Secrets of the Sapphires

by T. Sue VerSteeg

  Nothing came to mind other than Alex’s death.

  Leaning her elbows on her knees, she dropped her face into her hands for a moment. Looking back at her boss, she uttered, “The guard was a blood sucker. Did you know they were involved?”

  He fervently shook his head. “Must be a fluke. A group in England runs the time travel organization. Vampires are everywhere, Brooks. You’re going to run into one every now and again, though I know of your fondness for them.” Levinson chuckled. Nia flashed him a hurt look. Patting her hand he whispered, “Or lack thereof, as the case may actually be. Anyway, he was just part of their organization. When you signed up for the Paranormal Division, you signed up for the blood suckers, too, I’m afraid. I promised that I would let you know if we were dealing with any of their clans.” He placed a finger under her chin. She looked into his eyes, the eyes of a man she trusted with her life. A man who was the closest thing she had to a father. “I don’t make promises lightly, or very often for that matter. I do, however, keep them.”

  “If you say so,” she muttered, attempting to turn away.

  Levinson’s hand gripped her chin and forced her gaze back to his. “I don’t want to see you tomorrow. Understood?”

  Sitting bolt upright, she stammered, “I…I…swear I did everything I could to…”

  “You aren’t in trouble. Take the day off to regroup. I know you’re looking for a way to blame yourself for this. Unfortunately, Alex got sloppy. You did what you could to save his ass.”

  Wondering what the hell she’d do to occupy her mind if she wasn’t at work, Nia mumbled, “Fine.”

  Chapter Two

  Nia poked her head into the sterile hospital room. The sound of Alex’s heart monitor was a soothing, steady beat. He moaned and twitched as she quietly moved the chair closer, sitting next to the bed. Pulling his good hand into hers, she dropped her head on his pillow next to him.

  Visions of her first partner crowded into her thoughts. Joseph Dennett, a tall, hey-look-how-awesome-and-good-looking-I-am kind of man, had been madder than hell that he’d been paired with a woman. Left to basically fend for herself on every mission, she had developed more than just trust issues; she had come to rely solely upon herself. Once Dennett finally got fired for not following protocol and almost getting her killed, it had taken months for her to trust Alex. When he actually resigned himself to a sexless partnership, they fell in sync; that kind of trust and compatibility was something that rarely happened in the world of undercover agents.

  Nia coiled a few of his still gray hairs around her finger. “You have to get better fast. Please don’t make them pair me with someone else.” Alone, Nia allowed a single tear to trail onto the pillow.

  “Sweets, you know I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t have to.” Alex’s words were a drugged slur.

  Nia popped back into a sitting position, wiping away the evidence of her momentary weakness. “I, uh, didn’t think you’d be awake yet.”

  “I got sloppy and you saved my life. I owe you. If I could figure out a way to pull off super human healing powers, I would.” Alex offered a lopsided grin.

  “The doctor said the surgery went well.” Nia wanted to have hope for his return. Common sense weighed down her heart. She had talked to the doctors. Alex faced a long, hard rehabilitation road just to get him back into a desk job. Most of his shoulder had to be rebuilt from metal. Only time would tell if the actual fieldwork was even a possibility.

  Alex reached for her hand again. “I promise, not all partners will be as awful as your first. Dennett is, was, and will always be a giant douche.”

  “But what if…”

  Before she could finish her sentence, Alex shook his head and interjected, “You’ll kick their ass. Hell, you kicked mine several times in training just to prove you could do it.”

  “You brought it on yourself.” Yanking her hand from his, she let out a huff. “Telling me I can’t do something only makes me want to do it that much more.”

  “Then don’t you dare push my morphine button.”

  Grinning, Nia reached down and pressed the plunger. “Need drugs to deal with me? That’s not solving anything because I will be back.”

  Alex’s eyes glossed over. “Would you mind sending the hot Latina nurse in for my sponge bath?”

  “Nah, I think the chunky brunette would do a better job.” She glanced over her shoulder as she left the room, watching his face pucker into a drug-addled scowl.

  “Paybacks are a bitch, Brooks.”

  She chuckled at his words while making her way through the maze of corridors to the parking garage. Once behind the wheel of her BMW, the reality of a new partner crammed back into her head.

  Pounding her fists on the dash with each word, she spouted, “Damn it, damn it, damn it!” then flopped back against the leather seat.

  In her chosen profession, no one really knew the person they worked with. Even after proving themselves in the field, they still may have ulterior motives. It had taken nearly a year to trust Alex with her life, yet she still suspected he had something to hide. He lived a life on the edge; bed hopping and the occasional bender were his vices. Two and a half years with him and he’d tried nearly every line in the book to get Nia naked, even though deep down she suspected he knew it would never happen. Nia wanted love, even though her chosen profession wasn’t exactly conducive for anything remotely close to that. Alex wanted everything but.

  After contemplating the many possible facets of a new partner, she decided to meet her fears head on. Tires squealing and jaw clenched, she sped out of the hospital parking garage toward Cindy McGarry CPA Services, the front company for her division.

  The building was a huge twelve story high rise with floor to ceiling windows, making it look like a shiny glass tower from the curb. Inside, the lobby took up most of the first floor with metallic accents giving it a cutting edge, contemporary look.

  Entering the vast foyer of the upscale building, Nia was greeted by Janet, the overly spunky receptionist everyone loved to hate. She was beautiful, married to the epitome of a Ken doll, and happy even under the worst of circumstances.

  What’s not to hate?

  “Hello, Ms. Brooks.” Janet’s face broke into the whitest, straightest smile Nia had ever seen. “Isn’t the weather lovely today?”

  Nia forced a tight-lipped, toothless smile to her face—suddenly self-conscious, wondering if she needed to bleach her own teeth—as the bubbly woman buzzed her through the main entry. Making a sharp right, winding through a corridor maze of CIA cover offices, she pushed the heavy doors open to the freight elevator entrance and let them slam behind her. She pulled the fire alarm lever, the doors locked, and an infrared beam scanned her. The elevator then opened after she was identified, taking her down to the basement.

  No one knew the area existed except the staff of the CIA black ops Paranormal Division.

  Stepping off the elevator, the stark white walls and buzzing fluorescent lights brought about hospital images and thoughts of her ailing partner. As though it were the forgotten, ugly stepsister of the building, it nearly hit the other end of the spectrum in style. The damp, musty basement smells were strong in the hall but thankfully dissipated the closer she got to her cubicle. She turned the corner cursing under her breath and ran smack into Lexie Covington, mission coordinator and royal pain in Nia’s ass, who happened to be draped over the arm of a dark haired Adonis.

  Shoving the annoying blonde to the side, Nia looked up into the man’s eyes—which were the bluest she’d ever seen—and found herself stopped in her tracks.

  “Hi.” Tall-dark-and-handsome uttered just a single word. The husky, sensual tone resonated much farther south than her ears.

  Nia’s lips curled into a lop-sided smile as she watched dimples appear from his grin.

  When he opened his mouth to speak, Lexie burst in between them with her back to Nia. “Don’t forget about our date Saturday. Oh, by the way, this is the woman I was telling you about.”<
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  The man’s eyes lost their sparkle. He peered over Lexie’s shoulder and locked his gaze with Nia’s. “She’s my new partner?”

  Nia crossed her arms over her chest, disappointment pouncing into her happy place as she stared back at him. They stood there for a few moments, Nia sizing him up, his wandering gaze undoubtedly trying to figure out the combination to separate her from her panties after he jumped Lexie on Saturday.

  Typical male.

  “How about a cup of coffee?” The new man-meat nodded his head toward the break-room door. “I think the scent of something resembling it is coming from in there.”

  The burnt smell accosted Nia’s nose. She followed him down the hall anyway. Not sure if it was morbid curiosity or good old-fashioned lust, part of her wanted to know more about the man who might be her new partner. She just wasn’t quite sure yet which part of her was interested.

  She pushed her way past him and entered the small room. An old, round wooden table sat in the middle with four unmatched folding chairs surrounding it in a low budget version of the Friends set. A tiny refrigerator from decades of old sat in one corner while a sink and mismatched cupboards filled the wall next to it. A coffee maker from the same era as the fridge sat next to the sink with coffee brewed sometime within the past week solidifying in the carafe. Nia dumped the thick sludge down the drain and went about brewing a fresh pot.

  “So, I hear your old partner had an accident.”

  Nia turned to face the new guy and his accusatory tone, slinging water from the full coffee pot while she waved it in front of him. “That’s right; Agent Brennan got shot because he got sloppy.”

  Mr. Hunky’s brow rose. “I heard something different.”

  Nia spun around and pushed the half empty pot into the maker. Releasing a pent up breath in a poor attempt to find her Zen, she turned toward him again. “Really? I’m sure Lexie told you a lot of things that aren’t true.”

  He gave Nia a quick up and down glance. “Well, I don’t judge.”

  Nia rolled her eyes. Figuring it was Lexie’s usual stand-by man repellant, she said, “I’m not a lesbian.”

  “Huh.” His eyes scanned her body again, this time pausing to gawk at all her girly parts.

  She dropped her hands to her hips, glaring at him for a few seconds before she stomped out of the room toward Levinson’s office. The new CIA boy-toy scurried close behind her.

  As they burst through the door together, they announced in unison, “This will never work.”

  Levinson sank back into his cushy leather chair, the dark wooden walls and expensive furniture a far cry from the staunch white of the halls. He looked back and forth between the two as they glared at each other. “Why on Earth not?”

  “He’s not a good fit for me.” Nia waved her hand around him like his bad traits were superficial and she could point them out.

  Nia’s boss leaned forward, dropping his elbows on his massive cherry wood desk. “I really don’t think there’s an agent alive today you would consider a good fit, Agent Brooks.”

  Beefcake chuckled, adding to Nia’s foul mood. She stared daggers at him before turning a hopeful glance toward her boss. “Agent Brennan is a good fit for me.”

  Levinson’s face softened. “He won’t be back for some time, I’m afraid. Agent Van Deren is highly qualified with extensive field training. Besides, if memory serves me well, you didn’t think Alex was a good fit for you at first either.”

  Nia looked away from his knowing glance, feigning interest in the extensive book collection on the matching shelf unit next to her. “I had good reason.”

  “Well, this arrangement isn’t up for a vote. Van Deren is your new partner. Get used to it.”

  She opened her mouth to argue.

  “Don’t make me force you to play nice.” Levinson slapped his hands on his desk, punctuating his sentence.

  After searching her boss’s face, she found the vein at his temple bulging near stroke level. For the sake of her boss, she begrudgingly stuck her hand out toward Mr. Bulky in a goodwill gesture. “Agent Nia Brooks.”

  Agent Van Deren stared at her hand for several long seconds before he turned toward Levinson. “May I speak with you in private, sir?”

  “You’re kidding me, right?” Nia threaded her fingers through her hair and tugged.

  Levinson shook his head. “Brooks go home and get some rest. I told you last night to take the day off.”

  “Fine,” she spat as she stormed through the door, slamming it closed behind her.

  Chapter Three

  Garrett Van Deren took a moment and carefully chose his words. He couldn’t just tell his new boss that he had it on good authority his new partner was too much of a pain in the ass to work with. He did, however, have serious issue with her physical abilities. Lexie, who he’d known off and on most of his life, had told him how difficult it was to work with Nia. Most importantly, she was responsible for Alex’s injuries. These were not good qualities in a perspective partner. He hadn’t accepted the position for the challenge it presented; more for the resources he’d have at his fingertips. He had a murder to solve, and he’d followed the mole’s trail all the way to Levinson’s department. When he got the call, thanks to Lexie’s help, he’d accepted the position without hesitation. He had to use the opportunity at hand to get part of his issues out in the open.

  “Did you ask to talk to me in private just to piss Brooks off?” Levinson asked, tapping his pen on his keyboard.

  A smile crooked the corner of Garrett’s mouth. “No sir. Merely an added perk I guess.” Wasting no more time, he blurted out, “I don’t know if this pairing is such a good idea. Can you shift agents around?”

  “Like I told you when Agent Brooks was here, the arrangement isn’t up for a vote. Is there something in particular you’d like to discuss about her?”

  “I’ve read most of her file, and she seems like a great agent. I don’t think she has the physical abilities I need in the field.”

  Levinson raised a brow. “Is that right?”

  “Well,” Garrett began, shoving his bangs from his forehead while pacing in front of the massive desk. “She is awfully small.”

  “Boy, you are going to get your ass kicked,” Levinson snickered before letting out a hearty belly laugh.

  Looking around, Garrett checked for men lined up behind him preparing for a fight, only to find the room empty. He turned back toward his boss. “I don’t understand.”

  Once the laughing subsided, he answered, “Here’s a piece of advice. If she isn’t already listening on the other side of the door, I wouldn’t repeat that if I were you.”

  Garrett cocked his head to the side, serious doubts about his job choice clouding his mind. “So, you aren’t going to take me seriously on this issue then?”

  “Oh, I hear you loud and clear, my friend. I will tell you this: Brooks can take care of herself and you, too, if need be. She’s your partner, end of discussion, or you can tear up your application on your way out the door.” Levinson pulled Van Deren’s resume from a folder on his desk and extended it toward him.

  Garrett stared at the paper as he weighed his options yet again. He knew another chance to infiltrate the department would never come if he walked away. He shook his head. “That won’t be necessary. I’ll go set up my desk now.”

  Nodding, Levinson tucked the paper back into the file. “You’re a smart man. Anything else I can help you with?”

  “No. Thank you for your time, sir.” Garret spun on his heels, just short of running from the office.

  As he stormed back down the hall toward his desk, he spied a scantily clad Nia in the gymnasium area with her red curls pulled into a ponytail. She was attempting to kill Bob, the martial arts training dummy. He watched her small fists slam into his rubber head, followed by elbow jabs and kicks to his jaw.

  After pondering his rudeness toward her, he entered the gym and offered his hand. “Agent Garrett Van Deren.”

  She turned
toward him, wiped sweat from her forehead onto the back of her arm, and stared at his hand. “Small?”

  Garrett laughed. “Your boss knows you well.”

  Nia’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve been a part of this boy’s club for some time. I can hold my own, trust me.”

  “‘Your own’ isn’t what concerns me. What happens when I need help or we end up ambushed by ten guys? I need to know someone has my back. I don’t think you can handle it.”

  “So, do you want to get your ass kicked in your jeans or would you like to change first?” After gesturing toward the locker rooms, she slapped her hands on her hips. Shoulders thrust back and chin tilted, she oozed confidence.

  “You want to spar with me?” He knew she’d play tough with him eventually, he just hadn’t expected it so soon. He briefly entertained the idea of taking it easy on her. The trained agent inside swatted the idea from his mind, steeling his gaze. He had no qualms about knocking her on her ass, putting her in her place. It might actually do her some good to be humbled a bit.

  “Unless you’re afraid to hit a girl, that is.” Nia’s chin jutted further upward.

  Garrett kicked his sneakers off to the side while removing his watch, haphazardly tossing it toward his shoes. He was a bit more careful with his gun. He gently removed it from the back waistband of his jeans and laid it on the ground. Stepping onto the matted area, he automatically widened his stance, swinging his hands out in front of him. Motioning her toward him with his fingers, he announced, “Give me your best.”

  They summed each other up as they danced about in a circle. Nia threw the first punch. Garrett blocked it, smacking her arm away. He couldn’t keep the smile from creeping onto his face.

  Anger emanated from Nia, her face bright red, her jaw clenched tight. She came at him head-on with a misleading punch and a sweep kick, knocking him onto the floor. He jumped back into his stance. “Bravo, but you can’t keep me down.”

  Punches flew; blocks were made, and more dancing around the mat. Finally Nia missed one of his punches. It landed on her jaw, throwing her head back. She flinched for a second but came back with a solid punch to his gut. Stinging heat flooded his abdomen, making him instantly forget his regret for punching her. The sensation he found most disturbing was in his groin. He had to focus somewhere other than her pretty face, sleek curves or he’d be taken down.