by Taylor Lee
One of the biggest surprises that had Viviana doing backflips was when Scarlet recognized Frank Reynolds as one of the consistent partygoers. But the moneyball of the night was when the self-confident whore confirmed that not only was Deidre among the attendees but most of the parties were held in her spacious hillside mansion. The only downside was that Scarlet was clearly a businesswoman. She said flatly that her price was five thousand dollars. Viviana choked on the sum but whipped out Jax’s blank check, filled in the required amount, and signed it over to Ms. Somers. She decided it served Jax right for insisting that he meet her informant. Besides, under her no-tell arrangement with Captain Michels, she would have been able to get that much money if she needed it and not tell her old boss a thing.
Jazzed that Scarlet had agreed to meet with Jax, Viviana texted him. “We’re on. Three p.m. at the precinct.” Seconds later he responded. “Can you talk?” She quickly answered, “Not now.” His response was immediate. “If not now, when?” It was clear that had been his idea of a joke when her phone buzzed.
Breathing an exaggerated sigh, Viviana said, “I’m tired, Jax. Besides, I don’t want to talk to you. Never again would be too soon.”
He laughed. “Sorry, you can’t have that wish, my Little Bear.”
Surprised that her erudite commander knew Else Holmelund Minarik books, Viviana almost smiled until she remembered the scene at his door. The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. “Why did you do that, Jax?”
“Do what, Viviana?”
“You . . . you purposefully embarrassed me. In front of the whole squad.”
“Hmm, that’s not how I remember it. As I recall, it was you who strode out of my office and rudely slammed the door. Something I explicitly told you that I would not permit.”
The memory stirred up all of the angry feelings she’d managed to put aside in her excitement that they’d found Scarlet. Determined to end the conversation with the man she now knew she hated more than she thought possible, she said crisply, “Change of plans. My underage informant refused to come to the precinct. And frankly, knowing how overbearing and arrogant you are, I didn’t want her to come. No telling how you would try to browbeat her.” She ignored his audible chuckle and quickly said, “My CI madam was able to convince one of the older call girls to meet with us. She’s a regular at the parties. Luckily for us, she was able to identify seven party regulars from our photos.” Viviana hesitated. She’d decided that she wouldn’t tell Jax until the meet-up that Scarlet had also identified Frank Reynolds and, best of all, confirmed that Deidre was one of the ringleaders.
Knowing that he was laughing at the fact he’d embarrassed her, she couldn’t hold back. “Oh and by the way, she indicated that Frank Reynolds is a regular, and unfortunately for you, she also said that not only does your fuck buddy participate but apparently most of the parties are at her snazzy estate.”
His silence frightened her. Why she cared if he was angry, she didn’t know. She quickly forgot her concern when he said, “Are you sure, Viviana? Not only about Deidre, but also Frank? That is very interesting news if it is true.”
The fact that he was questioning her infuriated her. Viviana snapped, “Let’s hope so, because you paid five thousand dollars to learn that the guy who was ripping me today and the woman you knock boots with are disgusting human beings. But then, if you had an honorable bone in your body, you’d already know that.” At his silence, she said, “I’m done, Jax.” Without saying good-bye, she slammed her phone shut and tossed it across her patio.
Almost instantly her phone buzzed. Determined not to answer it, she poured herself another glass of Maker’s Mark. She promised herself that she would not answer the phone no matter how many times he called, but she couldn’t keep from looking at the incoming text. A massive shiver overtook her when she read, “Answer your phone or I’ll be at your door within ten minutes. Your choice.”
Trembling from the wave of adrenaline that hit her at his commanding message, she slammed her eyes shut when her phone buzzed. Sucking in a deep breath of air, she willed herself to sound calm. It didn’t work. Even she heard the agitation in her abrupt answer. “What do you want? I told you I’m done talking to you.”
“That’s a problem, Sergeant. You see, I react the same way when someone rudely hangs up on me that I do when bad-tempered people slam doors.” He was quiet for a moment, then added, “I won’t tolerate either one, Viviana. Particularly from a grown woman who should have stopped throwing temper tantrums years ago.”
Infuriated at his insult, Viviana found it was almost impossible to drag a full breath of air into her constricted chest. As if it weren’t bad enough that she couldn’t breathe and was likely having a heart attack, she felt a rush of tears flood her eyes.
His soft command ensured that those tears would fall any minute. “Please tell me that you understand that I won’t tolerate your rudeness. That it is not an option.”
It took everything she had to keep the tears out of her voice, but she managed to mumble, “I understand.”
He was silent for a moment, then said quietly, “Apparently it is too much to expect an apology, but we’ll work on that at a later time.” His threat was obvious when he added, “When I have access to all of you and can make it crystal clear what happens to rude young women who should know better.”
When she didn’t answer because she couldn’t, given the tears that were streaming down her cheeks, he said, “I’m looking forward to our meeting tomorrow. Your informant is critical. We need to know if there is a horrendous crime afoot or if it is the imagination of a stagestruck young woman looking for her next media coup.”
Viviana gasped at his insult. Before she could respond, he said, “Good-night, Sergeant Moreau. And yes, I’m finished. You may click off now.” The silence on her phone confirmed that he had ended the call.
****
Many hours later, Viviana tried to remember when she first realized that she’d been duped. When she’d felt those “never wrong” signals that she was in danger. Being fair to herself, she’d been under hellatious pressure. That, she could put squarely at the feet of her arrogant commander. She could also blame him for insisting that he be involved in her work, that he was her confidant, and she could trust him to have her back. What a disgusting pipedream that had turned out to be. But while it would have been nice to be able to blame Jax for the fiasco, she was too much of a pro to do that. When she looked back on it, she admitted that there was one person and one person only who was responsible for the worst experience in her life. That was the too cocky, go-it-alone police officer who was blinded by ambition and a pathological need to control every aspect of a case—none other than Sergeant Viviana Moreau, herself.
Chapter 27
Viviana was thrilled when Scarlet emerged from a cab in front of the precinct. If she’d selected her informant’s costume, it couldn’t have been better than the one that Scarlet chose. Her too short, too tight skirt that showcased her shapely thighs and the tank top that hugged her generous breasts spoke to a woman who was accustomed to showing her wares. Even Viviana admitted that those wares were pretty darned sensational. Accustomed to wearing tarty clothes on her own undercover missions, Viviana appreciated a woman who knew how to dress the part. Scarlet had disguised her red hair with a curly black wig that, while not as sensational as her own fiery crown, was attractive. Dark sunglasses, along with her wig and subdued makeup, ensured that no one would recognize the accomplished redheaded call girl.
Walking down the hallway to the bank of interrogation rooms, Viviana reviewed the instructions that she and Sly had given the woman the night before. She encouraged Scarlet to act natural and to simply answer Jax’s questions as she had answered Viviana’s questions the day before. Seeing that she and her informant were the first to arrive at the designated room, Viviana reassured Scarlet that she would be right beside her. At that moment, she saw Jax turn the corner at the end of the long hallway. Even though she ha
d convinced herself that she truly despised him, it was impossible not to be impressed at the sight of him. His shock of black hair and stunning emerald-green eyes captured everyone who saw him. Those amazing eyes often sparkled with humor or, if he was angry like he’d been with her yesterday, flashed ominously. His tall, muscular physique spoke to a man who was conscious of his ability to control any and all circumstances. Even as angry as she was with him, Viviana had to admit that Jax’s cool indifference only underscored his seductive virility.
It was then that she saw Jax wasn’t alone. Certain that Lieutenant Jenkins had run into their commander on the way to the interrogation room, she was horrified when the two of them approached her. Jax met her gaze and nodded. Jenkins greeted her with the expression that he reserved for her. It was a cross between a sneer and a frown, depending on how much he thought she’d wronged him that particular day.
Jax extended his hand to Scarlet and said pleasantly, “Good afternoon. You are Ms. Somers, I presume?”
When Scarlet stared up at him and nodded, her flushed cheeks confirming that she was smitten, he said, “I’m Jaxton Hughes, commander of the Violent Crimes Unit at the San Jose Police Department. This is my colleague, Lieutenant Travis Jenkins. Lieutenant Jenkins and I will be interviewing you today. We appreciate your willingness to talk with us.” Reaching for Scarlet’s elbow, he guided her toward the interrogation room. Glancing over his shoulder, he nodded to the viewing room and said, “Thank you for arranging this meeting, Sergeant Moreau. I’ll catch up with you after we talk with Ms. Somers.”
Ignoring Travis’s triumphant sneer as he followed the lovely woman and the tall commander into the interrogation room, Viviana did her best to convince herself that Jax had a game plan. One that he’d chosen not to share with her. Through the one-way glass, she watched him bond with her informant like the skilled interrogator that he was, occasionally aided by a question from the sycophantic lieutenant, who was gazing at his boss with a worshipful expression. Watching and listening to them, Viviana soon learned that she was the only one without a game plan.
As she stared mutely through the one-way glass, finding it more and more difficult to draw a deep breath, she watched Scarlet shamelessly bat her eyes at the impressive commander. At first she assumed that like every woman with a shred of hormones in her body, the practiced whore was wowed by the imposing man questioning her. It wasn’t until she grasped that Scarlet’s agenda and hers were one hundred and eighty degrees apart did it begin to sink in that she’d been had. She heard the simpering woman plead with Jax to understand that she’d had to meet with him or risk the wrath of the Enchantress. Plus, she said, waving the check that Viviana had given her, how could a working girl like her turn down such a rich reward if she would only repeat the lines that the Enchantress had schooled into her.
If he didn’t disgust her as much as he did, Viviana would almost feel sorry for Travis Jensen; he was so outclassed by the professional duo at the table. But when she heard him breathlessly ask the accomplished whore if Sergeant Moreau had actually offered her five thousand dollars to link unknowing community leaders to an underage sex trafficking ring, Viviana had had enough. As she was leaving, she heard Scarlet say, “Sergeant Moreau made me promise that I would tell you that Deidre Cummings hosted most of the parties I attend. Sergeant Moreau implied that if I didn’t say that, she might have to report me to the Vice Squad.”
Preparing to slam the door behind her, Viviana heard Lieutenant Jensen waxing appropriately aghast at the illegal things that Sergeant Moreau had done. She could hear the excitement ringing in his voice and knew that he’d be hard-pressed to wait to get to the squad room before he began relaying Sergeant Moreau’s latest folly. Viviana fled through the hallway, almost running down an incoming troop of officers. Ignoring their cheerful greetings, she ran blindly to her car. It wasn’t until she hit the seven-mile marker on her steepest running trail that she finally was able to draw a deep breath. Hitting that golden point where endorphins were stronger than fatigue, the last eight miles were a blessing.
****
Viviana wasn’t sure how long she stood in the shower; she only knew that that the blistering hot water that had scalded her back for what seemed like hours had, without her noticing, turned from hot, to tepid, to freezing cold. Yanking on a pair of skinny jeans and a tank top, she headed for her patio. Standing in the doorway, glaring at the empty expanse, she knew she couldn’t face another night alone with her booze. Revving up her Mazda3 MPS, she headed for the one place she knew where she could be alone in a crowd and have a ghost of a chance of drowning out her tortured recriminations. She was glad when Francis’s bartender duties pulled him away from her secluded corner in the bar. They’d been unable to help one another face their mutual stupidity, and she was tired of pretending that she was going to be fine.
She smelled his intoxicating fragrance before she heard him. The mix of sandalwood, expensive cologne, and his unique male smell almost did her in. His deep voice, riddled with suppressed humor, would have brought her to her knees if she weren’t already huddled in the corner of her booth.
“I’ll have what the lady is having, but make mine a double if I’m going to have a chance of catching up with her.”
Refusing to look at him, Viviana scrunched into the farthest corner of her secluded booth, determined not to meet his gaze. When she heard him cheerfully thank the waitress, who Viviana was sure was shaking with excitement for having drawn the long straw, Viviana raised up in her seat and glared at the star-struck waitress. Ignoring the young woman’s surprised gasp, she spat out, “Get Francis over here PDQ. And, sweetheart, the D stands for goddamned!” Ignoring Jax’s chuckle, she hovered in the corner until she heard Francis’s solicitous voice.
“What can I do for you, sweet cheeks?”
“You can draw on my personal account and write out a five thousand dollar check to this arrogant asshole. Then will you please find him another table? As far away from my booth as possible. In fact, put him in the middle of that giggling bridal party group. Tell all the little chickies that this particular cock of the walk can teach them more than that male stripper they hired has ever dreamed of. Hell, this guy will probably do them for free just to add notches to his belt.”
Francis’s voice was strained. “Uh, Vivi, I know you’re upset, but . . . ”
Viviana reared up in the booth and pinned Francis with a hard glare. “The check please, if you don’t mind!”
When Francis scurried away, a deep frown scoring his forehead, Jax raised a brow and murmured, “That was harsh, Sergeant, even for you.”
Viviana glared at him. “What do you want, Commander Hughes? Did you come to gloat? To rub it in the stupid little pussy’s face that she got taken by the oldest game in town? Don’t worry, Commander, I’m good for the money. In fact, as soon as Francis gets back, you can take your fucking five thousand dollars and get the hell away from me.”
At that moment, Francis returned to the table with a slip of paper in one hand. If Viviana was capable of shame, the tortured expression on her best friend’s face would have wounded her for life. But she was so far from shame that she barely acknowledged Francis’s aggrieved expression. Instead, she snatched the check from him and shoved it in Jax’s shirt pocket. Whirling on them, her voice contorted with even parts of fury and pain, she said, “Now if you don’t mind, will you both please get the hell away from my booth? I believe my bar tab confirms that I have more than paid for a private table.”
Jax’s voice was strong, conciliatory. “Thanks, Francis, for taking such good care of this ungrateful brat. Your shift is over. I’ll take it from here.”
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Francis seek her gaze, then raise his shoulders in a helpless shrug as he trudged to the bar. She would have tried to let him know that she was okay except for the fact that she was light-years away from ever being okay again.
Jax was quiet for several moments as he sipped on his Maker’s Mark. When t
he waitress sidled up to their table with a questioning look, he nodded and pushed his glass toward her. When she raised an inquiring brow, glancing carefully at Viviana, Jax shook his head no.
Infuriated, Viviana raised her head and barked at the cowering young woman, “Leave the bottle. Put it on my tab.”
“Don’t you think you’ve had enough, Sergeant?”
Viviana glared at him, reached for the bottle, and filled her glass to the brim. Fuming, she saw his lips quirk up in a grin as he reached for her glass and poured three quarters of the booze into his.
He took several sips, then pinned a sympathetic gaze on her. “You really didn’t see it coming?”
For a moment, she let go of her anger and allowed her agony to take hold. Not sure she could tolerate the despair that flooded her, she murmured, “No, I didn’t. I fell for it. I fucking fell for it.” Not hiding her misery, she turned a shattered gaze on him. “If it was just my pride that was wounded, that would be one thing, but it’s not. I may have ruined the only chance I had to take down that hideous group of child molesters.”
Jax nodded in agreement. “You’re probably right. You likely did lose the only chance you had to take them down – at least personally.” He sipped on his drink, then said thoughtfully, “That doesn’t mean that as a team we don’t have a hell of a good chance of taking down the whole damn bunch of them.”
Viviana reared back in surprise. It took her a long moment to grasp what he was saying. When she finally understood, her elation flew sky-high at the possibility. Seconds later her euphoria evaporated. Seeing him gazing at her, his sea-green eyes dancing with a mix of excitement and lust, she acknowledged she’d seen that look before. In fact she’d relived it in every erotic dream she’d had since she left Belize.
She leapt from her seat and rounded the far side of the booth.
His voice was crisp, commanding. “Where do you think you’re going, Sergeant?”