by Misty Evans
He tried to laugh, could only smile. But that was good. Smiling at Sydney and having her smile back was very good. “I killed him.”
A small gasped sounded. He knew that sound. Shock. She slapped his back and eased away from him, her hands still resting on his shoulders. “Come again?”
“The kid got off on a technicality, and because he was a teen whose parents had a lot of money and pull with the judge, he was set free. I was in a rage. I used every contact I had to get information on this kid. I found out he was a predator. There were girls he’d raped and beaten, but the parents were too afraid to let their daughters come forward. If someone had stopped him, my sister would be alive. Then the son of a bitch went on with his life and acted like my sister deserved what she got. Maybe it was wrong—I’m still not sure—but I helped him have an accident. A fatal one.”
“Get out of here. You? Mr. Follow The Rules?”
He nodded.
“You don’t mess around.”
“Told you, I’m crazy.”
“It’s called justice. A term I think you’re familiar with, Justice Greystone. I don’t know what you expected from me, but if you think I’m going to say you were wrong, that’s not me. I deal with predators every day. I’d like to line them up and shoot their peckers off. As far as I’m concerned, you did what you had to. You saved someone, Grey. You resorted to means most people don’t have the balls for, but you made this world safer by getting rid of that monster. That’s what you need to focus on.” She put her hands on his cheeks and squeezed. “You did what you had to.”
The weight pressing on his shoulders lifted. Finally, he’d shared his secret with someone other than Monroe. Sydney understood. Support. “Thank you.”
“For what, angry sex? You know I love that.”
“The sex was good. Better than good. But I was talking about understanding my dysfunctional system. You and Monroe may be the only two people who ever have.”
“I happen to think your dysfunctional system, on some level, works. Put my dysfunctional system with it, and we’re the perfect pair. Even if we’re nuttier than fruitcakes, we balance each other out.”
That they did.
“And, by the way, I’m sorry.”
She was sorry? This should be good. “For what?”
“I should have believed you about The Lion. You knew he was dangerous and I doubted you. I shouldn’t have.”
He grinned, thought about making a wise crack and reconsidered. “My history with him is longer. I had the benefit of that where you didn’t. Now you know and we can plan for whatever else he tries. Would you like to do some surveillance with me this afternoon?”
She walked her fingers up his chest and poked. “Will there be cupcakes?”
“Any kind you want.”
“I’m in.”
So was he. In deep.
Chapter Twenty-one
On the way to the fundraiser, Syd sat next to Jennifer in the limo. She stared out the window as the lights of D.C. illuminated the cloud-covered sky. In the distance, the Capitol Building glowed. If only she could jump out right here and watch the lights for a while. It would be so much better than facing The Lion.
At least she had Jennifer with her tonight. They weren’t exactly friends, but Syd was grateful for her presence. Although she wondered what Jennifer would do if and when she found out Ahmed was after Syd… ‘I’d rather keep him for myself,’ she’d said.
More power to her.
The limo eased to a stop in front of a large townhouse where a valet waited. He opened the door and Jennifer slid out, her peach gown riding high on her legs as she moved across the seat. The valet nodded and made no effort to curb his lustful staring.
Men.
Asses.
Not all of them, but most that had anything to do with this crowd. Syd opened the street-side door on her own and got out. Might as well minimize the guy’s ability to act like a pig.
At the entrance to the house, two security guards checked their purses and waved handheld metal detectors over them. Obviously, the big shots were in residence. At least these guards didn’t try to cop a feel.
“I see you’ve arrived,” Grey said via her earpiece.
Directly in front of her, a staircase with an iron rail curved up to the second floor. She looked left through the large archway to what must normally be the living room, but now contained no furniture and a crush of milling people. Grey walked toward her and an instant sense of calm settled inside her.
“Good evening, ladies,” he said to them as he walked by.
“Damn, he’s a hot one,” Jennifer said. “He did security the other night too.”
“Yep. He’s the one who dragged me out of the library.”
Jennifer snorted. “What a disaster that almost was.”
“Yeah. We don’t have to talk about it.”
“Didn’t intend to, sweetie. Let’s do our thing. The limo will be back in two hours.”
With that, Jennifer headed off into the crowd.
“There she is.” Nabil stepped next to Syd and slid an arm around her waist. “I’ve been searching for you. You look lovely.”
He pressed a light kiss on her cheek and she found she didn’t mind even though he’d helped his father trick her. Nabil had been nice to her. Too bad his father was a madman.
“You stood me up last night.”
“Abject apologies. I intended to have dinner with you but there was a crisis with a Lebanese family here in D.C. and my father requested I take care of them.”
So Nabil had been tricked just like she had. She felt a pang of pity for him, having a father like that. “Well, all’s forgiven. Care to buy a girl a drink?”
“Anything for you, Cindy. Come.”
Not that she’d drink alcohol, but she needed something in her hands.
On the way to the bar, they passed a group of men. In the middle stood The Lion. Syd turned her head hoping he wouldn’t see her. She’d have to face him eventually, but it would be nice to familiarize herself with the house before she did.
That idea landed like a brick when she and Nabil reached the bar. He turned to order her a soda and a hand dragged over her lower back, the fingertips skimming her upper ass.
“Hello, my sweet,” The Lion whispered in her ear.
The one with the earpiece. Did you get that, Fed Boy? Her stomach pitched, but she forced a smile and faced The Lion.
“Good evening, Ahmed.”
“I trust you were pleased with my gift?”
What the hell could she say to that? No, you scum-sucking pig. I hated it. “Thank you.”
Safe enough answer.
Nabil turned with their drinks, his smile firmly in place. “Hello, Baba.” He handed Syd her club soda.
“Nabil,” The Lion said. “I must borrow this delightful woman. Two minutes. I’ll bring her right back.”
Nabil gave a slight bow. “Of course.”
Syd offered an apologetic smile. Poor Nabil. Always second best. She’d love to tell him he was a far better man than his father.
Now though, she had to focus on her assignment and determine where the hell The Lion was taking her. She cleared her throat.
“I’m with you,” Grey said in her ear. “I’ll stay close. Say margarita if you need me.”
The Lion led her to the curving staircase and waved her up. Cripes. They were headed away from the crowd.
“We’re going upstairs?” she asked.
“There’s a sitting room. I’d like to speak in private.”
“Got it,” Grey said.
She glanced up the stairs, then back to The Lion. Now or never. “No funny stuff.”
Once up the stairs, The Lion lightly cupped her elbow and ushered her through an expansive hallway adorned with gold sconces and Renaissance paintings. The cream carpet was almost an exact match to the walls and must have had four inches of padding.
The Lion led her to a set of white double doors on the right. He threw open
the doors and welcomed her into a large study. A white desk sat in one corner, its backdrop, floor to ceiling bookshelves. Two sleek chairs and a sofa faced three oversized windows lining the wall.
“Come sit, my dear.”
She did as she was told, but fried a nerve when The Lion closed the doors behind her.
“I’m at the bottom of the stairs,” Grey said. “Which room are you in?”
“I love those double doors,” Syd said. “A perfect way to enter such a lovely room.”
Ahmed smiled genially. “The senator’s wife is quite the decorator.”
Syd lowered into one of the large chairs. She wasn’t going near that couch. She tracked The Lion’s movements until he sat on the arm of the sofa.
“I want to apologize for last night,” he said.
Get outta town.
“My behavior was deplorable. Tonight, I would like to, as you Americans say, clear the air.”
Syd nodded, forced herself to respond. “I accept your apology.”
“Thank you. Obviously, I would like to spend time with you. You have a certain zest I find appealing.”
Freaking lunatic. Who knew threatening to shoot a man’s dick off would get her a date? This was incredibly screwed.
Syd stayed quiet while ideas on how to proceed tumbled through her mind.
“Roll with it,” Fed Boy said in her ear.
“Ian spoke to you?” Syd asked. “About my request?”
“That I not pressure you to make love?”
Make love? That’s what he called nearly raping a woman? Madman.
“Yes. I will not sleep with a man for money. I’ll accompany you to events, but that’s it. When and if I’m ready to sleep with you, you’ll know.”
He tilted his head, stared at her for a solid minute. Waiting. Assuming she’d buckle. After all, most probably did.
“As long as you understand a man has needs. If you refuse to allow me that privilege, I will find it somewhere else. Is that clear?”
Crystal. “Do what you must, Ahmed.”
He rose, moved to stand over her, and ran a finger along her cheek, down her jaw and over her neck. She kept her gaze on him, letting him know he was in dangerous territory.
Just short of her breast, he stilled his hand, laid it flat against her skin, the warmth deceiving. But that was his magic bullet, the charade of being a gentleman. Now she knew better.
“I will win you over. You’ll see.” He leaned forward slightly, kept his gaze on her lips, and tilted his head. “Then you’ll beg for me.”
Margarita, margarita, margarita.
“Get out of there,” Grey said in her ear.
Read my mind.
Slowly, she eased her face backwards. “I’d be thrilled to see you win me over, Ahmed. Now, I think we should get back to the party.”
With that, she slid left, angled around him to stand, and marched toward the door. Knowing his love of hair pulling, she braced herself for the pain that would come when he grabbed her.
Nothing.
She kept walking. Three more steps.
Two.
One.
There.
Gently she opened one door, turned back to The Lion. “I’ll be downstairs.”
“I’ll find you if I need you.”
“Whack-job,” Syd muttered as she left the room.
The man was undoubtedly insane. Perhaps schizophrenic. Lord knew she had plenty of experience dealing with that ailment.
Grey stood at the bottom of the stairs and she kept her eyes on him as she descended.
“You okay?” he asked, barely moving his lips.
Not a chance. She would never admit that. Not here, anyway. While here, she had to be okay. There couldn’t be room in her mind for doubt. Not if she planned to outsmart The Lion.
“I’m fine,” she said as she strolled past Grey.
She stepped into the main room and scanned the mingling crowd. Without a clue who to look for, she scooted to the side to calm her rattling brain.
Against the wall, she breathed in and out until, from the bottom of the stairs, The Lion’s lilting accent reached her. What was he saying? Syd shot away from the wall and stood iron straight, her body locking up. The Lion was speaking to Grey.
“You’re Jason Black from Front Range?”
God Almighty. What she shouldn’t do right now was spin toward the stairs and alert the crowd of her horror.
“I am,” Grey said.
“I need to speak with you. Privately.”
That’s it. Cover blown.
An older man with thinning dark hair wandered by her and gave her an I-could-do-you look. Keep dreaming, pal. She smiled and quickly averted her eyes. Needing shelter where she could listen to The Lion and Grey, she darted down the hall to the powder room.
The bathroom was occupied so she waited. Good way to kill time. In her ear, she heard the snick of a door shutting. Where the hell were they? Upstairs? She didn’t know.
“What can I do for you, sir?”
Fed Boy must be peeing his pants. Not him. She would be peeing her pants, but Grey would be thrilled. Syd gave her hair a fluff to make sure her earpiece was still hidden.
Finally, the woman in the bathroom cleared out and Syd locked herself in to finish her eavesdropping. The horny congressmen would have to wait.
“Security issue at my residence,” The Lion said. “I need someone who can be discreet. I’m told you excel in that area.”
Unbelievable. Syd put the toilet seat down and sat. She ran her hand through her hair, winding one long strand around her index finger while deciding if Grey’s cover was blown and The Lion was setting a trap. He was tricky that way. Always testing people, trying to keep them unsteady. Grey, of all people, would know that. He understood this monster better than anyone did.
“What issue?”
“Someone broke into my residence and destroyed my belongings.”
“What about your own security people?”
“If I alert my people, it will be reported to the embassy.”
“I see,” Grey said.
He sure did. Syd snorted. Wasn’t this some irony? Fed Boy trashed The Lion’s lair and was then asked for help securing it again.
“I will hire you to make security improvements. Cost is not a factor, but I insist on discretion.”
A brief silence. Only a soft brushing sound. Like the swish of clothes. Someone moving? Pacing the room?
“Of course.”
“If you speak of it to anyone, you will never work again. Understood?”
Oh, Fed Boy must love this.
“I assure you, discretion is my middle name,” Grey replied.
Probably because he was too pissed off at the threat to conjure another response. At the same time, knowing him, he was formulating a plan to search The Lion’s house while improving his security. She might love this man.
“Be at my residence at nine a.m. tomorrow. We’ll make the arrangements.”
“Nine a.m.,” Fed Boy said. “I’ll be there.”
Again.
The earpiece went quiet for a moment until a soft creek—floorboard? Door opening?—sounded.
Someone knocked lightly on the bathroom door and Syd leaped off the toilet, arms flying. Scared the crap out of me. “One second.” She was so not good at the covert stuff.
She did a quick fix in the mirror, mentally readied herself for the remainder of the evening, and opened the bathroom door. She smiled at the woman waiting and slipped past.
Grey.
She needed to put her eyes on him. If nothing else, just to calm her jittery nerves. At the end of the corridor, she scanned the two rooms to her left and right. Nothing. She moved into the larger room containing the bar and there he was, by the doorway leading to the back of the house. He glanced at her, held her gaze for a second, and looked away.
“Bingo,” he mumbled via her earpiece.
For that, she offered him a smile.
Bingo indeed.
The next seventy-eight minutes were spent mingling with guests. High-powered businessmen, political junkies, members of congress. Even some actor. They were all there. And at two grand a ticket, they’d paid well for it.
She did her part and flirted with the men—particularly the single ones—while not infuriating the women in the room.
An often tough task with this crowd. Some of these over-Botoxed women looked mean enough to slice Syd to bits. Not that she couldn’t dispose of them easily enough. She just wasn’t in the mood for catfights.
From the corner of her eye, she spotted The Lion approaching. She readied herself, tried to think of something witty, but found it a useless endeavor. It didn’t matter anyway because he walked by her and zeroed in on Jennifer who was speaking with a couple near the corner window. The Lion stepped up, inserted himself into the conversation, and then whispered something in Jennifer’s ear before leaving again. Jennifer stayed with the couple.
Syd shifted sideways and gave Grey the eye.
“I got it,” he said.
Syd turned her attention back to Jennifer, now also on the move and heading in Grey’s direction.
“She’s coming behind you,” Syd whispered, hoping Grey caught it.
“Evening,” Grey said. Apparently, he’d run into Jennifer.
“Hey, handsome,” she replied.
Mine.
And, hello, when had Syd ever been the jealous sort? The twisted part of her found it comforting. After all, not many men had drawn that response from her. Maybe there was hope for her yet.
She stood at the end of the hallway, pretending to fiddle with the clasp on her bracelet. From where she stood, she spied Grey opening a door for Jennifer, nodding and then closing it.
“He was in there,” Grey said in her ear.
The Lion wasn’t kidding when he said he’d find sex elsewhere. Sick puppy. Then again, Jennifer was a willing participant. I’d rather keep him for myself.
A few minutes later, Syd spotted Nabil entering the room. Finally. Someone she could tolerate. His gaze found hers and they met halfway. “Nice to see you again.”