was hanging on the arm of some big, blond guy. She’s moved on to some movie star or something.”
Standing in the doorway, he scanned the room. Almost every woman was in black. How the hell was he supposed to pick her out?
Then he saw her.
Hell, half her dress was missing in the back. Beautiful woman. Too bad they were going to have to silence her.
“Okay. Get your gas mask and gun from the supply area. Get back in there and herd her my way in the Michelangelo room. Once we have her out of the way, we’ll send a message to start jamming the communications. I’ll alert Methan that we’re moving up the time. Haul ass, you have two minutes to get back in there.”
CHAPTER THREE
Cousin? Did she hear that right? Zoe was Luke’s cousin? And she was an undercover operative? Why hadn’t he said something? She thought she’d proven her abilities as a field agent back in Cleveland. Did he still not trust her?
“So, how does it feel to be one of the beautiful people?” Bricker asked as he led her through the crowd of dancers.
Focus. She had a job to do.
With great effort she stared into the nearly black depth of the arms dealer’s eyes and willed all the voices in her ear to fade away.
“I’ll let you in on a little secret,” she said as she smiled and leaned in close, letting her hand slide along the collar of his tuxedo. All she had to do was slip the little pin from her sleeve into the collar of his shirt beneath the jacket. “All the paparazzi and social-media buzz? It does nothing for me.”
“Really?” he said, pulling her a little tighter as they started to circle the dance floor, farther away from his personal guards at the door. “And what gets your engines revving?”
“Power,” she said. Moving her hand as if wanting to stroke his neck, the microphone pin slid easily into the material. Mission accomplished.
“Power?” he asked, a little too casually, as if trying not to show how the word excited him, but the sudden dilation of his eyes told her the truth. Her gut instinct was correct. The man was interested in her relationship to the senator. Time to lure him in.
“I’d trade in all the glamour of a fashion shoot to spend an evening with a room full of powerful men.”
The growl in her earbud told her Luke had heard and wasn’t happy. Well, too freaking bad. While he was having a family reunion with the gorgeous Zoe, she had a job to do.
“Ah, like your guardian, Senator Strickland?”
And there it was. The little hint for her to talk about her connection to the Homeland Security Committee.
“Not necessarily him. That would be a little taboo, since he’s like a father to me.” She gave a little laugh and a wink. “But some of the men I’ve met through him? Yes, their conversations are quite…stimulating.”
“I’d love to hear more about your fascination. Have you stories to tell?” He slid his hand slowly down her naked spine to rest where the gown covered her once more.
The action would elicit a thrill out of her if it were Luke doing it. Instead, she had a rush of revulsion that someone who dirtied those hands in dealing with the deaths of innocents was touching her. She couldn’t stop the shiver that racked her body.
The slimeball’s lips split in a reptilian smile, thinking her reaction was desire. “Perhaps somewhere more private?”
“I think I’d like that. How about away from all these bodies?” Abigail nodded towards the door closest to the corridor leading to the Michelangelo room.
“I like the way you think, Miss Strickland,” Bricker said as he released her.
They wove their way through the crowd to the smaller room, where Castello had taken up position at one of the buffet tables less than ten feet from the door. The marshal appeared to be grazing the food table as cover.
Just as they stepped off the dance floor area, a hand grabbed Abigail’s arm.
“Excuse me—” she started to say as she turned towards the person only to find the waiter she’d bumped into earlier staring her straight in the eyes with such hatred her words froze in her throat.
“You’re coming with me,” he said, and poked something hard into her ribs.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Bricker grabbed a hold of Abigail’s other arm as if he meant to have a tug-of-war with the man.
Great. The man’s ego was going to get her shot.
“You’re coming with me, too, pretty boy,” the man said and turned her so her body bumped the arms dealer’s.
“Adrian,” she said in warning. “He has a gun.”
Please let Luke hear that.
* * * * *
He has a gun.
Who had a gun? Certainly not Bricker.
“Is your man carrying?” he asked Zoe.
“No, why?”
Luke came to a dead stop, his head swiveling to find Abby. “Shit.”
“What?” Zoe asked, suddenly on alert.
“Abby said someone has a gun on her and Bricker,” he said, moving through the crowd toward the exit and the Michelangelo room. Hopefully, that was where she was still headed.
“Shit.” Zoe said, right on his heels. If she was in deep cover, her mark was in as much trouble as Abby.
Abby. He had to get to her.
“Castello, do you see her?”
Nothing.
“Frank?”
Still nothing. Dammit, he scanned the area nearest the door. Thankfully at six-foot-three he could see over most of the crowd. Frank caught his eye at the buffet table and tapped his ear. Their coms were down.
“Your people are all wearing earbuds?” Zoe asked just above a whisper.
“Yes. But at the moment they’re silent.”
“Someone must be using a jammer. Look at all the security people.”
Luke glanced around slightly, even though he was making headway to the west side of the room where Abby had last been. Zoe was right. Heads were swiveling like bobble-head dolls, as all the undercover security realized communications had been taken out.
Fuck. So not good. What the hell was going on?
“Come on. I don’t know what’s happening, but I’m getting her out of the
re.”
Just as he said that, he spotted Abby’s tall frame going through the door. Bricker at her side. And behind her…that damn waiter.
We need to talk. It’s important.
She’d been trying to tell him something about that guy. Why hadn’t he listened?
As soon as the trio went through the door, two other men met them and closed the doors.
Shit.
Moving faster, he signaled Frank, who nodded and made to get to the entrance.
Exiting the main ballroom, Luke turned to the left and hurried around the corner just as the door to the smaller ballroom closed.
Zoe grabbed his arm and pulled hard to stop him. “Wait.”
“For what? She’s not ready to handle this situation.” He tried to jerk his arm out of her grasp. She clamped down hard, digging in her nails.
“Neither are you,” she said between clenched teeth and only loud enough for him to hear, as she looked at several wait staff moving past them, along with some ball guests.
He lowered his voice as well, not wanting to alert anyone, despite the burning need to get to Abby. “What do you mean? I’ve been on too many missions to count. Some more dangerous than this.”
“Any with the woman you love in peril?” Zoe gave him that patented stare she’d learned from his younger sister, Sami. “Go in there guns blazing, and she’s the first one that gets shot.”
Tensing his jaw, he inhaled deeply. Zoe was right. He needed a way in without endangering Abby further.
“What do you suggest?” he asked.
“The angry bitch scenario.”
He blinked. “The what?”
“Just follow my lead.” Zoe tossed her head, stood straighter then headed towards the closed door like a woman on a mission. In fact, she reminded Luke of one or more of his old girlfriends about to come down hard on either him or a new girlfriend.
Frank arched one brow in curiosity. Luke tilted his head Zoe’s direction, silently telling him to follow them in. Castello’s nod said he understood.
Zoe seemed to gather steam with each step, suddenly hitting the doors with the power of a battering ram and not stopping until she was in Abby’s surprised face.