by Sheila Kell
She tapped her finger on her chin. “So, he sells drugs and women plus breaks convicts out of prison. I think he’s into extortion too, but neither Victoria nor I have been able to prove it.”
“I can prove extortion. Remember, I was an enforcer.”
He, unfortunately, had to tag along with Damian to impress upon store owners how important it was they pay on time. Thankfully, AJ hadn’t been asked to beat up any innocent victims.
He didn’t know how he’d have handled that order. He’d made it clear when he’d been hired by Damian that he was a hit-man and didn’t waste time beating up people. AJ believed in putting a bullet between the eyes. After testing him on a few hits, Damian agreed.
“I was only sent with another enforcer when they wanted the person to know what would happen to them next.”
It made his sick to the stomach to stand by when someone was being beaten. It went against his training and his morals. But this op was too important. The FBI knew when he went into the role there would be lines that would be blurred, in order for them to be successful. He’d been left to use his best judgment. What a fucking heavy weight on his shoulders.
“Add to your list money laundering. Just go with plain ole racketeering.”
Megan frowned. “So let me get this straight. You have everything on his top men, evidence and witnesses, and I can’t do a story on this.”
Self-disgust weaved its way up his spine. He’d dangled the story of her life in front of her, only to disappoint her by forcing her to put it on a shelf out of reach. “I’m sorry. A leak will drive him away. If we don’t take him down when we take his top men, he’ll just start all over somewhere else because it’s doubtful they will turn on him. And most importantly, there will still be a hit on you.”
He wanted the crime boss for that reason more than anything else. She couldn’t live in fear for the rest of her life. She deserved to live a normal life, marry and have kids. A burning sensation throbbed in his stomach and sweat covered his palms. Why did that thought create a pain in his heart? He’d never had a problem loving them and leaving them before. Sex was his escape mechanism. Escape from the pain he’d caused his family.
Besides, the two of them could never be. Their futures were slated in different directions.
Megan pushed her breakfast plate away from her and leaned forward on crossed arms. “What can I do to help you bring him down?”
“We need to go through the plan. The task force has agreed this is the best way to finally draw him out. To finally identify him. You’ll be a big part of that plan, and it’s almost time to put it into action. To get our final piece, I need to get back on the street. Which means we’ll be at risk. The FBI has wiretaps on all of the Magician’s advisors except Damian. He keeps changing burner phones, so we don’t have one on him. But we haven’t stopped trying.”
“Who are all of those men?” She pulled out her note pad and pen.
“You know who Carl and Damian are. Erin runs prostitution and the whore houses.” AJ glanced at her, knew how she was about foul language. “Sorry.”
She waved a hand.
“Paul is the head of the prison escape group, and Lawrence is in charge of money laundering.”
A frown chased her features. “How are you planning to bring them down?”
This part shouldn’t be shared, but he’d already broken every other rule. “I mentioned a task force earlier. It’s FBI, DEA and the U.S. Marshals Service. We weren’t sure how deep the Magician’s pockets were and didn’t want to risk leaks that would get anyone killed, so only the Director and Deputy Director of each group is privy to the mission. Arthur decided to out me to my new partner, Todd, when Magic Shop tried to kill me.
“The team is waiting for me. I’ve heard a new prison escape is due soon, and I know where to get the information on the escapees, but it’s not that simple.”
AJ rubbed the back of his neck. “I did participate in a prison break but, unfortunately, I had no idea what the mission was until I stepped on the plane and met the gang. It allowed me to identify the members of the team. However, I didn’t have enough time or privacy to coordinate an arrest. Plus, I’m not letting the Magician get away. He’s the mastermind behind all of this and needs to be behind bars if not six-feet under.”
She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes widened. “You broke someone out of prison?”
“Well, yeah.” He held up his hands palms out. “We had someone watching him. When given the signal he was to be arrested. Unfortunately, something happened and the rookie jumped the gun. Hank and I were blamed for Denzel’s capture.”
She drew her brows in, squinting. “So that’s why they tried to kill you?”
“Yes. They thought we had something to do with it. Damian was right, but he killed the wrong man.” He couldn’t feel bad about Hank’s death. Hank was lethal and enjoyed hurting people. If it wasn’t for AJ stepping in, he would have beaten several people to death.
“It’s a good thing you wore a bullet-proof vest.”
AJ laughed. “No vest is bullet-proof. Believe me. Mine has the hole to prove it. They help stop the bullet to keep it from hitting you. It does the job. Most of the time. Devon added one for you in our toy bag. It’s one of Kate’s so it should fit fairly well. And you are going to wear it on the street.”
“You said this was secret, but didn’t the other FBI agents notice you were missing at work?”
The way her mind cycled through this amazed him. She didn’t miss a thing. “I staged a big blowout and handed in my resignation. It never went through officially, although it appears that way in the computer systems at the bureau.”
“Hmm.” She tapped her chin with her index finger. “What’s next?”
“We’ll move close to Magic Shop’s turf. We have to find out what we can. I need that info on the next prison break. Who knows how long it will be until another one. He’s never conducted this many so close together before. We can’t count on that luck again.”
“Do you think it’s okay for us to be that close to them?”
“Not really. We shouldn’t be there. You shouldn’t be there. We’ll have to be extremely cautious and stay vigilant. Even though Kate and Jess are watching our back, our business will be accomplished swiftly so we’re on the streets as little as possible.”
Megan nodded. “I can get my sources and Victoria to meet me where it’s safe.”
AJ took a moment to decide. “We’ll use her for information, but no one knows about the prison breaks, and she doesn’t know I’m undercover.”
She huffed and snapped her arms across her chest. “We can trust her.”
“No.”
“Fine.”
“Good.” He paused. “Megan, maybe you should go with my brother. He’d keep you safe. We’ll be facing danger on the streets. Danger that could get us killed.”
She narrowed her eyes. “AJ Sands! I mean Hamilton! Quit trying to get rid of me. I know what we face, and I want to face it with you.”
He stared at her. He’d made his choice long ago even though he kept telling himself it might be the wrong one. But then again, neither could keep her completely safe. “Okay.”
“When are we moving?”
“Tomorrow.”
That meant they had tonight in this room. Tonight before all hell broke loose.
“Will you go over the people you know on the prison break side? I’d like to get a head start on an article for when I can publish it.”
“I’ll be glad to do that.”
He needed to worm his way back into her good graces, and this was easy.
* * * * *
Megan exited the bathroom dressed in flannel pajamas covered with flamingos. Not a good sign. Still AJ stood in the living room, his arms crossed over his chest, watching her. Did she want him in her bed? They’d had a good time together the rest of the afternoon.
She hadn’t forgiven him, but she hadn’t closed him out.
He hel
d his breath as she stopped, slowly turned and looked at him. She smiled. He dropped his arms and walked toward her, never breaking eye contact. He engulfed her in his arms and lightly touched his lips to hers.
She moved her arms around his neck and leaned into him. He groaned and his heart expanded.
He pulled her tight, whispered her name softly in her ear before his tongue brushed it.
They made love slow and passionately. When AJ entered her, he knew he was finally where he belonged.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“I have to leave you alone, AJ. Kate is on her way to the hospital with Jason,” Jesse said. “Stay alert and stay put until one of us is able to return.”
AJ stood at the chilled window. The sun’s direct glare turned the powdery, soft carpet of snow into blinding whiteness. Gazing up, a bright blue cloudless sky greeted him. “What’s wrong with him?” He’d been undercover when Kate and his brother adopted the teenager after his parents died while he’d been in the hospital battling Leukemia. AJ’s stomach turned over at the thought of his new nephew back in the hospital for any reason. He wanted a chance to meet him.
“It sounds like a broken arm. That’s not the point. Do not leave this hotel until Kate or I return.”
“We’re moving.”
“Dammit, AJ! Stay the fuck there!”
His brother had to know that wouldn’t happen. The time had come for him to complete this journey to regain his and Megan’s lives back. Much to his dismay, their little couple’s retreat had come to an end.
These moments were precious. Something he needed to keep from falling too far off the cliff. Memories that made him smile.
He’d taught her to play poker. After she turned around and beat him several times, he changed their game back to Blackjack. He’d laughed until his sides hurt when they’d played Slapjack. Her bottom lip should have permanent indents from her biting it so hard in her concentration on the pile of cards.
And then there were the intimate moments. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d made love to a woman as he had Megan. Maybe he never had.
“You’ll know where to find us.”
“I guess I don’t have a fucking choice. Let me just check on him, and I’ll be there. At least stay put once you get there.”
“Give the family my love.”
AJ turned to Megan. Her beauty, both inside and out, made him yearned to pull her close. His heart ached, because for her safety he’d eventually have to leave her.
He cleared his throat. “Are you ready?”
“Of course, where are we going?”
He chuckled. He should’ve expected that question. “To a little place, near where I stayed, that’ll put us close enough to get our information, but be able to stay off the streets as much as possible.”
“Do you think they’ll be watching your old place to see if you return?” she asked nervously.
“That place is probably already rented to someone else. So no, I doubt they’re waiting around to see if I return. They’ve already searched that area. They won’t expect us to move right back into the hornet’s nest.”
* * * * *
Entering their temporary quarters, the strong left-over scent of cigarette smoke and body odor assailed his nose, burning the hairs in his nostrils. He had to get them into a better place soon. She deserved better than this.
His little dove dropped her bag and circled. The one room apartment came about as rundown as they do in this neighborhood. The color of the walls faded into several shades of white from chipping, peeling, stains and age. The red plaid couch could almost be called silver with the large amount of duct-tape used to hold in the stuffing.
He locked the door and closed the faded navy curtains that somewhat matched the blanket on the sagging bed at the back of the room.
“I’m sad people have to live like this and feel guilty that I have so much.”
“Some people can’t afford anything better than this, Megan,” he replied solemnly.
“It just angers me that the landlord doesn’t even try to provide them with a respectable room. I may have to do a series on derelict landlords in the near future and start here.”
He laughed. His little spitfire. Little things like that filled his lungs with the warmth of joy and happiness. When he exhaled, it painfully blasted out of him, returning him to the reality their time together would soon come to an end.
“How long will we be here?”
“Until I think it’s time to move. If what I’d heard before was correct, we have less than a week to make this plan work.
The key was the prison escape. They needed to have the team caught in the act. The penalty for breaking someone out of a federal prison should open a few lips. AJ had heard the attempt would be soon and hoped he hadn’t been led astray. If he didn’t have this, they’d have to take what they could. But, the question was whether that would bring the big boss out of hiding.
AJ’s only hope was that someone on the street had heard something. That someone had let something slip. He had a plan B, but implementing it this early would mostly likely halt the prison break.
“My little dove, you may as well get comfortable. We’re safe.” He placed their bags by the door in case they had to leave in a hurry.
The secure phone rang.
“Hamilton.”
“We’ve got a problem. Someone broke into the GPS computer system. Hundreds of records were hacked.”
“Yeah, and?” Why was Devon bothering him with this shit? Computer issues were his forte.
“Your SUV was one of them. Someone with your codes could track you through the GPS in the vehicle.”
“Why the hell didn’t you stop this? I thought you system was top notch? Fuck, Devon.”
“Don’t ever doubt my system. It was the manufacturer’s system that was hacked, not mine. It’ll never be mine.”
“Fuck me.”
“Just in case it was yours they were after, you need to ditch the SUV far away.”
AJ ended the call. Fuck!
Megan hesitantly sat on the couch. “Problem?”
“Yeah. I need to move our wheels. In fact, we’ll lose them all together.” This would mean stealing a vehicle until Devon had something ready for him. Arthur will love that.
Another fucking choice where he could get her killed either way. Take her with him. But, then she’d be on the street with him longer than he’d like. Too long in fact as he’d have to park miles away and might not find a car right away. Or, leave her here. No one knew they were here yet. If they’d hacked into his system, they’d see the truck move and follow it, which was another reason not to take her with him.
His stomach rolled making this decision. The best one was to leave her. Jesse would be here soon. AJ had to do it. He couldn’t chance them following the SUV and finding them both. If they captured him, his brother would take her to safety.
“Megan, I need to leave you here.”
Her eyes widened to large saucers. “W-What?”
“I have to park the SUV a long way from here. Someone hacked into the system and many codes were compromised. We don’t know if it’s ours they were after, but we aren’t taking a chance. This just happened so there is time to move it without them realizing we were here.
He raked his fingers through his hair. What a damn mess. “If they somehow follow me, I don’t want you there. It’s too risky to have you with me. You’ll be safe. We just moved here. No one knows we’re here.”
She inhaled loudly. “Okay.”
Fuck! “Do you have your gun handy?”
She moved to pull it from the jacket she’d dropped over her bag by the door.
“Good. Keep it with you.” He reached into his pants pockets and removed both phones. “Here. Keep these phones with you. Don’t make any calls on the secure phone, but you could use this time to speak with your sources on the burner phone.”
Her gathering information in the past set her fear to the backseat. Her curiosity
also kept her mind focused on her goal. He’d seen it happen before, and hoped she’d take advantage of it again.
He held her hands with the phones in between them wishing some of his courage seeped into her through their contact.
“What will you do without a phone?”
“There are more burner phones in the SUV. If Arthur, Kate or my brothers call, do what they tell you, no matter what they say, Megan. If they say run, you walk away as fast as you can. Don’t worry. I’ll find you.”
His heart pounded. He gathered her into his arms, pulling her tight. Please let me have made the right decision He pulled back, gave her a warm kiss and stepped away. “Thank you for forgiving me. Now, lock this door behind me. I’ll be back as quickly as possible.”
* * * * *
Anxiety hijacked Megan’s body, sending her insides to quiver and her heart to race. Kevin, I’m close to making them pay.
She jumped at every loud noise. AJ had to hurry. Even with his brother keeping watch, her bravery only went so far. Her pulse skyrocketed when the burner phone rang. His words stuck in her head of what to do if Arthur or his family called.
With shaking hands, she answered, “Hello.”
“Megan, its Tyrone.”
Her sigh of relief relaxed her body. She’d forgotten her sources had the new number. AJ’s changing them so often was a bit obsessive. Weren’t burner phones used because they weren’t traceable?
A quick shiver of excitement blasted through her body. “Tyrone, what’s up?”
“I got some something, big stuff, to tell you. When can you meet me at the usual place?”
“Is it something you can just tell me over the phone?” She wasted her breath with that statement. Tyrone never revealed information over the phone.
“Nah uh.”
“How long will you be around?” Maybe he’d wait until AJ returned, and they could both meet with him.
“Things are hot on the street. I’ll be around for ten minutes.” He ended the call.
Dang it all to hell and back! They couldn’t pass up good information at this point.
The door opened and Megan brightened. She whirled to the door and froze. Her hands shot out up to chest level, and a bolt of terror screamed through her. Oh God. He’s going to kill me.