Wild Card Undercover

by Kari Lemor

  Tina lay on the white sheets, her mocha skin contrasting starkly. The bandage on her forehead stood out against her dark curls. A swollen eye, split lip, and several bruises were evident as soon as they walked in. Her right arm, encased in a cast, rested on a pillow.

  “Tina?” She kept her voice soft in case she was asleep. Tina startled, her eyes opening swiftly, fear evident in them. “Hi, we heard what happened?”

  “Hey, Katie, Mr. Martin,” she addressed Chris who had followed Meg in. “Just a little accident. I’m sure I’ll be fine soon. Might not be serving drinks for a while though with this.” She lifted her arm slightly.

  Meg moved closer to the bed and leaned against it. “How did this happen? Who did this to you?”

  Alarm returned to her friend’s face, moisture filling her eyes. “Nobody,” she denied shaking her head frantically. “I…I was mugged on my way back from work.”

  She was lying. Meg could see it on her face. She picked up the uninjured hand and squeezed. “Was it Moreno? Don’t lie to me. I recognize the fingerprints on your arms. I’ve had a few myself.”

  Tina threw a nervous glance at Chris then looked away. Meg followed her gaze assuring her, “He was worried about you too. You’re his favorite waitress.”

  He took a step closer. “Yeah, who’s going to make sure Dave gets my drink right if you’re not there?”

  Tina gave an unconvincing laugh then changed the subject. “Dave was here earlier. He went to get Tommy, my brother. Hopefully they’ll let me out of here soon. I’m fine.”

  Meg took a good look at her friend. She didn’t look fine. “Why did Moreno do this? He usually has a reason even though the reason isn’t always a good one.”

  Embarrassment crept over her features. “I uh…didn’t do something he…wanted me to do.”

  “What did he want?” She could only guess and she didn’t like what she came up with.

  More tears filled her friend’s eyes and several spilled over on to her cheeks. “One of his…business associates wanted me to…spend some time with him, you know.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “I didn’t want to. The guy kept coming on to me and I told him no. He didn’t want that answer. You know I’m not one of them. I don’t…do that. I serve drinks and let the lechers stare but I don’t…”

  “I know. That’s why I like you so much. He came onto you last night?”

  Tina shook her head. “It happened two nights ago, but apparently this guy was putting together a big deal with Mr. Moreno and called it off because I wouldn’t--Mr. Moreno was livid. He said it was a big deal and I’d blown it for him. It was all part of something bigger he was looking into. When I still refused last night, he blew a gasket and did this.”

  Tears leaked from Meg’s eyes as Tina’s flowed freely. “I don’t get it. He knows you’re not like that. Why didn’t he get one of the others like Nina or Marietta? They’ll do anything to get in Moreno’s good graces.”

  Tina’s face showed disgust. “Apparently this guy said he was tired of vanilla. He wanted something chocolate.”

  Meg leaned forward and gave Tina a hug. She didn’t deserve this. None of them did. Moreno needed to be stopped. “You have to tell the cops what happened. Moreno can’t keep doing this. It isn’t right.”

  “No. I can’t say anything to them and you can’t either. Please, Katie, please. Mr. Moreno will hurt my little brother, you know he will. He threatened that if I told anyone about this he’d make sure I regretted it. I can’t allow anything to happen to Tommy. He’s all I have left and he’s only eleven. Promise me you won’t say anything, please.”

  Chris moved up behind Meg and touched her shoulder. “We understand. And maybe for now we can keep this quiet. But at some point the cops will bust this guy. They’ve got to know about him.” He made it sound reasonable without divulging his role in the investigation.

  Tina narrowed her eyes. “Yeah, well good luck to them. If they ever get him cold and he can’t hurt anyone then I’ll rat him out, but until then.... I keep my mouth shut like he told me to.”

  Chris squeezed Meg’s shoulder and she stood. “Tina, listen, if you need anything, tell me, okay? You know I’m staying with Chris at The Ocean Terrace Resort. You can call us there. Whatever I can do, I will.”

  Tina nodded. She knew her friend was proud, like she was, and unlikely to call for help. She might accept some from Dave. They’d always been close. Almost like they had feelings for each other. Maybe when Moreno was put away both Tina and Dave could find better jobs and each other.

  “Thanks, Katie, Mr. Martin.”

  “You can call me Chris. I’ve told you that a million times. And I second what Katie said. If you need anything, call.”

  He led Meg out of the room and sighed but said nothing. As they left the hospital, Dave and a young boy, probably Tina’s brother, walked up. They exchanged greetings and she said, “Take care of her, Dave. She’s being a little stubborn.”

  He grinned. “And you would know about that, wouldn’t you, Katie?”

  She made a face but stayed quiet the whole way back to the resort. She was still trying to wrap her head around how badly Moreno had hurt Tina. She was the best waitress the club had. No one would say anything to Moreno about it, not if he wanted to live.

  * * * *

  Chris closed the door behind them once they got to the suite. It could have been Meg lying in that hospital room. She could have been the one Moreno had beaten the crap out of. This was far too dangerous for her. He needed to make sure this didn’t happen to her.

  Walking into the bedroom with Meg behind him, he ran his hands through his hair. “Why don’t you start packing your things? I can make arrangements for you to go home tomorrow.”

  She tilted her head and her eyes narrowed in confusion. She had a right to be confused. He couldn’t do this anymore, put her in danger like this.

  “What are you talking about? Why am I packing?”

  “This is getting too dangerous. Tina could have been killed. You could be the next one Moreno decides to take his rage out on. I’m not going to allow that to happen.”

  “You’re not going to allow it?” Her face tensed and her eyes glared at him. “Since when do you control my life? If you had never come along and offered me this deal I’d still be in the same position but without the option of bugging out. If I was a guy doing this, would you tell him to start packing? Is it because I’m a girl or too young or not trained enough? ‘Cause I don’t give a shit.”

  “Well, I do.” She was fuming but he knew it was true. He’d come to care about her more than he realized; more than he should. Other civilians had been in this situation with him and he’d never insisted they leave. Why now? She was their best bet for information. Sending her away was a stupid move. Yet he still had a burning desire to get her the hell away from here as fast as he could.

  “You’re under my supervision and I can’t take the chance of you getting hurt like Tina. You’ve gotten us some good information recently and I’ve been getting invited to the backroom games. Hopefully I’ll get something out of it.”

  “They’re not going to say anything in front of you and you know it.” Her hands went to her hips and determination chiseled itself onto her face. “You might be let in but only because you lose money to them. Nothing incriminating will be said while you’re there. They don’t know you well enough yet. Barone hung around the club for more than six months before he was even invited to the games. It was even longer before business was discussed. I’m fine because Moreno knows I landed there out of stupidity, not because I was planted by the cops. You need me. Something big is coming up soon. You’re not going to get information any other way.”

  She was right but that didn’t mean he had to like it. Moreno treated her as if she were invisible. Most of the time. It killed him that she had to be anywhere near the piece of scum. Thinking back to Samira and Tariq in Afghanistan and their sad eye
s, they’d wanted to help him, too. They’d convinced him they could get information on terrorist activities and they’d paid for it dearly, with a bullet in the head. He’d ended up with only guilt. Nothing like this could happen to Meg.

  “We’ll find a way,” he asserted, his stomach clenching at the thought of her hurt. “And it won’t include you with broken limbs…or worse.”

  He glanced out the sliding door. The sight of the gentle waves lapping on the beach didn’t have the soothing effect it usually did. He was wound tighter than a drum. She moved up next to him placing her hand on his arm. Just the sight of her made him feel calmer. The crystal blue of her eyes hypnotized him, settling his nerves.

  “Chris.” She reached up resting her hands on his chest. His heart thumped faster underneath. Could she feel his reaction? Did she know the effect her mere presence had on him? “You don’t need to worry. I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing it for a while now.”

  Her lips pressed a soft kiss to his but ended too soon. None of their kisses were ever long enough. He could gladly spend the rest of his life kissing her. Maybe if he did, she wouldn’t have to work with Moreno and possibly get injured or killed. The idea had merit.

  “And I owe Tina,” she revealed. “When Eddie made the deal to pay off Moreno by working for him, I gave them a fake name. They wanted to see my license. I told them I’d lost it somewhere on the dance floor. I’d actually left it on the table when I realized Eddie was in trouble. Tina found it. She heard me give the fake name to Moreno but she never let on that she knew. Later she told me she’d destroyed it. She knew it wasn’t safe for anyone to have it. Sonny’s notorious for going through our things.”

  He wrapped his arms around her pulling her closer. Her arms lifted to encircle his neck. But instead of kissing him again she rested her head on his chest. “I need to do this for Tina. I’ll be fine. I promise.”

  Inhaling the scent of flowers, he nuzzled his nose into her hair. He kept a tight hold wishing he didn’t have to let her go. Her words were appreciated, but he was afraid this was one promise she might not be able to keep.

  Chapter 16

  “Hey gorgeous, you ready to blow this clambake?” Dave poked his head into Tina’s hospital room, guilt rolling through him at the sight of her cuts and bruises. She hadn’t listened when he’d tried to warn her about Moreno’s plans. After hearing the criminal and Barone talk, he’d hung around late that night, but nothing had happened. That had been a relief. Too bad he hadn’t stuck around the next night too but a meeting with his contact at the Miami PD had been scheduled for right after closing time. Stupid. He should have been there for her. Kept her from this horror.

  She smiled though it didn’t reach her eyes. “I hardly think I’m gorgeous at the moment. You need to get your eyes fixed.”

  He moved to sit on the edge of the bed. He took her cast-free hand and stroked her skin. “Nothing wrong with my eyes. You’re still gorgeous to me. Now are you ready to go?”

  She nodded glancing down at her outfit. He’d had Tommy pick it out and they’d brought it during yesterday’s visit. “Tommy didn’t come with you?”

  He hated seeing the disappointment in her eyes. “I’ve got him staying with a friend. Why don’t we get you out of here first then I’ll tell you about it.”

  She slid off the bed and pressed the buzzer for the nurse. A wheelchair was brought and she settled in reluctantly. He followed as the orderly wheeled her to the elevator then downstairs and helped her into the car.

  “Thank you for picking me up from the hospital. You didn’t have to. I could have called a taxi.”

  He reached over and touched her arm as he drove. “You know I’m happy to do it. And I needed to talk to you.”

  Her nervous eyes looked in his direction. “Is this about why Tommy didn’t come to get me?”

  “In a way. I’m going to pull into the park by the bay so we can chat in better surroundings and I can give you my full attention.” It only took a few minutes in the light traffic to get there and park the car.

  She twisted the hem of her shirt with her one good hand and bit her bottom lip. Hopefully she wasn’t nervous because of him. He never wanted her anxious in his presence.

  “Why aren’t you taking me home? I’m not feeling great.” Her voice trembled as her eyes flitted around the inside of the car.

  “You tried to convince me yesterday you were fine.” He picked up her hand and his thumb rubbed over her soft skin. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go home right now.”

  Her face tightened. “Why not?”

  “Because of what happened, obviously.”

  Her eyes lowered, avoiding his gaze. “I told you I was mugged. I’ll be more careful from now on.”

  “You weren’t mugged, Tina.” His temper flared, she was still protecting that scumbag boss of theirs. Even after what he’d done. “I know Moreno did this. I heard him talking about his friend, Mr. Smith, and how he wanted you. I told you this. I wish you had listened to me.”

  Tears pooled in her eyes and her jaw clenched. “So this is my fault now?”

  “God, no. But you can’t keep protecting that bastard. He beat you up and broke your arm.” He lifted his hand to caress her cheek. “This gorgeous face got damaged and I won’t let him get away with it.”

  Her eyes were frantic now as she grasped his hand with her good one. “You can’t do anything about it. Promise me, you won’t say anything to him. You know how he is when he’s angry. He’ll kill you if he thinks you’re challenging him. Please, don’t do anything.”

  Her tears slashed through him like a jagged knife. Seeing her miserable doubled his effort to keep her safe. He’d spoken with his supervisor and made some tentative arrangements.

  “I won’t say anything to Moreno. I know how he is and I have no desire to get myself killed. But I don’t think you’ll be safe in your apartment. You have information on him that could be very dangerous.”

  “Then what do you suggest I do? Where should I stay that he can’t find me? He has connections everywhere. And the only money I have is what I’ve saved for school.”

  “The police can put you in protective custody.”

  “The police,” she cried, shaking her head wildly. “No, I can’t go to the police. Moreno said he’d kill me and Tommy if I said anything to them. You’re nuts if you think I’ll risk my brother’s life.”

  “Listen, it’s the safest place for you. Something big is going down with Moreno and soon. It’s why he’s been more volatile than ever lately. He has these grand schemes to grow his business into a huge empire and pictures himself as king. He won’t let anything get in the way. I don’t want you anywhere near him in this state.”

  “Why does it matter where I am?”

  He reached out and drew a finger down her cheek then lifted her chin. “It matters because you matter. I care for you, and I’d hate to see you get hurt worse than you are now. I feel guilty enough with what happened two nights ago. I should have been there to protect you and I wasn’t. I’m not going to let anything else happen to you.”

  She stared at him, looking deep into his eyes. Were her feelings as strong as his? Her eyes dropped then lifted again, her confusion apparent.

  “How do you know what Moreno is planning? Are you involved in these big schemes? Please tell me you’re not. I know the scum has tons of money but you know everything he does is illegal, right?”

  He gave a light chuckle. “No, I’m not involved in his schemes but there are plenty of law enforcement who know exactly what’s going on. He’s going down big time, and soon. I want you out of the way when it happens.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “How do you know all this?”

  He swallowed hard. He could trust her, right? She hated Moreno as much as he did, maybe more but she was also desperately afraid of him.

  “Listen, what I’m about to tell you cannot be repeated to anyone. Do you understand?”
>
  She looked frightened but nodded.

  “I’m an undercover cop. I work for the Miami Police Department.”

  “What?” Her voice was so low he could barely hear it. “How can that be? I’ve known you for over two years. You’ve worked at Surf longer than I have.” Her voice grew angry. “You’ve just stood there as Moreno sells off his little tramps and hurts the gamblers who don’t pay their debts. How can you be a cop?”

  “I’ve been undercover, Tina. If I arrested Moreno for every little infraction then my cover would have been blown. You know his expensive little tramps get paid a lot for what they do and they’re extremely loyal to him. And none of the businessmen who use their services would ever complain since what they’re doing is illegal too. Neither would testify against the man.”

  “Then how about Katie? You knew what Moreno was doing to her, practically holding her hostage and using her as slave labor. How could you sit back and let that happen?”

  “I’m undercover.” His jaw clenched hoping she could come to understand what that meant. “I have to pretend to be someone other than a cop. Moreno trusts me and he’s taken my word when I’ve vouched for him to hire other undercover cops. If my cover was blown, all of theirs would be too. Do you understand that? How much I had to stay in character to protect myself and many others?”

  Emotions raced across her face and he waited for what would come next. His stomach twisted at the frown she wore and not the typical smile she usually gave him.

  “I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the fact you aren’t just a bartender. You know I always thought you were too smart to work forever for Moreno. I kept waiting for you to tell me you were planning to go back to school to be something…else.”

  “Well, I’d try and dumb myself down when I was with Moreno and his buddies but I never wanted you to think I was some stupid idiot. Your opinion means a lot to me.”