by Lexi Blake
“Not because she hasn’t tried,” Michael said under his breath.
Well, that cleared up a few things. She needed to treat JT like he was any other partner she was going to go into an op with. Especially one who didn’t have training and was absolutely above reproach. JT wasn’t trying to sell his own tech. He was a man who’d been thrown into something he wasn’t ready for.
He was a man who wouldn’t understand how badly this could go because there was a core of goodness to JT Malone that wouldn’t allow him to see that dark side. He was shoved into a world where everything and everyone had two faces.
“I believe the team discovered a connection between a few of the suspects,” she said. “I can go over the whole report with you later, but a man named Greg Hutchins has been working with Mr. Drake here.”
“Just Drake,” the CIA agent corrected. “And yes, I’ve been working with Hutch.”
“I know him. He’s a good guy,” JT said.
“Where do you know Hutch from?” She was curious. According to everything she knew, David Malone was their primary contact with Malone Oil. The Dallas office provided the company’s security here in the States, while they worked with former CIA agent Tennessee Smith in the more remote locations of the world. But as far as she knew, Malone Oil had in-house cybersecurity, which was Hutch’s specialty.
“I know him from the club,” JT replied.
“The club?”
“Sanctum.”
The room seemed to get much, much hotter. He was a member of Sanctum? He belonged to a damn BDSM club? He would be a Dom, an indulgent one. He would be the kind of top she’d always dreamed of.
“Of course,” she replied, praying her voice hadn’t gone up a notch.
“Hutch hasn’t spent any time at Malone Oil,” Big Tag explained. “He’s done some consulting with their IT department, but they don’t know what he looks like. It’s why he’s on a plane right now. He’s going in as the resort’s IT guy, but don’t think he can’t handle himself. Like Sandra, he’s there to back you up if you need it.”
“He’s a very smart guy. I don’t understand why he left the Agency.” Drake looked thoughtful for a moment. “He could have gone places.”
Hutch had been one of Ten’s men, as her boss Damon Knight referred to them. Michael had been on Ten’s team as well.
Michael leaned forward, giving the CIA agent his attention. “I left at the same time. We didn’t like how the Agency treated our boss.”
Drake shrugged one broad shoulder. “You were on a Special Ops team. You were good cannon fodder. Hutch was on track to be an agent.”
JT snorted slightly. “Well, I’m sure you were the best cannon fodder, Mike. Now someone tell me who you think stole my prototype. I’ve been working on that material for years. I was worried it was my chief engineer.”
“Your chief engineer is dead,” Tag said flatly.
“Yeah, he was in a car…” JT stopped. “You think someone killed him. You thought he was the one, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” Drake acknowledged. “We discovered William Murphy was meeting with a man we believe works for the Reconnaissance General Bureau.”
Nina leaned toward JT because the only reason she knew what Drake was talking about was years of intelligence work. “North Korean spy agency.”
He gave her the most intimate smile. “Thanks.”
She was not going to go gooey. “But we’ll be looking for a Westerner. His name is Joe Hall. He formerly worked for the embassy in South Korea, which is where the North Koreans likely recruited him. He’s the go-between. He’s the one who met with your engineer.”
JT shook his head. “Bill and I worked together for years. Why would he do this?”
Charlotte took that question. “He was diagnosed with terminal cancer six months ago. I believe he was looking for a payout to help his family.”
The expression on JT’s face made her heart twist. “He didn’t tell me. He’s got two kids and his wife…she quit her job to stay home with them. I went to his funeral and they didn’t say anything.”
“Probably because I could arrest the wife if I could prove she was involved in his decision,” Drake mused. “I haven’t been able to yet.”
“Leave her alone.” JT pointed his way. “She’s going through enough. You leave her out of this.”
Mike put a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Hey, I’m sorry about Bill. I know he was a friend of yours, but he was spying.”
“No, he was in a bad place and didn’t know how to get out of it.” JT sat back, looking weary. “I should have known.”
“He should have told you, but he didn’t, and we’ll leave his wife out of it. Somehow I don’t think a housewife from Houston will be doing any spy work,” Tag offered. “Now the reason we believe one of the workers on this retreat killed him is the fact that they all had contact with the engineer in his final days.”
“We have an office in Houston,” JT explained. “He worked out of there. I would expect a lot of people came in contact with him.”
Drake was studying JT as though trying to figure him out. “But only three of them are going to the retreat.” He pulled a tablet out of his bag and flipped it around to show JT something. “Your assistant took a vacation to Hawaii a few weeks ago.”
It was a screen capture of one of Deanna’s social media pages. She was wearing a bikini, a fruity drink in her hand, with the caption “loving life in Oahu.”
JT nodded. “Yeah, she takes two weeks a year and almost always goes to Hawaii. I’m afraid my business isn’t great for fun travel. We’re in the Middle East a lot. And North Dakota. It’s not so surprising she’s goes to the islands with her friends. Friend. From what I can tell she’s only got the one.”
“There’s a problem with this picture.” Drake moved his finger over the screen to zero in on the sign behind her. The Beach Bar, established 1972. “The Beach Bar burned down six months before she posted this shot. All the other shots of her vacation appear to be from different times as well. Except for this one.”
He switched the picture to one of a plate of sushi with the caption “time for dinner.”
“I would think sushi is pretty popular in Hawaii.” There was a frown on JT’s face, like he knew something bad was coming but he didn’t want to hear it.
“I tracked down the plates and the presentation of the sushi along with the silverware and flatware and table linen. There’s only one restaurant that has all of those in combination and that’s Harold’s,” Drake explained.
Drake was a desktop investigator. She would bet he’d been recruited for his hacking skills, or he’d designed some software the Agency was interested in. She would also bet all of his experience was technical, which was exactly why Big Tag was sending in Sandra and Hutch—both military vets. But the kid was good.
JT sighed. “Harold’s is in Houston.”
“And the particular sushi she’s eating was a special from a night two days before your engineer died and the prototype went missing,” Drake explained.
“There’s a reason I stay off social media,” Big Tag said with a shake of his head.
“And the rest?” JT asked.
It was easy to see that this whole discussion was bothering JT. She wasn’t sure what to do about it. “According to the reports I’ve read, the other two were in Houston that week for a conference. The truth is all you need to worry about is giving me cover. I’ll handle the mission once we get to the island. I assume Mr. Drake will be coming with us.”
“I will,” Drake acknowledged. “Because the whole resort has been bought out by Malone Oil, my only choice is to go in as staff. I’ll be working as waitstaff. Hutch assures me we’ll be able to have eyes on the suspects at all times. I believe the North Korean asset will likely try to make the drop someplace outside the resort. You have a few activities planned off site, correct?”
“We have deep-sea fishing one day, and there’s a beach on the other side of the island where we’
ll go for a picnic. There’s also hiking pretty much every day. It’s not hard to get away from the group,” JT admitted.
Tag pointed his way. “That’s why we’ll need everyone to take shifts. I would like to have Nina in a less high-profile position, but it seems like that option isn’t on the table.”
She didn’t think JT needed more guilt. The poor man had been through a lot this morning. He’d found out his one-night stand was going to turn into a week-long nightmare, and that people he’d trusted had betrayed him. She knew what that felt like all too well. “I can make it work. I can certainly keep an eye on the admin. Or rather, she’ll keep an eye on me since she’s already accused me of being a hooker.”
Big Tag looked right at Drake. “A hooker is a woman who sells her sexual services for cash. Although some might take credit cards now.”
Drake’s eyes rolled so far back Nina was almost certain he could see inside his own brain.
“And we should call them sex workers,” Charlotte added.
“That’s what I thought, too.” It was good to know they were on the same page. Girl power. “She seemed very rude.”
“She is. You’ll have a time with that one,” Michael said. “I’ve never understood why JT didn’t fire her.”
JT pushed back off the table and stood. “Is that all? Because Nina and I should probably get to work. What’s your wardrobe like?”
“It’s like clothing. Normal amount of cotton blends. I brought a nice pair of trainers,” she admitted.
JT shook his head. “We’re going shopping. You’re supposed to be the fiancée of a billionaire. I assure you Deanna will know exactly how much your clothes and shoes cost. We’ve got a week until we go to the island. I have to do some work at the office, but with my father being sick, they can’t expect me in every day. However, I’m going to assume it might help for them to see you coming up to the office to spend some time with me. You’ll need to be dressed properly, and by properly I mean expensively.”
Charlotte sighed. “I like the makeover part best.”
Makeover? But he did have a point. Her clothes were perfectly fine for an assistant coming to her first retreat. Not so great for a coddled and indulged fiancée.
“I think you two should spend a lot of time together between now and the retreat,” Big Tag announced. “You need to get your stories straight. I mean it. I want you to speak in one voice when someone asks you how you met. You need to figure it all out right down to where you proposed. One person is already dead. I’m not going to lose Damon’s newest operative because of chemistry.”
“Our chemistry is…” she began.
JT put a hand on her arm. “Of course. We’ll work on that this afternoon. Maybe I can make her like me by buying a shit ton of expensive shoes.”
Charlotte sighed. “It always works for me. Go to Nordstrom and ask for Helena.”
“We’ve put three of Helena’s children through private school with Charlie’s purchases.” Big Tag stood and gave his lady a hand up. “Come on, baby. I can hear Travis from here.”
Sure enough, a low wail was coming from the hallway. Charlotte Taggart had recently given birth to her fourth child, a son they’d named Travis Taggart. There was a daycare on this floor, so the employees didn’t have to be far from their children. Damon was talking about expanding the nursery they kept at The Garden for Oliver Knight and Nathan Carter. When Hayley went back to work, her and Nick’s daughter would be joining the boys.
She liked the daycare, liked having the children close.
“Mrs. Taggart, he woke up hungry.” A young woman strode in carrying a tiny bundle in her arms.
“He’s always hungry.” Big Tag held out his arms and took the baby. “Come on, son. Let’s go to my office. I’m not going to miss a chance to see your mom’s boobs. Now remember, you’re only renting. I bought.”
Charlotte laughed as she followed them. “Have fun. I’ll expect all the Pretty Woman-like details the next time we talk.”
“Yeah, I suspect we’ll definitely have a talk very soon.” Michael was watching his brother like he didn’t want to let him go.
But she rather thought JT’d had enough of his brother’s opinions for one day. She reached for his hand. “We should probably get used to showing each other some affection in public.”
His fingers immediately tangled with hers, sliding in like they were puzzle pieces. “Yeah, we should. I’m known for being pretty affectionate with my girlfriends.”
“You are?” Michael’s brow had risen.
He squeezed her hand. “I am. You’re not around much so you wouldn’t know. Come on, baby. I’m going to call you baby.”
It’s what he’d called her the night before when he’d held on to her so tight she thought he would never let go. Just the word coming out of that man’s mouth sent a shiver of desire through her.
“Ms. Blunt, could I have a moment of your time?” Drake asked.
JT took a step back, and she hated that she felt colder without his hand in hers. “I’ll go pull my truck around. I’ll meet you out front.”
Michael followed his brother and she was left alone with the CIA agent.
“I know I’m young, but don’t underestimate me.” There was a hint of steel in Drake’s gaze. “This is my op. I don’t care what Taggart says. If I’d had my way, I wouldn’t have called any of you in, but Malone wouldn’t work with an Agency team.”
“Good for Malone.”
“I have to wonder about that. Given that his son used to be on an Agency team, I would have assumed he understood, but we all make do with what we have, I suppose. I checked into you.”
She stood up a little straighter. “I would expect nothing less.”
“I read about the situation that led to you leaving Interpol. I will assume you’ve learned from your mistakes.”
“I hope so. If you have a real problem with me, I can get on a plane back to England this evening.” It might be for the best. But she also hated the idea of JT going in alone. He was obviously out of his depths, and one person had already been killed over that prototype. JT wanted to believe in his people, and he would need someone to look out for him.
It had nothing to do with the fact that she could feel his hands on her body.
“Not at all.” Drake was roughly six foot four, with a muscular build that hadn’t completely filled out yet. “I prefer to work with experienced agents, and there’s no better experience than failure. At least that’s what everyone tells me. I think a woman who’s been burned before likely will play a relationship cover with care. She won’t get caught up in a handsome face and miss the clues.”
“Clues?”
“JT Malone was in Houston, too,” Drake pointed out. “JT Malone is the only one I know of with the mechanical expertise to have done the job on the engineer’s car. It was quite a professional job. I doubt the admin would know how to do more than hook up her smart phone.”
“Why would JT do something like this? It’s his company.”
“And he feels trapped. He blames his brother for leaving him behind. I’ve made a study of the man,” Drake stated. “I believe this could be some revenge on his part. This would be the ultimate betrayal of his brother’s beliefs.”
“Do you have any family?” Despite the fact that he was an operative and obviously brilliant, he was still only twenty-three. She had to treat him like the young adult he was, and that meant educating him when he needed it.
“No. I’m an only child.”
“Then you can read all you like about JT Malone, but you can’t understand him in this. I can. I have a younger sister. She’s horrible. I mean she’s the worst human being on the face of the planet. And if someone tried to hurt her, I would stand in their way. Because I am her older sister. Because it’s what we do. She’s awful to me in social situations and yet when everything went down with Interpol, she was there for me. She’s the one who found Damon Knight and pushed me to interview. What you witnessed here today was irr
itation. Nothing more.”
“I’m going to ask you to keep an open mind and open eyes,” Drake said.
“Always.” But she didn’t believe for a second that JT had anything to do with the theft and espionage. The kid might know how to figure out a mystery, but he couldn’t read people yet.
“And it’s obvious Mr. Malone is trying to charm you. I suggest you keep a cautious distance.” Drake’s eyes came up. “If you find yourself needing company, give me a call.”
She stared at him for a moment. “Are you seriously telling me to call you if I get horny, little boy?”
The right side of his mouth kicked up in a grin that made her think one day the kid might have some game. “Spying is a stressful business, Nina.”
She turned and walked away. It was going to be a long op.
* * * *
JT ignored the buzzing of his cell. He knew exactly who it was, and he did not want to talk to his brother right now.
He was going to have a hard enough time talking to Nina, since he was almost completely certain she was going to try to pull away.
He wasn’t going to let her. He was going to have one good damn thing come out of all of this, and it would be getting a chance with that British honey.
Oh, and she had tasted sweet. He should have had most of the morning to get his mouth on her again, but no. Someone had to be an asshole.
Someone had to be a traitor.
There was a knock on the window and there she was. He unlocked the door and she slid in beside him.
“We should talk.”
“Of course.” He pulled out onto Pearl Street. He’d known she was going to want to talk about how everything had gone sideways, but that wasn’t where he was going to lead the conversation. He liked to keep things positive. After all, that was how he dealt with almost everything. “First off, you’re going to need at least three bikinis. I think you’ll look gorgeous in blue. It will totally distract the bad guys.”