In the Still of the Night:Sexy Romantic Suspense (Book 2 The Blonde Barracuda's Sizzling Suspense Series)

by Lee, Taylor

  “Jai Li told you about the murder of the young prostitute?”

  Jake gave an aggrieved sigh. “Well, to be accurate, Dan Rourke told me, and with some prodding, Lexie confirmed.”

  Jake waited. He was learning. One didn’t rush Master Wan. Jake grimaced to himself. It was a lesson in patience, but one that paid off when Master Wan spoke.

  “You know I am extremely careful about not betraying Jai Li’s confidence.”

  Jake nodded.

  “I have spent twelve years earning her confidence and it is a gift I treasure. I appreciate you not asking me to do so. However, I also owe you information that you may not have that involves Jai Li. At this point it is information I have not conveyed to her.”

  The knot in Jake’s gut, the knot that had been gnawing at him since he’d received Dan Rourke’s call, twisted painfully. It took a supreme effort to merely nod, giving Master Wan the space he needed to speak.

  “I have many connections in the Asian community. Some of them are best described as unsavory. Through the years, I have cultivated those connections, and have never questioned the information I receive.”

  Jake nodded, confirming that he was aware of Master Wan’s connections to the Chinese underground. The Triad community was alive and well throughout the world. Jake ought to know. In his special ops life, he often relied on them for his best information. It took a supreme effort not to hurry Master Wan’s disclosure. Fortunately, his information was worth waiting for. The knot in Jake’s gut now grabbed at his chest, making it hard to take a deep breath.

  “My sources indicate that Jai Li’s work is not going unnoticed. This is not news. However, the best way I can describe this latest disclosure is a warning. While my sources are not involved in this particular industry, they are knowledgeable. The warning is clear. The consortium that controls the trafficking of young Asian women—primarily from Korea—is aware of Lexie’s work, and not pleased. It troubles me greatly, Jake. While I have influence with her, you do as well. And you are more able to deal with her directly. My best role has always been as a sounding board.”

  Jake couldn’t hold back a snort.

  “Forgive me Master Wan for what may sound like impertinence. In other words you want me to be the heavy. You want me to crack down on the force of nature that is my fiancé, and reel her back before the big boys decide she can no longer be ignored?”

  Master Wan’s lips curled ever so slightly. He pressed his hands together and touched them briefly to his forehead and bowed.

  “Precisely.”

  Jake guffawed. “Don’t know if this is comforting to you, Sir. I hope that it will be. Know that Dan Rourke already gave me similar information, when he called yesterday. While I can’t tie Lexie to a bedpost—at least in these circumstances—I sure as hell can increase my surveillance of her. Which I am doing. While I respect the level of evil in the international conglomerate that supports the worldwide sex trafficking industry, please don’t underestimate the influence one seriously enraged former special operative with connections of his own can have, when it comes to protecting the woman he loves.”

  Master Wan’s slight smile became a grin. His eyes actually sparkled. With a soft chuckle, he added, “Rage is good, Jake. When appropriate and necessary. Jai Li is fortunate to be loved by a man such as you. I admire you and appreciate you. While I have never so much as raised my voice with her, it comforts me to know that you are not above stronger measures.”

  Jake returned his grin. Damn. He wondered if Master Wan was talking about his tying her to the bedpost? Guess Lexie is right. She insists that there is nothing that they do, no matter how outrageous, that Master Wan and Madam Juen haven’t perfected over the years.

  “By the way, I wonder if you might do a favor for me? Will you ask Madam Juen to sprinkle a little more salt or whatever she does to make her kitchen gods pay attention to her? I need help convincing Lexie that we need to get married soon. The longer she hesitates the more concerned I get.”

  “Ah yes, Jake. But as I have told you, the best way to ‘bring Jai Li around’ is cautiously. You know that she is deeply in love with you. But I know my spiritual daughter. She is frightened. She’s afraid that as with Anthony, something bad will happen to you. As it nearly did last year when you were almost killed….”

  At that moment an excited voice rang out across the archway.

  “Jake! Master Wan! Look who is here!”

  Lexie came around the corner dragging a smiling, blond-haired, green-eyed man. Brady Schaefer was Jake’s right hand man. The friend and confidant who had been almost as close to Anthony as Jake was. The three of them and Clint Magnuson had been an inseparable team over a period of eight years. Brady was the jokester. The outrageous one. The friend who’d never hesitated to poke at his commander’s authority. Brady knew that under his often stern reaction, Jake valued the guy audacious enough to call him on his own shit. And, Jake noted with a grimace, Brady was the only guy he would allow to openly lust after Lexie. Jake appreciated the fact that Brady restrained himself when he saw Master Wan. Good to know that even a guy not known for holding back anything was wise enough to respect Master Wan’s dignified presence. At least as much as Brady could.

  Brady returned Master Wan’s bow, and winked at Jake.

  “Hey, man. Don’t look so worried. I can behave myself. I know real authority when I see it. Now that doesn’t mean that the minute the two of you turn your backs, I’m not going to snatch this gorgeous woman and once again try to convince her that she fell in love with the wrong guy!”

  Lexie laughed, and the two men joined in.

  “Do you see why I adore this man, Master Wan? He helps me keep Jake on his toes. Can you imagine how much cockier Jake would be, if he didn’t know how easily I could be enticed by this shockingly handsome man?”

  Jake moved over to the two of them. Putting his arm around Brady, and in the process removing Brady’s hand from Lexie’s, he dragged his friend over to Master Wan.

  “This is Lt. Colonel Brady Schaefer. My good friend and partner. He is also the man that

  I have to lock in a cage on occasion to remind him who is his boss. And to keep his hands off my woman. Brady, this is Master Wan, the man who saved both Lexie and Anthony from a past that no one should have to endure. We owe him more than I can say.”

  Brady’s grinning countenance sobered for the moment. He stuck out his hand which Master Wan accepted.

  “I loved Anthony like a brother, Sir. He told me on more than one occasion that you made him the man that he was. And that you gave him the greatest gift possible—the example of an honorable man.”

  Master Wan nodded. “Your reputation has preceded you, Lt. Colonel. Even so, you are welcome in my home. I have already locked Madam Juen in our quarters.”

  All four of them laughed at Master Wan’s humor, and Brady even managed to blush.

  Jake put his arm around Lexie and pulled her close to him. He tried to keep his attention on the three people he loved the most but his gut was still roiling over Master Wan’s disclosure. Damn, Dan Rourke had warned him that Lexie was taunting the tiger, but knowing that Master

  Wan had heard it from the tiger’s lair was even more concerning. He saw Brady’s questioning gaze and did his best to focus on the present.

  “Yeah, Darlin’, I think your men are about to pull off a coup. Brady and I have an appointment in about an hour with a couple of former CID special agents I worked with closely who are now in a position to help us get our new enterprise off the ground. They are working at a high level in the Office of Immigration Enforcement. Apparently all of the turmoil on the border makes hiring consultants a necessary option.”

  Brady broke in. “As always, Jake is modest. There isn’t a man I know who is more sought-after that this guy you chose over me, Lexie. While I would like to dispute your judgment, I can’t in good conscience. Hell, we put out the word that we’re starting up a consulting enterprise, and we’ve had offers from inside
and outside of the military asking for help. Damn, if we’d known that we could be turning down offers before we even get our operation off the ground, I think both Jake and I would have taken this step years ago.”

  Jake agreed. “Don’t forget, Brady. What makes this appointment today so sweet is that it positions us in the one city I want to live in. And that is where Lexie is.”

  He pulled her closer to him and shared a meaningful glance with Master Wan that Brady also saw. At Brady’s quizzical gaze, Jake telegraphed that he would explain later. Leaning down, he tipped up Lexie’s chin and smiled at her.

  “Wish us luck, Darlin’. I’ll call you later and we can plan how to celebrate the beginning of a new chapter in our lives.”

  He glanced at the two men and then at Lexie. He didn’t try to hide the emotion that he felt.

  “I’m humbled to have you both in my life. And of course having the most beautiful—if frustrating—woman in the world as my wife to be is even more humbling. I must have done something right in a former life to deserve all three of you.”

  As they said their goodbyes, Jake forced himself to smile. Which wasn’t easy given the turmoil he felt. Damn. He’d learned a long time ago not to ignore it when the nerve endings on the back of his neck began to tingle. He could only hope that the warning signals concerned his and Brady’s enterprise, not Lexie’s.

  Chapter 6

  “Damn, man. You coulda told me that the ‘colleague’ you had worked with in the past was Cleofuckingpatra!” Brady muttered under his breath as they followed the sashaying hips of the tall dark-haired woman leading the way to the conference room on the fourth floor of the Federal Office building.

  Jake gave him a not so soft jab in the ribs, motioning to the man who looked over his shoulder at Brady’s not so quiet exclamation. Fortunately, if Dalila Minyawi overheard, she didn’t let on. No doubt, Jake thought with a grimace, it would hardly be the first time his former colleague had men reeling in her wake. He’d done a little reeling himself in years gone by. Egypt was an interesting country. Not the least because of their extraordinarily beautiful women. He felt a small shiver of concern. He hadn’t seen Dalila for a couple of years and he’d forgotten how lovely she was. Apparently, given the warm welcome she gave him, he had been less forgettable. He sighed. It wasn’t the first time he’d dealt with women in a professional setting that he had known in a distinctly less-professional way. Naturally, Brady would pick up on the vibes. Jake steeled himself to the ribbing he was sure to receive when he and his partner were alone.

  Dalila sat at the head of the table and motioned for Jake to take the chair adjacent to her. Jake didn’t bother to glance at Brady. He could see the smirk on his friend’s face without looking at him. Never one to shirk potentially embarrassing moments, he smiled at the exotically beautiful woman.

  “You’re looking well, Dalila. Colonel Schaefer and I appreciate the opportunity to meet with you and Paul.”

  Jake nodded to the bespeckled young man who seated himself across the table next to a grinning Brady.

  Dalila Minyawi didn’t bother to hide her knowing smile. “How could I refuse the opportunity to ‘hook up’ with you, Jake? I’d heard that you were leaving active duty and setting up a private consulting firm. Even before I knew you would be working in a related field, I planned to contact you. Imagine my delight to hear from you first and to know that you intend to live in San Francisco. A small and wonderful world indeed.”

  Jake nodded and included Paul Prentiss in his response.

  “Thanks, Dalila. It is a small world and a welcoming one. Colonel Schaefer and I have been gratified at the response to our initial overtures to former colleagues. If I’d known the reception we would receive we might have started this operation months earlier. But as it is, it’s a pleasure to see you again and I hope we can be of service.”

  Dalila’s lip quirked, and she gave him a surreptitious wink.

  “I am confident that you can be, Jake.”

  At Jake’s slight frown, she pulled back and assumed a more professional tone. Jake didn’t bother to glance over at Brady. His friend’s amusement was palpable from across the table. As was the questioning frown on Paul Prentiss’s face. Feeling the need to clarify his position with both Dalila and her associate, Jake reminded them who he was.

  “You mentioned on the telephone that you are dealing with a hell of a mess on the border. Want to tell me how you think that Brady and I can be useful? As I indicated, we both are lawyers, in addition to heading up more than a hundred successful CID investigations. And I assume you are aware, that Colonel Schaefer was the second in command of my Delta team.”

  Jake rarely pulled rank with current or former associates but he could see that Dalila needed to be reminded of who he was, and why she and her young colleague should be damned glad he and Brady were meeting with them. Whether she picked up on his intention was unclear. But Paul confirmed he got the message.

  “It is an honor to meet you, Sir. I never served overseas. I spent my four years on active duty stationed in D. C. as a JAG associate to General Rodney Peters. But even in the tame reaches of that political swamp, we heard of the mighty Jake Gardner.”

  Jake nodded. “Thanks, Paul. And the name is Jake. I only require Brady to call me Sir.”

  Following the laughter that greeted his remark, Jake acknowledged the serious young man. “I know General Peters both personally and from reputation. More than once I was on the receiving end of an irate telephone call asking who the hell I thought I was putting the entire future of the United States of America in jeopardy. I can’t remember exactly what I had done wrong that particular time to warrant the General’s ire, but it apparently caught the eye and ear of that irascible man. You may not have been overseas, Paul. But being an adjunct to a guy who has a more colorful vocabulary than mine, you deserve the medals I presume you received.”

  Paul grinned. “Yes, Sir. I mean yes, Jake. The General was and is a piece of work. I still have the scars to prove it.”

  Grateful for the presence of the young man, Jake looked to him for more information.

  “Dalila mentioned some of the difficulties you and your team are having. Fill me in. What makes you think that Brady and I can help?”

  Paul handed them each a folder. Jake saw at quick glance it held a thick stack of spreadsheets documenting the rising number of incidents along the U.S./Mexican border.

  Paul added narrative to the damning numbers.

  “People think the only issue we deal with in Department of Immigration Enforcement is the number of undocumented persons coming across the border. If that was the only kind of person entering this country illegally, we would be delighted. Most of the ‘illegals’ end up being contributing members of U.S. society. No, that is not what worries us the most. You are aware of the activities of the cartels. Again, that is but one aspect of the rising violence we are tracking. The latest bad actors have chosen both the U.S./Mexican border and the U.S./ Canadian border as their pathway to bring in young girls and women for the sex trade. I presume you know that San Francisco is one of the most notorious locus points for the international sex trafficking organizations. They are now so brazen, the exploited women land daily at our airports. They barely try to make their documents appear legal. We are so understaffed, our efforts are minimal at best. What we are missing is information. The kind of information that U.S. officials can’t get.”

  Brady smiled and spoke for the first time. “But individuals who can’t be tied to the government can?”

  Paul gave him a grateful nod. Jake smiled to himself. The guy was young enough and uptight enough to be embarrassed that he was condoning working with covert agents. Jake exchanged a knowing glance with his partner. Neither one of them—rule breakers that they were—would have lasted a month in the Department that was hiring them. But they likely would be of more service to their country than twenty “legitimate” employees could be. He felt a surge of satisfaction. He and Brady were on t
he right track. Their company was going to be successful and useful. They would be worth every penny of the exorbitant fees he planned to charge.

  ~~~

  Lexie smiled at Lt. Mark Peterson, and kicked Ming under the table. She hated to fib outright, but how else were they going to get the information she needed?

  “No, Mark, I’m sure Dan won’t mind if you update us. He knows that we were coming here this morning—if he remembered that is. But I hoped we wouldn’t have to bother him and that you could help us. I am grateful that we now have a name to put up on our wall of shame. As I told you yesterday, I cannot bear posting a photograph of a young woman without the dignity of listing her name. No one deserves to be an anonymous Jane Doe.”

  At Mark’s grim nod, Lexie knew he agreed and was as troubled as she was at the young girl’s death. But his agreement didn’t lessen her exasperation with the police. Even people like Dan and Mark seemed unable to make a dent in the hideous exploitation of helpless women. But Lexie intended to do just that. She intended to hit the exploiting organizations where it would hurt the most. At the top.

  “I think Dan indicated in his message that you know the name of the massage parlor where Sun-ja worked, correct?”

  Lexie ignored Mark’s surprise and hoped he didn’t see Ming’s eyes widen at her blatant lie. Instead she took out a pad of paper and a pen and looked expectantly at Mark.

  He frowned but said, “Uh… of course. I remember that you asked yesterday for us to let you know if we learned the location of her workplace. Sun-ja worked at the Rising Sun massage parlor on Geary.”

  Lexie quickly rose and held out her hand, blanketing Mark with one of her trademark smiles. “Thanks Mark. You are a good man. I’m glad there are men like you working this issue. I just wish there were more. Please let Dan know that Ming and I are sorry we missed him. I must have misunderstood his message. I did think that he would be available. But I’m delighted we were able to talk with you.”