Already feeling out of place among the gowns and jewels, and self-conscious from the openly contemptuous looks thrown her way from various people, Ava tried not to pull the stupid skirt lower to cover herself or hike the top up over her breasts.
Instead she leaned against Rush as he snaked a possessive arm around her waist, unable to repress the shiver as his warm breath feathered over her ear. “Giggle and look like you don’t give a crap,” he murmured. “Nervousness is only going to give you away.”
“I can’t help it,” she said under breath as they came closer to the entrance. “I am nervous. No one’s going to believe I’m your stripper girlfriend.”
“Sure they will.” The look in his eyes was wicked. “Just close your eyes and think of my cock.”
She laughed, unable to help herself, the smile lingering as the guards approached them. Rush’s name wasn’t on the guest list, which caused a problem, but he repeated the phrase he’d given the guard at the gate and murmured a few things about how Troy wouldn’t like it if he was turned away. This seemed to have the desired effect, though then the guards turned their attention on her.
Rush pulled her in tight against him, told them her name was Candy and that she was the best fucking stripper in Travis County, and if they were very lucky, she might give them a show later. She played her part, giggling and fluttering her eyelashes, and secretly embarrassing herself by thinking of Rush’s cock, even though she tried not to.
But it must have worked, because after a weapons search for Rush and a cursory pat-down for her, they were ushered into the brightly lit grand hallway, joining a steady stream of people heading to the back of the house, where the party proper was being held.
Rush kept his arm around her as they moved along the hallway, holding her close, making her very aware of the tension in his big, muscular body. There was tension in his face too, a hard, diamond-bright determination to his features that she’d never seen before.
“We weren’t on the guest list,” she said quietly. “But they let us in anyway.”
He didn’t look at her. “Like I said, Troy knows I’m coming.”
“Do you think he’s watching us?”
Rush glanced around surreptitiously. “Not right now. But he will be. At least, he’ll be watching me, not you.”
They reached the end of the hallway, which opened up into an honest-to-God ballroom with massive crystal chandeliers, palm trees in huge pots, and even a string quartet playing in one corner. Waiters circulated with trays of champagne and other drinks, while the crowd laughed and buzzed with conversation.
“Wow,” she murmured as they stepped into the ballroom, allowing Rush to guide her off to one side where they could survey the crowd and get a feel for the atmosphere. “This is—”
“Pretty fucking tasteless? You’re not wrong.” He was looking over the crowd, his gaze narrowed. “I think I see Collins over there, standing by that tree. You see him?”
Ava frowned, searching the crowd of people, finally spotting a heavily built dark-haired man talking to couple of people beside one of the huge potted palms.
Her heartbeat sped up, her palms suddenly feeling clammy and damp. It felt strange to be suddenly in the same room as the man who had really killed her mother—if that anonymous tipster had been right, of course. Because there was still the potential that the guy had been spinning her a line. But she didn’t think he had. Here among all these people, feeling undercurrents of violence eddying through the room, she could well believe it was possible.
“Here’s what I’m going to do.” Rush’s warm breath brushed over her neck, making goosebumps break out all the way down her shoulders and arms. “You go get Collins and take him somewhere private. I’m going to create a diversion because I’m pretty sure Troy knows I’m here, and if he’s watching me, then he’ll be less likely to notice you taking Collins away.”
Unexpected fear clutched at her, though she tried not to let it show. Yes, she was a cop, but it was one thing to deal with criminals from the safety of her patrol car next to her partner, with backup at the ready, and quite another to be without all of that. “You’ll be following me, though, right?”
His vivid gaze flickered to hers, giving her one intense glance. “I will. Trust me.”
Trust me.
No, she didn’t have a badge or a uniform. But she did have Rush, and that was just as good, she was sure of it.
“Okay,” she said determinedly. “But I don’t know how long it’ll take me to get him to come with me.”
He must have heard the doubt in her voice, because he gave her that smile again, the warm, encouraging one. The one she remembered from years ago, sitting at the table in the Redmond kitchen. “You can do this, honey. You’re a great cop and an even better daughter. And I know that somewhere your mom is rooting for you just like I am.”
She didn’t know how he did it. How he knew the exact thing to say, something that wasn’t cocky or overconfident but just plain old reassuring. That calmed the fear in her gut.
Of course she could do this. She’d spent the last four years of her life training for this moment, and she hadn’t worked so hard to fail at the final hurdle now.
She wanted to kiss him right then, cover his beautiful, scarred mouth with hers to let him know how much she’d needed to hear those few simple words. But if she was going to be flirting with Collins in a few minutes, kissing Rush was going to look a bit odd. So all she did was reach out and touch his chest briefly, hoping he’d know what she was trying to say.
Then she turned around and made a beeline for Collins.
Chapter 14
Rush watched Ava walk away, and it took everything in him not to reach out and grab her back again. He didn’t want her to go to Collins. Not because he didn’t think she could do what she had to do, but because he just didn’t want her leaving his side. Not here, in a roomful of fucking wolves.
She strode through them as if they weren’t even there, though. As if she didn’t know the danger, her hips swaying in that tiny skirt, her legs incredible in those lace-up sandals. Her red curls bounced and he was back in his truck all over again, with her in front of him, leaning back over the steering wheel, riding him like a champion cowgirl. Her skin all flushed and those sounds she made filling the cab, the soft, delicate musk of her arousal in his nostrils…
Distraction, dickhead. You’re supposed to be providing a distraction.
Forcing away the memories, he tore his gaze from her and reached out to a passing waiter to snag a glass of champagne. “Woo-hoo,” he said to the surrounding crowds. “Party time!”
Heads turned in his direction.
He gave them all his best shit-eating grin and lifted his glass. “What’s up, motherfuckers?”
None of the people in this room knew him, but he knew them. Oh yes, he did. The contacts in his information network told him things, things that their bosses would probably prefer to remain secret. Bosses that were right now here in this room.
He grinned wider at their disapproving stares, downing the champagne in his glass and reaching for another as he joined one knot of people, part of his attention on where Ava was and what she was doing, and another on the movement of the black-suited security guards scattered around.
He said something outrageous—he was hardly aware of what, since he didn’t bother listening to half the shit that came out of his mouth—as he scanned the crowd to see if he could spot Troy. But there was no sign of the guy. If he knew Rush was here, he wasn’t making a big deal of it, or at least not yet.
As he got to one end of the way too fucking ostentatious ballroom, he gave another glance over to where Ava was standing. She was smiling up at Collins, fluttering those red-gold lashes at him, looking all cute and giggly. Maybe clapping her hands and jumping like a little girl was a touch over the top, but from the expression on Collins’s face, he was eating it up with a spoon.
Fucker.
Rush scowled as the man bent and whispered som
ething in Ava’s ear, making her blush like a stoplight. She turned her head to the side, smiling, looking so damn convincing Rush wanted to grab something hard and smash it over the top of the other man’s head.
Great. Since when had jealousy ever been a problem for him? This was why paying strippers for good times was the best way to go, because then you didn’t ever have to deal with this shit. You paid your money, you got off, and then you got out of there, no harm, no foul.
You certainly didn’t stand around like a tool looking like you wanted to rip someone’s head off.
Someone bumped his elbow, and he nearly turned around and punched him, only restraining himself at the last minute since that was not the kind of diversion he wanted, at least not yet.
But then, thank fuck, Collins reached out and took Ava’s hand and began to lead her out of the ballroom. She didn’t glance toward Rush, which was good, leaving him to accidentally-on-purpose bump someone else’s elbow in return, splashing expensive champagne all over the woman standing next to him. There were exclamations and fusses and the beginnings of an argument, and while everyone was dealing with that, Rush slipped away and out of the ballroom.
He’d played it just right, the security people too busy dealing with the rapidly escalating argument to notice him leave—if indeed they did have him under surveillance—so no one followed him. Pausing just outside the ballroom, he glanced down the hallway in time to see Ava and Collins turn a corner.
Following swiftly and silently, he went after them.
They didn’t go far, Collins stopping outside a door, then pulling it open and gesturing for Ava to go inside. She did without hesitation, the heavily built man following her inside and closing the door after them.
Rush wanted to give them five minutes, even though that strange, sharp jealousy was urging him to barrel in and take that dickhead down before he had a chance to touch her. He needed the element of surprise if he was going to tackle Collins on his own, because that guy was built like a tank and wasn’t exactly a novice when it came to fighting.
He glanced down at his watch, timing it. One minute. Jesus, if that guy so much as touched her, there would be hell to pay. Two minutes. She knew how to defend herself, no question, but still—Collins wasn’t exactly small. Three…
Fuck it. He was going in now.
Putting his hand on the door handle, he turned it silently and stepped into the room.
It looked to be a library, the walls lined with bookshelves full of expensive leather-bound volumes that probably no one in this house ever read. There were overstuffed couches grouped around a fireplace down at one end of the room, and lots of side tables with hideous knickknacks arranged on top.
Collins was standing with Ava in front of the fireplace. His back was to Rush, two large, meaty hands sitting on Ava’s hips. Rush bared his teeth at the other guy’s massive back, his grimace becoming fixed as Ava wound her arms around Collin’s thick neck, giggling like a lunatic.
And then Collins’s hands shifted, moving up to the round curves of Ava’s tits.
Oh, fuck no. That was so not happening.
Rush reached for the knife in his boot that the stupid fucks at the door hadn’t managed to find, then moved fast, his footsteps soundless as he closed the distance between himself and where the other two stood.
Too caught up in whatever Ava was doing, Collins didn’t even realize the danger until Rush slid an arm around his neck, jerking him back, at the same time as he pressed the point of the knife into the other man’s side.
Collins gave a hoarse shout of surprise, his hands going to the arm around his neck, trying to pull Rush away. But Rush only pulled back harder, cutting off the asshole’s airway, letting him feel the knife a bit more. “I wouldn’t make too much noise if I were you,” he said conversationally. “No one likes to be gutted at a party.”
Collins made an inarticulate sound, but Rush wasn’t interested. Holding the other man firmly, he glanced at Ava, running his gaze over her to make sure she wasn’t hurt, but she looked fine. Pink, slightly breathless, and fucking sexy as hell, but fine.
“You okay?” he asked anyway.
She gave a quick nod, red curls bouncing, copper eyes glinting in the dim light of the library. “Easier than I expected.”
Collins jerked, twisting like a fish on a line, but Rush merely choked him harder, pressing the knife a touch deeper. The prick was strong, but Rush had learned a few things in prison. Nothing was going to get the guy out of this hold, not if Rush could help it.
“So,” Rush said, “I bet you’re wondering why you’re here with my arm around your throat and a knife in your side instead of balls deep in that sexy little redhead over there.” He tensed his arm, jerking the man’s head back just for kicks. “Well, wonder no longer, my friend. We want some information.”
Collins struggled again, trying to elbow Rush in the side, but Rush easily sidestepped him while maintaining his grip. “Whoa, man. That’s a bit fucking rude. I might have to pass on some intel you don’t want your boss to know if you don’t calm the hell down.”
Collins tried to pry Rush’s arm from around his throat and failed. “You’ve got nothing,” he gasped out in a choked voice.
“Uh-huh. Keep telling yourself that, buddy.” Rush leaned forward so his mouth was at the other man’s ear. “We won’t mention that offshore account and the money you’ve been skimming from your boss to fund it. Nope, that’ll stay our little secret.”
The big man went abruptly still.
Rush grinned. He’d managed to get the info on Collins out of Dev at the same time as he’d gotten the lowdown on Troy. It had been a nice bonus after the prick had confirmed Troy was his father, and of course Rush knew there’d be a moment when it would come in handy, especially for Ava.
“Sneaky fucker, aren’t you?” Rush went on softly. “And I’m sure Jimmy would be very upset with you if he knew. But it’ll stay our little secret if you give me what I want.”
There was a silence. Then Collins said hoarsely, “What do you want?”
Rush glanced at Ava. This was her cue.
She didn’t hesitate, stepping up in front of Collins, her chin lifted, her gaze direct. “I want information about the murder of a cop. Lauren St. George. She was apparently shot by a drug dealer while making an arrest. Except I’ve had a source tell me she was killed on Jimmy Troy’s orders.”
Collins made a choked sound. “I don’t know anything about a fucking cop.”
Christ, was the guy stupid? Did Rush look like someone who would kid around?
He pressed the knife harder, feeling the man stiffen and let out a grunt of pain. “Bro, you need to think a little harder,” he murmured. “It’s difficult, I know, but you can do it.” He twisted the knife, getting another grunt. “Alternatively, I can tell Jimmy about your cash appropriation. He might be understanding, you never know.”
“Asshole,” Collins muttered. “I’ll fucking kill you.”
“That threat might have worked if it wasn’t my arm around your fucking throat, but sadly for you it is my arm. Not to mention my knife.” He gave it yet another twist. “So why don’t you stop being a dumb shit and tell the lady what she wants to know?”
Collins gave another grunt of pain. “Okay, okay. Just fucking let me breathe.”
Rush eased the pressure minutely. “That’s all you’re gonna get, bro.”
“It was me,” Collins gasped out tersely. “I was the one who tipped you off.”
The look on Ava’s face was grim, and now it got even grimmer. And if Rush hadn’t had a motherfucker in a chokehold, he might have obeyed the curious impulse he had to go and put his arms around her and gather her in close.
“What?” she demanded, her voice flat. “Why?”
“Because the boss suspects me and I wanted out. You were supposed to start up a genuine investigation, bring Troy in and arrest him.”
“How could I have done that? You didn’t give me any proof,” Ava snapped. “
So tell me. What actually happened to my mother?”
Collins grimaced. “She was investigating the boss’s business and managed to get him arrested on some fucking minor assault charge. Boss wanted her taken out, as quickly and as quietly as possible.”
Holy shit. Ava’s mom had been investigating Jimmy Troy and had even gotten him arrested…
Rush stilled. Troy had jumped bail—that had been the whole reason his father had picked him up, all those years ago. The whole reason Troy had been in Lone Star’s offices the day his mother had come by…
He caught Ava’s gaze and for a second the two of them stared at each other in shock. Her mother’s actions had been the catalyst that had set off a whole chain of events that had led the pair of them to this room, to this moment…
“So you’re saying she was killed on orders from Jimmy Troy,” Ava said thickly. “Because she was investigating Troy’s arms dealing?”
“Yeah. Danny did it. Then the boss got rid of him too.” Collins’s voice sounded choked. “Let me go, you asshole! I can’t fucking breathe.”
Rush realized he’d been pressing down way too hard on the man’s throat, in the grip of an emotion that was part shock, part grief for Ava, and part anger at the way this shit was linking up. At the confirmation that the man who was his biological father was also the man who’d ordered Ava’s mother’s death.
Christ. What a fucking mess.
Abruptly Rush let Collins go, the man falling forward onto his knees and sucking in desperate, loud breaths.
Ava was staring down at him, her face gone white.
He knew he should say something, put his arm around her, hold her, anything. But there was no time. They’d completed half of their mission; now it was time for her to get out of here and get clear, so he could complete the other half, the showdown with Troy. Which was going to prove even more interesting considering these revelations.
“Time to go, Ava,” he ordered, injecting the words with all the authority he could muster, since he had a feeling she wasn’t going to go without a fight, not after this. “Head back to the truck and get the fuck out of here. I’ll deal with this son of a bitch.”
Take Me Harder Page 22