The door opened and Ward stood, snapping to attention. “General Averill, sir.”
Jessica got up as well, inclining her head. “Sir.”
He waved them both to sit. Moving to the side of the commander’s desk, he slid onto one corner, his eyes on Jessica. “Your edges are sharp, Ms. Banning, as is your mind. To be honest, that’s what I hoped this interview would prove, even if there are some who’d prefer otherwise.”
“Some?” she countered.
He took his time answering, letting his eyes take in her face and the set of her jaw. “Your previous experience has hardened you, but I’ll venture a guess it hasn’t hindered you. There’s no training on earth that can replace a fire in someone’s belly, and sometimes revenge and justice are a deadly combination when correctly focused.” Averill leaned in, his elbow on his knee. “You think you can keep your focus?”
A slow grin spread across her face. “Like a laser.”
“Good,” he replied. “There’s just one hurtle left to conquer, which is why we had you come to New York instead of meeting in D.C.”
“Hurtle?”
He nodded. “Another meeting, really.”
“With whom?” Jessica swallowed the cotton that formed in her mouth.
He pursed his lips. “I think you already know the answer to that. He doesn’t want you for this assignment.”
Jessica caught the meaning in his pointed look and she shivered, but it wasn’t out of fear of being tested or intimidated. She could hold her own. It was the image of the man she’d dreamed about dominating her for the past year. Riding her hard…
She inhaled a quick breath to pull it together.
The older man smiled. “Come.” He stood. “I’ll walk you to the elevator. Best to get this over with before you two get started.”
Chapter Nine
The elevator slid open and Jessica stepped onto the top floor. No sooner had she exited the silver doors than it was clear this was no ordinary meeting, and definitely not something organized by any government agency.
Devlin had something planned. Only this time, it seemed he and a few others were calling the shots. One of them must have uncovered something new.
The central reception desk was empty, so she turned left as instructed and headed toward the large corner office at the end of the hall.
Her hand rested against her stomach. She had no real reason to be nervous, yet she had butterflies. She hadn’t seen or heard from the man in a year, and based on their unexpected encounter at the coffee bar, she had no idea what to expect.
The corridor with its floor to ceiling glass reminded her of their days in Langley. Days when she’d watch Devlin from behind the curtain of her lashes, dreaming about his touch.
Those dreams still haunted, only worse because now they were no longer fantasy. Like she told Penelope. She lived it.
She padded down the corridor toward the office at the far end. Funny, really. The similar corridor leading to the director’s office at Langley was unofficially dubbed Deadman’s Pass. Assets were rarely summoned, but walking that particular length of carpet usually meant their career was over.
She wasn’t an asset. Never was. Well, not in the usual definition at any rate. Still, she couldn’t quell the feeling that something was about to happen that would change everything.
The office door was closed, as expected. Muffled voices echoed from behind the handsome wood, so Jessica paused and then knocked.
No answer.
No one accompanied her, and the longer she stood in the hall, the more her adrenaline surged. She knocked again, louder.
“Just a minute!” Devlin’s voice ground from behind the closed door.
Jessica smoothed her damp palms along the side edge of her skirt. Devlin preferred to do everything himself, well, this time he was getting help whether he wanted it or not.
The door yanked open and he stood, eyes staring. His fierce gaze took a slow walk from her face to her feet, giving her curves a once over.
The city was steaming today, and she opted for a wide-strap fitted dress with a vintage flair and a pair of skinny-heeled sandals. Since she ran into him earlier, she was glad she chose to have a little fun with her clothes, especially since it made Devlin look twice.
She smoothed the cinched waist and glanced at him still waiting. The man’s eyes burned as they looked at her and he actually licked his lips.
After a year and a half? Score.
“Jessica—” he murmured. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“Leave the girl alone, Law. I sent for her,” a male voice echoed from the speaker phone on the desk.
“But, sir—” he turned with a blink.
“We need her, Law,” the voice argued. “She’s our ace in the hole in this and you know it.”
Devlin stood to one side and let Jessica into the room. She looked from the phone to Devlin and smirked. “What are we, Charlie’s Angels?”
The man’s voice chuckled. “If that’s what you’d like to think, okay by me. You’re certainly pretty enough to be an angel. Law, not so much. Maybe if he smiled more.”
“Charlie, I think I just fell in like with you,” Jessica replied with a soft laugh, not caring what rank was on the other end.
“Is comedy hour over?” Devlin asked. “We do have an assignment to prepare, or has everyone forgotten that’s the reason you sent for us, General Averill.”
The voice on the phone stayed ominously quiet. Not a good sign. “Of course,” he finally answered. “A little levity can go a long way between partners, Law. You should know that considering you were stuck with Meade for so long. Pity he retired. I suggest you lighten up. It might help smooth things over between you and Banning. After all, you haven’t seen each other in a while.”
“Actually, sir, we saw each other this morning,” Jessica replied. “It was totally innocent, but then again, maybe it wasn’t. Devlin doesn’t believe in coincidences.”
Law frowned, clearly catching her sarcasm. “Can we just get on with it, please?”
“All business.” Averill snorted. “Have it your way. You usually do, Law, but I think Ms. Banning deserves to be brought up to speed. I’ll let you do the honors when you take her to see the tailor.”
“General Averill, please. The tailor?” Devlin questioned.
“You know who I’m talking about, Law. You’ve been there enough over the years.”
“Attiomo and Sons?” Dev prompted. “Since when are they affiliated with us? Lorenzo has been making my suits for years and he never said a word. Besides, he doesn’t do women.”
The general snorted. “I’m sure that’s news to his wife.”
“I didn’t mean it that way, sir—”
The man exhaled on the other end of the speaker phone. “You’re not the only one who can keep secrets, Law. Attiomo is on board with whatever we need and that includes outfitting female operatives. Stop questioning, and just do. You both have a lot of skin in this game. We need a happy ending this time, people. We will never get another opportunity. It’s now or never.”
Jessica spared a glance for Devlin as a wave of déjà vu caught her off guard. Now or never. She’d murmured those same words to him that first night they were together.
“Of course, sir,” she replied, wondering if Devlin remembered, too.
The sound of muffled voices and shuffling paper on the other end signaled the conversation was at an end. “You’re both expected, so you’d better get moving. As Law well knows, Lorenzo’s shop is by appointment only. He has everything you need. And Ms. Banning, listen to what the tailor suggests. We want you both on the down low, but we also want you to look as though you belong. I’ll be in touch with further instructions once you’re done.”
The phone clicked off leaving the two of them in awkward silence.
“Jessica—” Devlin began, but she lifted a hand stemming his words.
“Don’t. It really doesn’t matter anymore. I know you have your reasons, Devlin, but
running into you this afternoon at Bryant Park tells me you’ve been stateside for a little while, but now I gather you’ve been back for some time. I don’t need a degree in rocket science to guess why you didn’t get in touch.”
He leaned on the edge of the desk, curling his fingers around the dark beveled edge. “I have been stateside, but that doesn’t mean I’ve been free to contact you. At least, not until now, though to be honest, I don’t want you here, Jess.”
She shoved her purse strap higher onto her shoulder. “Obviously.”
“Jess, please. It’s not how you think. I want you here, with me, but not for this assignment. It’s too dangerous. I want you safe. As far away from this cesspool of events as possible.”
Angling her head at him, she uncrossed her arms. “What’s going on, Dev? Why was I was given a personality litmus test by some lackey before Averill sent me up to see you?”
“What happened in Kyiv was traumatic, especially for someone not used to fieldwork. Since Averill insists we do this together, he needed to satisfy himself—and me—you could handle the pressure.”
Jessica put her purse down on a chair and then sat with a soft exhale. “There’s a lot that happened in Kyiv, Devlin, and you’re right. Some of it was traumatic. The rest—” she let her words trail off. “Let’s just say the part that lingers in my mind has nothing to do with bullets.”
He pushed himself from the edge of the desk and took her hand, pulling her from the chair and into his arms, but she twisted away punching him dead in the face. “Goddamn you, Devlin Law!”
Devlin’s hand flew to his nose. “Ow! Jesus!” His chin dropped to his chest and he exhaled.
“What’s the matter? Don’t like being taken off guard by someone with such an understated exterior?” She used his turn of phrase from that first night.
He lifted his head, giving it a quick shake. “What the hell does that mean, and why did you hit me?”
“For not having the decency to send a note or something explaining your situation. I didn’t ask for a security breach, just proof of life, Devlin! I’ve spent the past year thinking you were dead, or worse!”
He squeezed the bridge of his nose. “You didn’t seem that upset this morning. I guess my gut instinct was right. You’re too bitter to be part of this assignment.”
“Bitter? That’s unfair and you know it. I want to know what’s going on. You said you weren’t free to contact me until now, so talk. Now’s your chance. Where have you been for the past year? What are we facing this time?”
He stretched his jaw, giving his head another shake. “You’ve got quite a right hook, you know that?”
She paced a bit before turning on her heel to face him. “I been training again, and stop evading my questions. As for this morning, I was stunned to see you, but clearly you weren’t that surprised to see me. You can’t just pull me into your arms and expect to pick up where we left off. I need the whole story, Devlin, before I let you back into my life. If this is just another one off, then to be honest, I’ll take a pass.”
“Is that what you think we were in Kyiv, and right before? A one off?” he shook his head. “The only thing that kept me sane this past year was the memory of your face, the sound of your voice. I was sent to deal with a drug lord. A vile piece of shit worse than any I’d dealt with in the past. He was on a list of affiliates the powers-that-be wanted eliminated.”
“Columbian?” she asked, stunned for a moment. “And eliminated how?”
Devlin gave her a pointed look and then shook his head. “Venezuelan—and eliminated as in sleeps with the fishes. This guy was in bed with government officials who made a deal to transport guns to the local insurgents fighting the Maduro regime. It was all under the table and for a price, this dude provided the means. The pig showed his true colors and put the squeeze on, threatening to expose the arrangement.”
Jessica sank onto the chair again.
“War makes for strange bedfellows, and Venezuela is certainly in a state of civil war. There’s no law in that country anymore. It is complete anarchy, and the abuses would break your heart.”
She looked at him. “What happened?”
“Surveilling this guy led me to information about who’s in bed with our Russian friends in Kyiv. I learned who plans the origin, transit, and destination routes for the trafficking ring we targeted last year.”
Jessica’s mouth went dry and she rose from her seat. “Who?”
“Believe it or not, the former Ukrainian ambassador, Yannick Durov, as well as the CEO of Tenant Industries, Cliff Harmon.”
Her eyes widened. “Harmon? He’s the biggest real estate mogul in the western world.”
“Yeah—and he’s their laundry man.” He nodded. “And guess who else?”
She swallowed. “Who?” The word left her mouth more croak than question.
“Senator Maurice March,” Devlin replied.
Jessica shook her head trying to wrap her mind around it all. “Isn’t he the chairman of the Senate Committee on Human Rights?”
“Exactly, and what’s worse is Frank Lauder reports directly to him on any cases that fall under human rights violations.”
She sunk into the chair again. “Like Kyiv.”
“Yes. Like Kyiv.”
Jessica looked up from her stunned stare. “So, a senator, the former ambassador, and the mogul knew all about Ivan.”
“Yes.”
She blinked. “It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke.”
“Tell me about it.”
Incredulous, she shook her head. “And they knew before we went in to retrieve Solokovich’s list.”
“An inside job, as suspected.” Devlin paused. “Speaking of which, do you still have our insurance policy?”
Nodding, she inhaled and then let her breath out in a quick rush. “Of course. Ivan’s print out is safe and sound. Funny, though, not one of the three men you mentioned was on Ivan’s list. At least, not the part that survived the gunshots.”
She rubbed her chin, considering. “Could it be Ivan played us all along? It’s still just our word against a powerful and well-moneyed machine, and the more we examine this, the more it feels like we were played by both ends.”
“Not necessarily. Not when the bank records linked to every shady wire transfer and every illicit cash drop transacted since they began their dirty business is now in my possession,” Devlin answered with a smirk.
Jessica’s mouth dropped open. “How the hell did you manage that? I mean, you’ve got a smile that makes my knees go weak, but I doubt your drug lord rolled over for a flash of sexy grin.”
Devlin went to the office sideboard and poured two glasses of whiskey, walking back with them both. “Let’s just say the scumbag liked his bread buttered on both sides. Trust me. He would have rolled onto his belly for less. Fortunately, I didn’t have to go there.”
“Thank God for small favors, then.” She took one of the tumblers from his hand, her brows pulling together. “Wait, if you didn’t trade for the information, then how did you get him to give it up?”
He grinned. “Information isn’t hard to come by when you have a man’s balls in a pair of gelding shears. He pretty much gave me whatever I wanted.”
“Devlin Law! You humiliated a cartel drug lord! He’ll come after you with everything he’s got. They’re relentless! His people will hunt you and everyone you love until you beg for death, and their reach spans countries.”
“Not unless that reach works from beyond the grave.” Devlin shrugged. “I eliminated him, Jessica. As in six feet under.”
He took her hand in his and pulled her from the chair again. This time he locked his arms around her waist, not letting her twist away.
“We can finish the job we started eighteen months ago, Jess. It’s a dangerous business and that’s why I didn’t want you involved, but now I see I can’t do this without you.” He shrugged. “I mean, I can—but I don’t want to.”
“You don’t have to do
this alone, Dev. I want to ram a spike through their hearts for the misery they bring to the world, and for what they did to us. You swore you’d find the proof to nail these bastards to the wall and you did. A means to an end.”
“Well, the general did say we need a happy ending here.” His eyes searched hers. “I’m game if you are, Jessica.”
His double meaning wasn’t lost on her, and in that moment, the past year melted away. “I could do with a little happy these days, to be honest.”
Devlin’s lips slid into a soft grin even as they slanted over hers. “It’s been way too long since I’ve tasted you, woman. We have a lot of catching up to do. Smooth over our hard edges.”
She smiled against his mouth and reached to hook her fingers into the front of his suit pants. “I can think of something right now that’s smooth and hard, but we have someplace we need to be, first.”
“Spoil sport.”
Chapter Ten
Devlin held the cab door open and Jessica swung her legs over the edge to get out. She slid her hand into his waiting palm and looked up.
With a grin, he gestured with his head to the brownstone on the corner. “The place hasn’t changed a bit since Lorenzo opened his doors fifty years ago.”
From the taxi’s rear passenger seat, she followed his gaze to the stunning old-style building with gilt gold painted windows and a bold, light Victorian style sign with silver accents.
“The shop is tucked into the first floor, but it’s bigger than it looks from the street.” Dev gave her hand a light squeeze. “You okay, Ace?”
She nodded and slid the rest of the way from the backseat, letting him help her from the cab. Straightening her knee-length dress, she stood with Devlin on the sidewalk looking at the shop.
“Having second thoughts?” he asked.
Jessica shook her head. “No, just thinking about something the general said earlier.”
“What?”
“It’s nothing, really. He said, we want you both on the down low, but we also want you to look as though you belong. What did Averill mean by that? How do you plan for us to go about—” she circled one hand, not wanting to more on the street.
Dangerous Law (Suit Romance Series): A Rogue Operative Romance Page 7