Love & Redemption

by Chantel Rhondeau

  “S.A.T.O. and bracelets? You’re sure?” At his nod, her hand closed into a fist. “Damn it! He’s actually trying to make the bracelets.”

  “Is that bad?”

  “Don’t be stupid,” she snapped. “They killed a woman, and I assume stole the diamonds. Of course it’s bad.”

  Maybe it was a stupid question, but Gavin wondered if Shelley was always a bitch or if it was just stress. No wonder she was at the opera alone. Her attitude didn’t matter, though. What he really needed to know was what he’d gotten himself into by taking the jewels.

  “They didn’t get the diamonds,” he clarified, “but they think they did.”

  The look in her eyes shifted from irritated to calculating. “How is it that you happened to be in the right place to see all this, and why do they only think they have the diamonds?”

  He patted his jacket pocket, drawing her attention to the slight bulge of the jewelry pouch there. “I was hired to steal them. I planned to escape through the ventilation duct, but they came in before I could get away. I’m good, but not that good. It’s way too noisy to go through metal piping with people in a quiet room below me. They’d overhear. I stayed still and hoped they wouldn’t notice me.”

  “How good of a look did they get at you?”

  “The blond one made eye contact with me before his friend started shooting.”

  “Shit, that’s a problem.” She parted the curtain slightly and peeked to the stage area. “Looks like things are finishing up. Intermission will start soon and someone’s bound to notice the dead star. Once the police are involved, they’ll order everyone to stay here until they question us. We’d better leave before that happens. I have a car parked a few blocks over, but we should stick with crowds if we can.”

  Gavin brushed away her concerns. “He’s not going to be able to pick me out of a crowd. He can’t have gotten that good of a look. I’ve told you everything I know, and I don’t think you’re of any use to me. We should part ways here.”

  “Sorry, Gavin. It doesn’t work that way. You do need me.” Shelley crossed the small space and held her hand out to him. “Stephen’s a prick and an asshole, but he has a perfect memory for faces. It’s a good thing you never turned around when they came in the room. There will be a hit out on you soon and since you have the diamonds, they will find you. We’ll go to the hotel and call Nick. He’ll know what to do.”

  Reluctantly, Gavin accepted her hand and rose to his feet. Though he expected her to release him, she slipped her arm through his and urged him to the doorway.

  He tried to pull away from her. “Once I deliver the diamonds, I’ll get a big payoff and disappear. It was my plan anyway. I have nothing to fear from those thugs.”

  Laughing loudly, Shelley leaned closer to him and forced him forward. Gavin tried not to notice the smell of her sweet perfume or how extraordinarily pretty she was. Pretty women were bad news, and this one had a bad temperament to go along with the usual problems.

  “Why are you laughing?” he asked, not feeling amused in the slightest.

  She placed a soft kiss against his cheek. “You’re obviously a petty criminal and not prepared for the mess you stepped in. I’ll try to help you through it, but I wanted to get away from all this myself. Face it, we’re both stuck now. Paul’s crew will kill us if they get the chance, and helping Nick catch them is our only hope.”

  Gavin’s heart dropped and he felt sick. Even though he wanted to deny it and write off her words as the raving of a hysterical and frightened woman, Shelley carried a gun and was prepared to use it. She knew all the people who killed that poor singer. To top that off, she knew about the diamonds and the bracelets. No matter how strong and competent she came across, that information scared her.

  It seemed that while trying to walk away from a bad situation, he found himself a worse one. He should have expected something like that.

  It’s just my luck.

  ***

  Shelley held firmly onto Gavin’s arm as they neared her the parking garage. It took a lot of effort to keep from looking over her shoulder. Every few blocks they had stopped walking on the pretense of kissing so potential watchers from S.A.T.O. would believe they were a regular couple, leaving the show early for a little fun. On the crowded street, it was difficult to tell if anyone actually followed them, but no one tried to stop them.

  With a sigh of relief, she tipped the valet worker when he brought out her rental Mustang and then slid into the driver’s seat. Gavin climbed in the passenger’s side and Shelley relocked the doors, daring to breathe a little easier as she pulled away.

  “I don’t think we were followed, but maybe we should drive around a bit and make sure.” She checked the mirror, pleased when no car immediately pulled out behind hers. “It’s probably safe, but I’d hate to lead them to my hotel.”

  Gavin shifted in his seat and craned his neck backward. “No cars right behind us. Doesn’t seem like they are following.”

  Does he think I don’t know how to use mirrors?

  Sighing, Shelley didn’t voice her thoughts. She didn’t know if she liked Gavin Hart or should trust him, but until Nick learned everything he knew, she had to play nice. Besides, after almost turning Carlie over to S.A.T.O. to be killed a few months earlier, Shelley couldn’t have Gavin’s death on her conscience if Paul’s men found him.

  He settled back in his seat and an uncomfortable silence fell between them. Considering they had pretended to be lovers and kissed several times to escape, Shelley figured she could tolerate a few more hours with him and be friendly. After all, she’d slept with men she cared about less in the past.

  But that was Felicia. Shelley was different, more refined. And that thought made her realize she had to be nice to Gavin. Felicia would be a total bitch to him once she decided he wasn’t boyfriend material, but Shelley wouldn’t.

  “It seems like we got away clean,” she said. “I’m going to drive to my hotel now. Try not to worry about S.A.T.O. Nick will know what to do.”

  “Is Nick your boyfriend?”

  Shelley laughed. Though she wouldn’t have minded getting with that sexy man once upon a time, he was entirely devoted to Carlie, and Shelley couldn’t be happier for the couple. “He’s my best friend’s fiancé,” she answered. “More important than that, he’s in the business of catching Paul and stopping S.A.T.O.”

  She wondered how much information she should give Gavin. He probably didn’t need to know that S.A.T.O. had started out as a top-secret agency, answerable only to the President of the United States and a small board of his advisers. Paul had led S.A.T.O. for nearly twenty years and caught a lot of criminals and terrorists, but something changed.

  The man who had been completely devoted to his country and protecting America’s people turned his back on them. He now worked for the criminals himself, and was possibly the most dangerous man in the country.

  “I can’t really tell you too much,” she finally continued. “Let’s just say that Nick is the good guy, Paul and his henchmen are the bad guys.”

  “And what’s your role in all this?”

  Gavin’s voice had a hard edge to it, and Shelley looked at him only to see his eyes narrow and his mouth draw into a frown. So, the little thief was suspicious of her, was he?

  “If I had my way, I wouldn’t have a role in this at all,” she replied, stifling her sigh as she turned into a parking garage a few blocks from her hotel. Gavin had a right to be suspicious. Shelley hadn’t always made good choices, and joining S.A.T.O. proved to be one of the worst. “I used to work for Paul, back when I thought he was a good man. Now I’m committed to helping Nick catch him, though all I really want is...”

  She shook her head and drove up several levels before finding an open spot and parking the car. Why had she been about to tell this stranger all she really wanted was to find a husband and live in peace? He didn’t need to know that.

  “Let’s hurry to the hotel,” she said. “I’ll feel a lot better
when we aren’t out in the open.”

  He nodded, but reached across the console and took her hand, gripping it before letting go. “Thank you, Shelley. You saved my life tonight. Those thugs would have killed me if you hadn’t pretended we were together.”

  She twisted in her seat slightly so she could face him full on. In the darkness, it was hard to tell whether his pale eyes were blue or green. Pressing her lips tightly together, she wondered how honest she should be with him. Then again, he needed to know how serious this was.

  “The hard part, now that they’ve seen you, will be keeping you alive.”

  Chapter Three

  Shelley paced the confines of her hotel room. Though she did her best to ignore how Gavin had flopped onto her king-sized bed, it was tough. The irony of the entire situation was that Carlie and Nick planned this getaway so she could stand on her own, without a man. Sort of to prove to herself she could do it. Yet, somehow, she’d managed to bring a man to her room.

  “Are you calling your friend?” Gavin stretched out his legs, folding one ankle over the other, but hanging them off the edge of the bed. “As much as I like being invited to a beautiful woman’s room, I have somewhere else to be.”

  Gritting her teeth, Shelley forced a facsimile of a smile. “You’re the one who crashed into my private opera box and begged for help. I’m supposed to be on retreat by myself this week, not playing babysitter to a strange man who got himself into more than he can handle.”

  Gavin laughed and plumped a pillow before crossing his arm behind his head. His green eyes—yes, definitely a pale green, not blue—twinkled at her. “Admit it, Shell. That opera was a bore. You hoped a bit of excitement would fall into your lap to save you from a completely unbearable night.”

  “You’re wrong.” She lied easily, refusing to acknowledge the truth of his words aloud. However, life had been dull since she gave up dating—and sex. Choosing to quit her job as a secret agent at that same time had made for some extremely boring months. She was dying for excitement, the kind a handsome man like Gavin could easily provide. Don’t go there. “I’ve dreamed about going to the opera for a long time. Since you ruined my night, the least you could do is be grateful that I’m working toward keeping you alive.”

  Gavin’s eyes never left hers, but a sly smirk slid across his face. “Those hot kisses you planted on me say you’re looking for something more than a solo trip to the opera.”

  “You’re mouthy when you aren’t in fear of your life.” She shook her head. “Have you never heard of acting? That’s all those kisses were. Unless you’d rather I let Terrance and Stephen kill us.”

  It was hard to act indignant when the feel of Gavin’s lips against hers kept replaying through Shelley’s mind. His firm hand against her back, holding him to her, and the scent of his cologne...

  Definitely too long without a man. What is Carlie thinking? I’m not made to wait for true love. Shit, this is ridiculous. I’m lusting after a common thief.

  Gavin didn’t reply to her questions, but he had a twinkle in his green eyes that Shelley chose to ignore.

  She turned to the dresser behind her and grabbed her cell phone. Through the reflection in the mirror on the wall, she caught Gavin checking out her backside. When his eyes finally found hers in the mirror, she allowed her own smirk to pass across her face.

  “Who’s the one hoping for a little excitement?” she asked sweetly.

  He spread his hands wide in the reflection. “I never said you weren’t gorgeous.”

  She’d put on some weight after being shot a few months earlier, so Gavin’s obvious admiration melted her heart. Even if she searched for true love and it would be against the rules to sleep with him, there wasn’t a woman alive who didn’t feel pleased when a man looked at her that way. “You’re forgiven for making me angry before.”

  She entered Nick’s number into the cell and lifted it to her ear, avoiding looking at Gavin again.

  “Shelley? Why are you calling? The opera can’t possibly be over yet. Don’t tell me you gave up on it?”

  What was Carlie doing answering Nick’s phone? She sounded plenty mad.

  Suppressing a sigh, Shelley walked to the desk in the corner of the room and sat in the rolling chair. “I planned to stay, but ran into a bit of a problem. I need to speak with Nick.”

  “Trouble that requires Nick’s attention?” Carlie’s voice had cooled from angry to apprehensive in the space of a heartbeat. “Dang it. What’s wrong?”

  There was no way Shelley would tell her about Stephen resurfacing, not after the prick had tried to rape and kill Carlie. If Nick wanted to tell her, that was his business, but Shelley knew her friend still feared the creep. “It’s S.A.T.O. business, sweetie. I really think it’s best I talk to Nick first.”

  “I’ll get him.”

  While she waited, Shelley risked another look at Gavin. He had curled onto his side and tucked his hands beneath his cheek. Though he closed his eyes and breathed deeply, Shelley didn’t think he actually slept—not that fast. The thief had, however, made himself at home, taking off his tie and undoing the top few buttons on his dress shirt. His brown hair was somewhat mused, falling down from its previous smoothly feathered style to fall across his brow.

  And his lips... Shelley shook her head and spun the chair toward the desk. It was hard to ignore those full lips. Even in the tense, dangerous situation earlier, kissing him had been nice. While she wasn’t certain she actually liked Gavin, it would be fun to make out with him in less forced circumstances, just to see how good he really was.

  “Shelley?” Nick’s deep voice came across the line. “What happened?”

  “You aren’t going to like it.”

  “I kind of figured that.”

  She was sure he had. “It’s quite the vacation you planned for me. Some of our old friends showed up at the opera, killed the star of the show in her dressing room, and tried to steal some diamonds.”

  “Damn.” Nick was silent for several seconds. “I was afraid of that. Was it Paul himself, or just Stephen?”

  “What?” Shelley was unable to keep her voice from raising a few octaves. “You knew they’d be there?”

  The bed creaked behind her and Shelley looked over her shoulder. Gavin sat up, a concerned look on his face as he raised an eyebrow at her.

  “Calm down,” Nick ordered. “I didn’t know for sure, but there were rumors and Jenessa Jones has been monitoring things digitally. She picked up information about diamonds and a lot of money. I figured Carlie wanted you to have this vacation so badly, and I needed an agent there just in case our target showed up. It worked out for both things.”

  Shelley took some deep breaths and counted to ten in her head very slowly. “I’m not an agent,” she said when she felt she could speak without biting his head off. “And if you wanted me to work for you, you should have warned me what to look for. I thought you weren’t running things like Paul. This sounds like something he’d do, keeping me in the dark.”

  “Come on, Shelley, you had to know something was up,” he replied calmly. “I paid for and planned the whole trip, and then I made special arrangements everywhere so you had your gun with you. You know that sort of thing isn’t easy in that town.”

  She did know that, but she assumed since President Sharp was Nick’s friend, Nick called in a personal favor. That was probably true, but she had assumed he did that so she’d feel safe—not because he expected all hell to break loose at the opera.

  “You should have mentioned it, Nick.”

  “I didn’t figure I had to state it outright. Carlie never gave us a second alone, and I didn’t want her worrying. She’s working on dinner now, or we still couldn’t talk.” He sighed loudly. “You knew Jenessa was back with the FBI searching for a lead. You really didn’t add everything up? Admit it, you were bored sitting in Sayle waiting for Carlie’s new shop to open. You miss being an agent.”

  Since she had thought the same thing moments earlier, sh
e couldn’t very well argue. However, between the two of them, Nick and Gavin were making her glad she’d given up men for a while. They were infuriating her tonight.

  Jenessa should have at least given Shelley a heads up. Although she wouldn’t consider Jenessa a friend, the two of them had become friendly after meeting with President Sharp three months earlier. Jenessa was a computer wiz, more aptly a hacker, and she’d taken the position as Nick’s tech manager. If she pooled resources with the FBI’s anti-terrorist task force again, the trail to find Paul Billings and the other rouge agents must be running cold.

  “I still don’t like your methods. I won’t be forced into this,” she warned.

  “Fair enough. I’m sorry for tricking you.” Nick’s voice was soft and he did sound sorry. “I figured if nothing happened, you’d just have a nice vacation. In the meantime, I could focus on Carlie this week without worrying about Paul.”

  Which was what he should do. Carlie needed him.

  Shelley rolled her eyes. “You fight dirty, don’t you?”

  He chuckled. “I learned from Carlie.”

  She sighed. “It doesn’t matter now, I suppose. It’s over and done with. The important thing is that I have a complication.” She glanced again at Gavin, who had settled back onto the bed, apparently reassured when she calmed down. “A thief spoiled Paul’s plans for those diamonds, but now he’s in trouble. We need to help him.”

  She quickly explained about Gavin and what he witnessed, and then told Nick about Stephen and Terrance searching for him at the opera house. “I don’t know what the odds are of him picking my opera box to hide in out of all the boxes there, but he’s lucky he found me,” she concluded.

  “I’d say we’re pretty lucky, too.” Nick sighed. “I’m happy he has the diamonds, but it won’t take Paul long to discover what he has are fakes.”

  Though Shelley had tried to avoid thinking about the reason Paul wanted the diamonds, fear threaded down her spine. “Do you think Paul’s trying to make those terrorist bracelets he accused Carlie of having?”