Lily blinked back her surprise. Was Gina jealous? Angry? Lily hesitated, searching for the correct words before answering. “He is. I’m quite fond of him. And I’m very intrigued by the work that goes on here.”
Gina’s eyes flashed, and she jerked her chin slightly. “Are you now?”
“Yes. Rowland is giving me a tour tomorrow.”
Gina’s eyebrows arched. “He is, is he?”
Lily suppressed the sarcasm itching to be released and calmly answered Gina. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“I’m sure you are.” The tall, green-eyed beauty lifted her flute to her lips, took a sip and turned to leave. Pausing, she looked over her shoulder. “Enjoy your evening, Addison.”
Lily couldn’t have been more stunned if Gina had slapped her across the face. Lily watched the retreating woman. Any doubt that Gina and Rowland could be working together vanished. The men called her a trophy wife. Yeah, right. That woman definitely had some brains to go along with her beauty.
Lily had recognized Gina Elsworth for what she truly was the moment she’d made her appearance into the room. She portrayed herself as a beautiful trophy wife, but that woman wanted—all but demanded—the spotlight, and she didn’t want to share it with anyone.
Including Rowland James.
Derek casually joined Lily. “What was that all about?”
Her heart tripped over itself, and her blood ran cold. She scanned the crowd below for Rowland. She raised her champagne flute to her mouth, desperate to hide their conversation.
“You shouldn’t be here. Rowland has me under a tighter microscope than I anticipated. It’s dangerous for you to be speaking with me.”
“Let me be concerned with that.”
Lily cast him a sideways glare. Why couldn’t he just listen to her for once? “Stop being stubborn.”
He kept his eyes glued on the crowd mingling below them and smiled. “Right back at you, babycakes. Now, what was that all about?”
Lily sighed. The man infuriated her, but there was no use fighting him. She knew when she’d met her match. “I have no idea. But I doubt she and I will be BFFs.”
Derek laughed quietly.
“I’m not kidding, Derek. I’m not sure I’m welcome here,” Lily murmured. “But I’ll keep working on her.”
He looked down at her. The warmth in his eyes seeped into her, pooling in the pit of her stomach. “You’ve got this.”
Lily lifted the champagne to her lips.
Somehow, she wasn’t convinced.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Saturday, September 27, 7:30 a.m.
THE COMPUTER CHIMED, signaling movement in Rowland’s office.
“Crap.” Lily shoved the last bite of a toasted bagel into her mouth and sprinted toward her room, throwing herself into her chair.
On the screen, Rowland sat at his desk, steepling his fingers and staring at his companion. “We need to speed up the process.”
“You can’t just speed it up,” the man argued, his face obstructed from view, his voice garbled. “There are things that need to be in place first.”
Had she damaged her equipment diving through the front gates? She sighed, made a mental note to get back in and reposition that camera, check its receptors. She had ears, barely, but her viewpoint was handicapped, or at least partially so, and that drove her crazy—she needed full access to that office; an obstructed view wouldn’t do.
“Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do,” Rowland said, his voice clipped, face dark. “A group of men wearing black masks broke into my home looking for me, and found my wife and daughter instead. They tortured my wife to find out where I was. The medical examiner told me she bled out, slowly and painfully. My daughter woke up and walked in on them brutalizing my wife. They killed my little girl in front of my wife as she lay dying. She was only six.”
Their smiling faces flashed through Lily’s mind. Dear God, who’d murdered Rowland’s family?
“I understand your desire to speed up the—”
Rowland slammed his fist down on the mahogany desk. Lily flinched, despite knowing he couldn’t touch her. He leaned forward, murder flashing in his cold eyes. “You understand nothing. The men who tortured and killed my family were CIA. They brought this on themselves, on their people. I’ve waited too long to exact my revenge.”
Lily felt as though she’d just been hit by a brick. In the face. Her people had done that, killed that beautiful little girl? No. She couldn’t believe it, wouldn’t believe it.
“I’ve made it my mission to bring this country to its knees, and if it’s the last thing I do...” Rowland paused, his tone acid “...so be it.”
The man pushed back from his chair, stood. “If we speed up the process, Rowland, it will be the last thing you do.”
Rowland watched the man go, then picked up his Scotch glass and hurled it against the office wall, shattering the crystal into a million tiny shards. Cradling his head in his hands, a mournful moan ripped through the silence.
Lily reached for her phone and punched in the numbers she now knew by heart.
“I think you’d better get over here, and bring Ben,” she said and hung up, her eyes never leaving the sorrowful scene filling her computer screen.
* * *
LILY’S LOFT HAD transformed into their command center. Despite her best protests that they were all safer in her tall tower, George stood guard downstairs. Derek and Ben sat next to each other, quietly discussing Lily’s latest information download on Rowland, and what the hell to do about him.
Despite the shit storm they’d walked in to, Lily smiled. She trusted Ben with her life, and how could she not? He’d essentially taken on a father role since her own had died, and seeing Derek and Ben getting along as if they were lifelong friends and teammates eased the strain of this case.
Ben rested his hands on the table and smiled wearily up at her. “Well, as fun as this brainstorming session has been, there really isn’t anything else I can do at this point, and I need to head by the shop.” He got up, stretched. “Jury is still out on the newbie.”
He walked around the table and drew Lily into a massive bear hug. “We’ve got this, Lily girl.” He released her and turned to Derek. “You sticking around?”
Derek checked his watch and stood. “Can’t.”
“Wait.” Lily’s heart sank. “Where are you going?”
Derek gathered up his files and stuffed them into his shoulder bag. “I need to catch a flight for a last-minute meeting in DC.”
“Fair enough. Safe travels, then.” Ben nodded, opened the door and left, leaving them alone.
Lily eyed Derek. Why was he going to Washington this late? “DC? On a Saturday?”
“You and I both know Kennedy works weekends.”
“How long will you be gone?”
“Why?” He stopped cramming the papers into his bag, looked up and gave her a knowing smile.
Her heart sped up as he took a step toward her. Lily backed up until she hit the kitchen’s granite island. He closed the distance between them and leaned close, bringing his mouth within an inch of hers. The urge to stand on her tiptoes and close the gap between their mouths coursed through her.
“Will you miss me?”
Every muscle in her body tightened. Oh, yeah, she’d miss him all right. She put both her palms into his chest and gently pushed him away. “Don’t be an idiot. I was just curious.”
“Keep telling yourself that, babycakes.” He laughed and squatted to pet Dakota. “It’s a quick turnaround trip. I should be back tomorrow morning, early afternoon at the latest.”
So many words, yet no information. “Is there something I should know?”
He shook his head. “You know how it goes. When Kennedy calls, I answer. It’s just a quick trip.”
/> She moved to the door and pursed her lips. Maybe she’d go see Rowland tonight. He’d canceled their private tour earlier, blaming an unexpected weekend business meeting. Yeah, right. Lily knew when she was getting the runaround. It was a bit reckless, yes, but she’d do anything at this point to move this case along from its current painstakingly slow speed.
Derek looked at her and narrowed his eyes. “Whatever is going on in that pretty little head of yours, don’t even think about it.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” How does he do that? She’d never met someone who could read her so accurately. Even Jackson hadn’t been able to get inside her head. Yet Derek had managed to unlock her thinking within days. Unbelievable.
Throwing up both hands, she gave him an innocent grin. “I swear.”
“Uh-huh,” he muttered. “I’m not kidding, Lily. We’ll get to the bottom of this case together. No heroic shit.”
She held the door open. “Promise.”
He was shaking his head as he left.
She’d promised, yes. But they needed answers. And they needed them now. They didn’t have time to do it by the book, not with Rowland speeding things up, not when they were already one step behind.
One thing was certain. Time was no longer on their side.
* * *
DEREK HATED WALKING AWAY from Lily, especially with that dangerous glint flashing in her hazel eyes, making the swirl of colors dance even more wildly than usual. Somehow he knew that his no-heroics shit had gone in one ear and out the other—she was up to something, and he knew it.
The elevator doors slid open, and Derek reluctantly walked in. Turning, he punched the lobby button and leaned against the wall, staring at Lily’s front door, unable to shake the growing sense of unease, until the doors closed. He rested his head against the wall and closed his eyes. If it were up to him, he’d be staying put. But the director had called, wanting him on the next plane to DC to debrief the Dům Hrůzy situation with the team.
Derek had suggested he teleconference in. The director had hung up on him.
So, despite Derek’s better judgment, he was off to DC. He just hoped that Lily wouldn’t do anything rash while he was gone.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Saturday, September 27, 9:00 p.m.
LILY PULLED UP to the elaborate gates sheltering Rowland’s estate and took a deep breath to still her racing heart. They needed answers. And she knew of at least one surefire way to get them. She pressed the house intercom located just outside the gate.
“Addison Moore to see Rowland James.”
The gates opened, granting her access.
She slowly pulled her Maserati into the circular drive, parked and got out, tugging down the skintight red dress she’d thrown on. Bottle in hand, she made her way to the front door. It opened before she could knock and JB, Rowland’s ever-present bodyguard, stared at her, his eyes cold, detached.
“Mr. James is in his study.”
Lily let JB show her the way. He opened the door, ushered her in and shut it behind her, never saying a word. Rowland sat in one of the two chairs facing the large fireplace in the back corner of his office.
“Addison, darling. This is quite the surprise.” Rowland rose to his feet, searching her face.
“Rowland, darling, I know it’s late, but I took the liberty of bringing along a bottle of Screaming Eagle.” She held up the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that had cost her nearly two grand. It was a shame to waste such a brilliant bottle of wine, but...
She let her lips curve up suggestively. “I thought we could celebrate ARME’s new technology on our own.”
“I like the way you think.” He smiled and walked over to his bar, pulled out two red wine goblets. “Celebrating with you sounds...invigorating.”
Oh, you have no idea.
“As long as we have privacy tonight, it will be.”
Fire danced in his eyes, and a cruel smile crossed his face. He handed her the glasses. “Excuse me for a moment while I make sure that happens.”
She watched him walk out the door—well, that was easy—then quickly uncorked the wine, poured the crimson liquid and let three droplets of gamma hydroxybutyrate drip into Rowland’s glass. GHB had no color, smell or taste, but it would knock him out for several hours at least. Rowland would have no idea what hit him. It was a powerful and dangerous drug, and Lily prayed it worked fast, because she sure as hell had no intention of sleeping with him.
He came back in and she handed him the doctored wine. They toasted, and she tipped her head back, letting the tart liquid flow down her throat. Damn, this wine is good. Worth every penny. He mimicked her movements, quietly watching her. She took another sip, and he followed her pattern.
“I must say, Rowland,” she said, stepping closer to him. “My luck changed the night you blew into my world.”
“Not luck, my dear. Fate.”
“To fate, then.” She raised her glass.
“To fate.”
He downed the last of his wine, took her glass from her hand, set it down and pulled her to him, kissing her hard.
“Come with me.” He took her hand and led her out of the office.
Please kick in. Please kick in. The last thing she wanted was to have to sleep with this monster. She allowed a soft laugh to escape her lips as she stumbled after him. He stopped, pushed her up against the wall and kissed her, pushing his hand under her dress. She laughed, wiggled away and danced backward, curling her pointer finger in a come-hither motion.
He followed, pushing her through his bedroom door and shutting it behind them. Again he shoved her up against the hard surface of the closed door. She allowed him to kiss her, knowing that there was nothing she could do about it. Not until the drug kicked in. He pulled her dress over her head, his eyes burning into her.
“So beautiful,” he murmured, kissing her neck.
He reached behind her, unfastened her bra and slid her straps off her shoulders, one at a time. She raked her fingers through his hair, anything to buy her more time. Time for the damn drug to kick in.
Rowland stepped back and unbuttoned his shirt, never taking his eyes from her body. His face showed no sign of the drug she’d given him. Lily’s throat tightened. She was going to have to sleep with him, or her cover—and their mission—would be shot to hell.
Might as well take control of this nightmare.
She grabbed his hands. “Let me.”
In another life, one where she didn’t know that the man hell-bent on taking her to bed was a sociopathic psycho who’d murdered hundreds of people, she could have easily been captivated by the handsome man, fallen under his enchanting spell. But she knew exactly what he was, and his barely leashed brutality scared the shit out of her.
Putting her hands on his chest, she guided him toward the bed, careful to keep her scars hidden from view. When he bumped into the mattress, she pushed him down, made him sit, then took her time unfastening every button of his shirt. Pushing it down off his shoulders, she dragged her fingers across his strong chest. Judging by the heat in his eyes, he took it as foreplay.
She took it as a lifeline.
“Take off your panties,” he ordered, his voice husky.
She obliged, but slowly, every cell in her body regretting coming to this house of horror as he reached out, ran his fingers over her bare skin. His arms encircled her waist, pulled her naked body between his legs.
“Darling, Addison...” Then he blinked in confusion, his eyes rolling into the back his head as he slumped against her.
It’s about damn time.
Unfastening his belt, Lily pulled off his pants and boxers, throwing them on the floor in a heap. She tugged back the covers, entangling his body in them, as if they’d just enjoyed their romp in bed.
Gr
abbing Rowland’s button-down, she shoved her arm through one sleeve, then the other, fastening a few buttons. If, and that was a big if, someone else was still here—that damn bodyguard, a maid—and saw her walking around, she’d appear to be a slightly intoxicated guest...or at least that was Lily’s hope.
Glancing over her shoulder to see that he was still out, she headed straight for Rowland’s office. She closed the door behind her, then made her way to his desk. She sank into his chair and tried the top drawer. Locked. She pulled at the next one. Locked. Frustrated, she flipped on the small table lamp and thumbed through the papers on his desk.
Bills, old receipts, a handful of business cards. Nothing incriminating.
She hung her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. Please don’t let this be for nothing. Turning her attention to his home computer, she keyed in a simple command that should have unlocked a back channel.
Nothing. She tried another command.
Still nothing.
“Damn it,” she whispered
She glanced at the clock, cringed. She needed to get back, couldn’t afford to get caught. Wiping down the keyboard, she flipped off the desk lamp, let her eyes adjust to the darkness swirling around her and headed back to Rowland’s bedroom.
Creeping back in, she slid under his covers, pushed her naked body close to his and stared at the ceiling, fighting the heaviness threatening to pull her into a deep slumber.
She should have listened to Derek.
* * *
LILY WOKE TO faint sunlight streaming in the window and the weight of Rowland’s arm draped over her bare stomach. She didn’t move, barely breathed. How was she going to get out of this mess, especially if he wanted an encore? He stirred, lifting his head and reaching under the sheet to caress her.
“Good morning, handsome.”
“Addison, darling.” He cupped his hand around her breast, hard. A startled gasp popped out of her mouth and Lily froze. He released his hold and pressed his lips to hers. “I missed you last night.”
“What do you mean?” She turned on her side and pulled the sheet up to cover her nakedness. “I was here.”
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