by Taylor Lee
Francis ignored Viviana’s angry snort and gave a weary shrug. “Thank you, Commander Hughes. I’m well aware of how challenging life in the bunker is with Sergeant Moreau.” He added, “Before and after she’s had her morning coffee.” Ignoring Viviana’s dismissive splutter, he said to Jax, “And yes to the whiskey. At this point I prefer a sixty-forty ratio to the coffee.”
Jax took his time preparing the drinks, then turned to face the two of them, both of whom were staring warily at him. He couldn’t help but smile seeing Francis’s troubled countenance and Viviana’s hell-bent for leather glare. He shook his head and grinned. “Something tells me you two have been at odds before.”
At Francis’s weary sigh and Viviana’s hostile sniff, Jax persisted, interested in getting to the bottom of their odd but clearly close relationship. He focused his attention on Viviana. “I know in the past you thought you could lie to me. However, now that you know how shortsighted that was and why we’re agreed that you won’t ever lie to me again, tell me—why did you find it necessary to concoct that cockamamie story about your CI being a cross-dressing tranny who is a madam with a small troupe of whores?”
Viviana shrugged. “It wasn’t a lie. One of my CIs is. At least one side of his doppelgänger persona is a cross-dressing, tranny madam.”
Francis met Jax’s startled glance and tossed his head. “What can I say, Commander? Being a bar owner puts me in the gossip center of the city, which make me an excellently positioned CI. But it can be boring. Besides, I like to dress up.”
Jax glanced from one to the other of them, then nodded appreciatively. “I thought my undercover, life-threatening missions were interesting.” He raised his hands in a defeated gesture. “I concede. The world of Viviana Moreau beats spy shit all to hell.”
Chapter 31
I don’t understand, Viv. I just don’t get it. How the fuck could you have done something so fucking dangerous and not brought me into it? Dammit, Viviana! I’m your partner. I’ve always had your back.” Mick’s aggrieved expression said it all. Shaking his head, he asked incredulously, “For Christ’s sake, Vivi! Santiago Lopez?”
At his pained rant, Viviana questioned why she’d agreed when Jax insisted that they bring her partner into the plan. God, it was bad enough she had to deal with an ashen-faced Francis, but Mick’s hurt expression at what he thought was her disloyalty was too much. If she weren’t careful, she might even feel guilty about betraying her friends.
Jax broke into her annoyed thoughts, agreeing with Mick’s soulful rebuke. “I understand how you feel, Detective O’Reilly. I would like to think that if Sergeant Moreau had told you, you might even have informed your commander of what your outrageous partner intended to do.” Tossing a narrowed gaze at Francis Fleming, Jax added, “Although I doubt it, given how the Enchantress manages to keep her men in place.” He tugged Viviana next to him and murmured, “Or at least how she used to . . . ”
Francis appealed to Jax. “I tried, Commander Hughes. I really did. I knew that for once, Viviana was in over her head. But she wouldn’t listen. Hell, she wouldn’t even let me go with her.”
Knowing that Mick and Francis were watching the interplay between her and Jax and wondering if what they thought was going on was going on, she shoved against Jax’s arm and glared at the three men who all seemed to think that they could tell her what to do. Scowling at them, she tossed her head. “So all you big tough men thought you could solve this case if the brazen little girl would just let the big arrogant men manage her life and protect her from any bad guys she might run into?”
Jax’s voice was crisp. “No, Sergeant, the big tough men who admire the brazen detective more than she apparently knows are not trying to hamper you. Rather, we want to work with you to take down the sons of bitches that you’re after. But enough of what we should have done. Thanks to Francis, who overheard Reynolds talking with Commissioner Davis, we’ve confirmed that a party will take place tonight.” He glanced at this watch. “Which gives us less than twelve hours to keep this op from completely unraveling.”
Viviana broke in. “On that point, Jax, how do you feel about Commissioner Davis being involved?”
Jax shot her an angry grimace. “How do you think I feel? Like shit. Paul Davis was with me on some of the most dangerous missions I’ve led. Including chasing down human traffickers that we considered the scum of the earth. To think that Paul would debauch himself by raping underage girls is not only unbelievable, it sickens me.”
Viviana nodded, somewhat embarrassed. She didn’t know why she thought that Jax might make excuses for his friends. If she were honest, she’d admit that his previous unwillingness to believe that Deidre Cummings was involved still stuck in her craw. She knew she needed to let it go, but she couldn’t completely squash the green viper of jealousy the memory of the vicious woman invoked. She must have telegraphed her thoughts, because Jax grabbed her arm and pulled her next to him. His low voice was clearly for her ears only. She didn’t miss the threat streaking it.
“Sure as hell hope that look doesn’t mean you’re questioning how I think about some of the other assholes we’re about to take down.” When she shrugged and tried to pull away, he jerked her closer. “I would have thought that I spanked those false notions out of your head, Sergeant.” He nuzzled her neck. “Just know, sweetheart, that rosy-red ass of yours is never far from my thoughts. And I’m more than prepared to do a ‘tune-up’ anytime you require it.”
Knowing that her face had to be flaming, Viviana pulled away from him. She didn’t have to look at either Mick or Francis to know about the interested glances they were sure to be sharing. If her cheeks were flaming the way her groin was leaping, she was certain that her buddies knew that Jax had done the impossible—corralled their feisty go-it-alone friend and partner. Fortunately, Jax changed the conversation.
Stepping up to the whiteboard in Viviana’s home office, he began drawing arrows. Viviana was surprised at her reaction. Just yesterday she would have fought like hell if Jax had tried to take over her case. Not to mention bringing her partner and CI into his planned takedown. Now she admitted his crisp orders and succinct overview were surprisingly reassuring. She would never tell him, but knowing he was here at her side and giving orders, no less, made their success seem like a real possibility. Of course, it didn’t hurt that Jax had conceded on her make-or-break demand.
“Okay, team. One more time to confirm that we’re all in sync. Mick, you are to do everything you can to ensure that the rest of the squad believes I’ve pulled Viviana off the case. Fortunately, Lt. Jensen has inadvertently laid the groundwork for us. It’s a good thing Jensen is as jealous of Sergeant Moreau as he is. With him badmouthing her and my making it clear that Viviana in on enforced desk duty, the word will get back to the perpetrators that they were successful. I’ll let Frank Reynolds know that I’ve done what he insisted and that Sergeant Moreau has relinquished her badge until I’ve decided whether she’ll be allowed to stay on the force.” He added with a grin, “Viviana, all you have to do is act normal. Like the spoiled little prima donna that you are, mad as hell that someone thinks he can control her.”
Knowing that her cheeks were flushed, Viviana said with a toss of her head, “Good thing we all know that it’s an act. And that no one can control me for long.”
At Jax’s narrowed gaze and suppressed smile, she decided to prick at the issue she knew was haunting Jax. “Thanks to Francis, or in this case, Sly, my madam CI has put the word out to Santiago that I need to meet with him.”
Jax frowned and shook his head. “I trust you all know—especially you, Viviana,—that I have major concerns about this meet.” When Viviana started to object, he held up his hand. “Enough. I’ve conceded. You’ve made your case, and I admit it’s as brilliant as it is dangerous. We do need to get you inside the party, and Lopez may be the best way to do it.” Jax’s jaw tightened. “Remember, Viviana, when you meet him, you will be on mic and camera. If I get so much as a whiff
of an indication that Lopez isn’t buying your ruse, I’ll personally be on top of him like an eagle ripping the throat out of a rat—only not as subtle.”
After an hour-long discussion in which Jax made each of them repeat their roles multiple times, he finally held up his hands. “Okay, team, remember, no deviations.” At Viviana’s sniff, he landed on her. “That includes you, Sergeant. One suggestion that you are going off the reservation and I’ll pull the plug on the mission. You got that, Sergeant Moreau?” At her aggrieved head toss, he reached for her arm and said with a taunting grin, “After all, Sergeant, I know how important it is to you that the delectable Ms. Cummings meets her due.”
Chafing at Jax’s teasing, annoyed that he knew how jealous she was of Deidre, she said carelessly, “I agree, Jax. One of my primary goals is to see that vicious woman wearing an orange DOC jumpsuit for the rest of her life.” When all three men laughed, Viviana forced herself to smile. “Heck, maybe Deidre can bring culture and the arts to the Birchcreek cell block. She might even be able to buy off those hardcore inmate madams who are looking for fresh meat. At least for a while.”
“Ouch! Remind me not to get on your bad side, Sergeant Moreau,” Jax said with a grin. When Viviana joined in their appreciative laughter, Jax tugged her up next to him and whispered, “Although I kinda like it when you act up. Gives me an excuse to do what I do best. Go after that perky ass of yours.”
****
Viviana leaned against the wall in the alleyway, smoking a cigarette. She hoped that the bored expression she’d assumed masked her anxiety. She was still shocked that Jax had conceded to her demand that she meet with Santiago Lopez. It had taken everything she had to convince him, including playing dirty. He’d caved when she’d said, “Oh sure, Jax. We’re all team players until I have to do something that is a tad dangerous.” He’d responded furiously. “A tad dangerous? Is that what you call crashing the fucking party and getting Santiago Lopez to help you do it?”
After a rancorous back-and-forth, with Viviana playing every card she had, Jax had conceded. She was impressed that he didn’t just give in. Rather, after much discussion, he agreed that her idea was the best and then set about to help make sure it had a ghost of a chance to succeed. In the process, Viviana got a glimpse of what made Jax the storied leader that he was. He truly did listen to all points of view. He made each of them defend their positions, offered ideas of his own, and ultimately gave his support to the best ideas. Viviana shook her head, thinking how different that was from when she was leading an op. In her cases, there was one strategist, one decision maker, and one person who took any chances: her. And, of course, there was only one person who got all the credit if the op succeeded. At least until Belize, it always had.
While she hadn’t told him, Viviana was glad that Jax and their backup team could hear and see everything she was doing, and they were ready to move in if necessary. Plus, she was damned impressed with his toys. Jax had outfitted her with a powerful recording device disguised as contact lenses. Viviana was sure the amazing camcorder was only available to high-level operatives who worked on the far edge of the legal divide. The device made her super-smart iPhone seem like a clunky rotary dial desk phone. She was glad that Jax had been as efficient as he was when the first thing Santiago Lopez did after he and three other men exited his classy pimpmobile was to search her.
Viviana pretended indifference when the frowning man jerked open her blouse and ran his hands over her neck, chest, back, and hips, then slid them up and down her thighs. She stifled a gasp when he unsnapped her bra and stroked her lush breasts with his big hands. At his approving smile and jerk of his head, Viviana fastened her bra and buttoned her shirt. It didn’t help knowing that everyone on her team, including Jax, had seen the arrogant pimp manhandle her bare breasts.
She managed an offhand shrug when he motioned to her Glock. Viviana took the powerful weapon out of its holster and laid it on the ground. For good measure, she reached inside her boot and removed her K-Bar, placing it on the dirt beside her pistol. She’d decided he would have to strip her if he was going to get her trusty sling blade secreted in the heel of her other boot. Fortunately her show of good faith seemed to have satisfied him. Santiago nodded to his men, who climbed back in the classic Chevy and drove to the end of the alley.
Eyeing her for a long moment, the astonishingly good-looking man reached in his breast pocket and took out a box of Davidoffs. Viviana accepted the cigarette he offered her and waited until he lit his and then hers. Blowing a cloud of smoke from his lungs, and speaking for the first time since he’d arrived, Santiago asked with a charming grin, “What can I do for you, Sergeant Moreau?”
Viviana assumed a nonchalance she was far from feeling. After all, if he didn’t bite on her request, their carefully planned strategy would be shot to hell. She gave a dramatic sigh and said, “I need your help, Santiago.”
At his raised brow, she snapped, “Don’t pretend you don’t know what happened. You’re the only one who could have told Frank Reynolds that I was on to them.” When he merely nodded, she continued. “Look, I’m sure you know that I’ve been pulled off the case and am this close to losing my fucking badge.” She held her thumb next to her fingers to make the point.
“And how is that a problem for me, Sergeant? Indeed, I would think that having you out of my hair is a good thing.”
She tossed her head. “Dammit, Santiago, you may think that fucking commander of mine is only after me. You have no idea what an arrogant asshole he is. He’d take the last nut from a dying squirrel if it gets him good press plus helps him shimmy up to your elite clients, including that dark-haired society bitch, Deidre Cummings. But if you think he isn’t interested in the guy who is supplying the underage prostitutes to that smarmy bunch, you aren’t nearly as strategic as we both know that you are.”
She waited until he gave a semi-interested shrug. “Besides, you know you can’t trust those elite motherfuckers as far as you can throw them. They’d toss you to my asshole commander without a backward look if they thought they were going down.”
Viviana paused and then went for the gold. “C’mon, Santiago, you may think you aren’t affected if I go down, but you’re wrong. If I go down, you will too. Once the press hits, all those trust fund elites and power brokers will be scrambling for cover. They’ll throw us both to the wolves while they hide behind their inherited wealth and the protection they pay dearly for from my unscrupulous colleagues.”
When Santiago frowned at her, she went for broke. “I don’t care about pimps, Santiago. You guys are a dime a dozen. Going after you is like playing whack-a-mole. As fast as we get rid of one of you, another one pops up. Besides, some of my best friends are pimps.” She allowed a crafty grin to steal across her face. “Hell, I’m something of a pimp myself. You pimp girls. I pimp me. And, Santiago, this particular pimp needs a victory.”
Seeing that she had his attention, she said, “I need a big media splash to save my rep. All I want you to do is get me into the party tonight along with your underage girls. You do that, and I promise you’re good to go. All I need is a video roll of the bad guys having sex with young girls.” She added with a sly smile, “And, of course, to make sure that the media whores get access to the videotape first thing tomorrow morning.”
At his deepening frown, she insisted, “Damn, Santiago. You don’t care about the johns and janes any more than I do. With the in-demand product you pimp, you’ll never run out of clients. The media will be so excited about the pedigree of these particular johns they’ll be falling all over themselves. The last thing either the press or the cops will care about is who provided the girls.”
She added with an evil smile, “Best of all, my horseshit commander will be in the doghouse holding his limp dick while I claim all the credit for the bust.”
“What if I don’t agree, Sergeant Moreau?”
Viviana shrugged and flashed him her version of a Cheshire cat smile. “Hell, Santiago, my commander
may not appreciate my tactics, but then, he hasn’t been burned by a ‘media blast a la Enchantress.’ Yet.” She added thoughtfully, “For that matter, Santiago, neither have you.”
When he didn’t respond, she said with a shrug, “Ask anyone who’s been submerged in a Viviana Moreau–inspired media avalanche. They’ll tell you, Santiago, it ain’t pretty.”
Chapter 33
Jax knelt in the bushes surrounding Deidre Cummings’s elaborate estate. Acid curdled in his gut as he remembered the evening he’d spent on her patio. He breathed out a hard sigh, thinking how easily he could have fucked the deceitful woman. Even now, he marveled that as profligate a womanizer as he was, he’d resisted her persistent advances. He’d like to think that his shit detector had warned him against the aggressive woman. In truth, he knew that it wasn’t honor or a sixth sense that had kept him from fucking her. It was the fact that no matter how close Deidre came to shucking off her clothes and spreading her legs for him, his dick had refused to rise, apparently declaring it was on sabbatical. As it turned out, it was a short-lived retreat, as all it took for his dormant prick to come to attention was hearing Viviana’s breathy tones over his cell phone an hour later.
Shoving at his errant thoughts, Jax forced himself back to the present. Positioned outside of the crowded ballroom, he listened to the sounds of laughter and lively conversation, knowing that the partygoers who were attending the illicit event included the makers and shakers of his adopted city. Jax had brought some of his highly trained special operatives in from the field to help with the takedown. In two days those accomplished chameleons had infiltrated the catering company Deidre used for her events and provided Jax with a three hundred sixty–degree view of the interior of the ballroom. It was challenging enough to see political hotshots and the deputy mayor chatting with Deidre and Frank Reynolds. But it was downright painful to see three district attorneys, several vice cops, and his friend and special op team member, Police Commissioner Paul Davis yucking it up with the deceitful pair.