Ladies of the Night OMNIBUS Collection: Sizzling Romantic Suspense

by Taylor Lee

  Depositing Maya in the corner of the sofa, he grabbed the angora throw and put it over her lap. Dropping to his knees, Gray squatted beside her and fastened a concerned look on her.

  “I’m open to the idea of pouring you more wine if that is what you want, but I think coffee is a better choice. Wiser for sure.” His eyes narrowed. “Besides, Topaz, you and I need to have a conversation. The one that prompted me to break down your door at 11 o’clock at night. As challenging as it’s likely to be, it’s essential that we have it. We have an eight o’clock meeting tomorrow morning with Diamond and Ian at which time we’ll be briefing the team on the state of the mission.”

  He reached up and stroked her cheek. “Which means, M’lady, that you and I are due for a serious discussion.”

  Topaz swallowed hard and nodded. She wished they could avoid what was sure to be a disruptive conversation. But there was no way, it was too important. She prayed that she could be strong. Particularly since it was likely that she would need to defy not only her beloved uncle, who was sure to side with Gray, but also Gray himself. Not allowing herself to wrestle with the fact that disappointing Gray would be almost as hard as hurting Ian, Topaz said gamely, “You’re right. We do need to have that conversation. Given that, yes, I think coffee is the best choice.”

  When she started to get up, Gray shook his head.

  “Uh uh, Princess. You sit right here. I’m a force of nature in the kitchen. Just tell me where the coffee is and I promise you a cup of Joe that will put hair on your chest.”

  Topaz laughed. “Just what I’ve always wanted. How about a cup that will make it possible for me to stand up to a powerful man who seems intent on taking over every aspect of my life?”

  Gray laughed, but Maya didn’t miss the serious expression darkening his amazing eyes.

  “Honey, there isn’t coffee anywhere in the world that is strong enough to keep me from doing what your uncle beseeched me to do.” His voice hardened. “That is to keep his niece safe from harm. And, Princess, just so we’re clear, I accepted that mission.”

  Ten minutes later Gray appeared in the doorway carrying a tray with two steaming mugs of coffee and a bottle of Baileys.

  He winked at her.

  “I decided we shouldn’t go hardcore. I don’t want to go into alcohol withdrawal just when I’m about to take on a fiercely independent woman who is determined to call the shots.”

  Topaz tossed her head and managed to smile.

  “I’m just hoping that it does a little to tame the tall mountain lion who’s invaded my home… and my life.”

  Gray sighed in mock regret. “Sorry, Princess, but this particular mountain lion is untamable and untrainable. That said, let’s begin.”

  Topaz rose to her feet and nodded in agreement.

  “If you don’t mind, I think it would be helpful if we go into my office.”

  Gray shrugged. “Your wish is my command, Princess. Lead the way.”

  ~~~

  Later Gray would try to dissect the feelings he had when he followed Topaz into her office. Watching her curvy ass sway from side to side as she glided into the room, he’d marveled at the shiny, black curtain of hair streaming softly around her shoulders. His only thought had been how not to drop the tray of coffee and lay her out on the floor. Christ, she was a lovely, sexy woman. It was a wonder that the zipper on his pants hadn’t burst. He didn’t know when he’d been as attracted to a woman. He admitted to himself that Maya/Topaz had gotten to him at a visceral level. Her strength and determination, mixed with her fragility and uncertainty, was a powerful combination. Her fierce side challenged him and ignited his lust. But her vulnerability struck an even more powerful chord. It touched him at a deep, instinctive level.

  Gray admitted he was a consummate chauvinist. He believed that women, even the tough ones, were to be protected. Shielded from danger. That was his code, the one that had been drilled into him since he was ten years old and had knifed his abusive father when the asshole had beat his mother one time too many. As an accomplished soldier and highly decorated Delta Force member, Gray’s protective code had become even more deeply ingrained. Which was a problem given the women with whom he’d worked. Like his special op buddies, Gray had had to contain his caveman instincts when it came to the accomplished women they teamed up with, particularly the LOTN hotshots.

  But Topaz was different. She was unique. Gray had never known a woman who was as book smart as she was. He could have been intimidated by her if he hadn’t been so worried about her total lack of street smarts. Christ, as impressive as she was on so many levels, she was a true babe in the woods. A vulnerable, scared and utterly determined woman who intended to take down a Cartel leader. A cartel leader who was as vicious and cunning and experienced as Topaz was naïve. Gray sighed aloud, acknowledging what he was up against. Without a doubt, this was likely to be the most challenging discussion he’d ever had with a woman. Fortunately he was prepared for her certain anger and push back—just as he was confident that ultimately he would convince her that her plan was unworkable.

  At least he was until he stepped inside her office. At that point it was only because there was a table at the side of the doorway that the tray he was carrying didn’t crash to the floor. Carefully placing the tray on the table, Gray stared wide-eyed at the sight in front of him. When he finally sucked in enough oxygen to speak, he wasn’t surprised that the only words that came out of his constricted throat were: “Holy Fuck!”

  Chapter 7

  Struggling to make sense of what he was seeing, for a startled moment, Gray felt as though he might have walked into a scene from A Beautiful Mind. He corrected himself. No, it wasn’t the incoherent scrawls of a brilliant but psychotic mind that he was observing. It was more like the obsessive compulsive montage laid out by Benedict Cumberbatch in The Imitation Game. Gray wasn’t surprised that he was calling on his love of movies to try to understand the sight in front of him. For the first confusing seconds he was dumbfounded, literally speechless. Even after he could have spoken, he chose not to. At an intuitive level, he knew that how he responded to the astonishing sight would forever define his relationship with Topaz.

  Deciding that action was safer than words, Gray walked over to the far wall and silently began to study the mosaic of photographs, calendars, news articles and quotations. Little by little he allowed himself to grasp the enormity of the display.

  Not trusting himself to look at Topaz, he pointed to what looked like a school class picture of a young girl. He murmured, “This is you?”

  When she said yes, he asked, “How old were you?”

  “Fourteen.”

  Gray nodded and moved on to a series of pictures that portrayed the young Mia in a variety of settings with a handsome Japanese man and a truly gorgeous mixed race woman.

  “And this is your mother and father?”

  He allowed himself to look at her and wasn’t surprised to see the uncertainty in her eyes. She was watching him intently as if she was trying to decipher his reaction. When she merely nodded, Gray pressed.

  “This is you and your family before you were kidnapped?”

  He could barely hear her whispered response, “Yes.”

  Gray kept his tone flat, non-committal. “I see.”

  Gray zeroed in for a moment on more family pictures. Seeing Ian in several of them along with an older man who had to be Ian’s father and another woman, he asked, “Is this Ian’s father and mother?”

  “Yes. That is my grandfather Seamus Ross and Ian’s mother, Cora. She died when Ian was a baby. My grandfather met my grandmother in Brazil. She was mixed race, a combination of Indian, black and white, sometimes called a mestizo. They had my mother when Ian was a young boy. Even though they were half sister and brother, Ian and my mother were very close. As you can see, my mother, Elena, looks very much like her mother. It’s… it’s where I got most of my color.”

  She added softly. “Added to the Asian genes my father showered on m
e, you can see why my grandfather Seamus called me ‘his little rainbow.’ ”

  “Hmm, and a beautiful rainbow at that,” Gray noted.

  The next photographs and news stories were self-explanatory. They presented a detailed accounting of the kidnapping. Along with the news articles he’d read, there was a series of police reports. The montage took up a third of one wall. In addition to pictures of the frightened young girl, the stars of the kidnap coverage were the perpetrators. One section described how Carlos Valiz and a couple of young Latino women were killed in the raid that freed Maya. But the focus of the montage was the star of the bad boys, Dante Torres. Lengthy background news stories described the trial that ultimately sent Torres and the rest of the gang to juvenile correctional facilities. Gray recognized the “rehabilitation” center that became Torres’ home for the next year. If ever there was a facility guaranteed to teach a budding criminal the tricks of the trade it was Midland.

  The rest of the wall was taken up by accounts of her parents’ deaths. The coverage was brutally painful to see and read. Explicit pictures of the crash scene and obituaries of Takima and Elena were included. Several in-depth articles describing the brilliant technology entrepreneur underscored the hideousness of the accident and Takima’s tragic role in it.

  Gray tore his eyes away from the sad recounting and focused on the wall in the center. It took him several moments to understand the magnitude of what he was seeing. In essence, it was a detailed Mario Puzo-esque accounting of the rise of an international criminal. Before his eyes, Gray saw the good-looking young man, fresh out of Midland, evolve into a dashing playboy. Caught in scenes from around the globe, Torres was paired with the rich and famous… many of whom were infamous. A gorgeous woman, or more often three or four women, accompanied the rock star. Nightclubs, beaches, upscale restaurants and flashy Villas comprised the settings in most of the photographs.

  In addition to the images of the striking man, a deeper story unfolded. News stories detailing the rise of the Torres Cartel described that the magnitude of Dante Torres’ growing empire and the floundering efforts of worldwide law enforcement agencies to curtail it. Sprinkled throughout the celebratory images were scenes of violent clashes, exposing the internecine violence among the warring, worldwide cartels and Torres’ prominent place as a vicious, bloodthirsty killer. One particularly jarring profile described the toll in lives and resources that the criminal mastermind had caused. The article compared Torres to the infamous Mafia bosses who overwhelmed American cities in the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. Only, they called Torres’s impact more devastating by magnitudes of hundreds than the Capones and Lucianos ever could have reaped.

  As he studied the walls, three of which were completely covered, Grayson began to understand what Topaz had done. She’d essentially captured, in excruciating detail, the life of the man who’d caused her to go from being a privileged, beloved girl to a young woman haunted by loss. Starting with the personal devastation he’d caused her and her family, the masterful mosaic chronicled the stunning impact the horrendous man had on countless other anonymous lives. Including the individuals who’d given into the horrific self-destructive power of the products he peddled, his murderous tally had to reach into the millions.

  Gray didn’t know when it hit him, if the recognition came in degrees or if a particular image or story triggered his epiphany. He only knew that any thought of dissuading the fierce woman or shutting down her plan was futile. Yes, he would rework it, and he definitely would command it; but the essence of it would be as Topaz had conceived it. It was clear that the driving motivation behind the mission was plainly, simply revenge. It was a powerful driver but a dangerous one. One that needed to be tempered by reason and clear-eyed strategy or it could blind the perpetrator. Looking at the deeds catalogued on the storyboards of what the evil man had done to countless others and most specifically to Topaz, Gray was as convinced as Topaz of the mission’s importance. But he wasn’t about to let her know that he’d decided the mission was a go. Not until he’d impressed upon her the danger they were facing and how critical it was that she accedes to his command.

  Turning to the woman who was watching him anxiously, Gray forced himself to smile. The wariness on Maya’s face confirmed that his grin appeared as strained as it felt.

  “I think I’ve changed my mind, Topaz. That wine is looking pretty damn good to me right now. In fact, if you do think you have something harder stashed away in a kitchen cupboard that would be even better. I don’t think either one of us is gonna need coffee.”

  Glancing at the meticulous montage covering three full walls of the office he groaned. “Hell, woman, the last thing I need is caffeine. I don’t know when, if ever, I’ll get a full night’s sleep without this display fighting for dream space.”

  Maya stammered uncertainly, “I… I’m almost positive, Ian left a bottle of scotch the last time he was here. He usually brings something for himself when he comes to visit because he knows that I prefer wine. I… I’ll go look in the kitchen to see if he may have put it where he leaves the wine.”

  Not wanting to add to her obvious anxiety, Gray caught Maya’s arm as she went by.

  “Look, sweetheart, whatever you have will work for me. Just bring me what you have that has the highest alcohol content.”

  He managed a genuine smile when he said it and was repaid by the tension strafing her face relaxing somewhat. Dammit, he cautioned himself, he had to be careful how he pushed her. This was a fragile woman. But even as he said it, he reminded himself. Topaz might be fragile. She was certainly naïve, but the work that had gone into her strategic planning was striking. He couldn’t help but be impressed. Clearly her skills as a profiler had played into her knowledge of the man who was certain to be on ICE’s list of high-value targets—if he wasn’t already.

  Now if he could only come to grips with the fact that she’d positioned herself in the dead center of the operation. Christ, it wasn’t as though his female agents weren’t often used as bait in their high level missions. After all, what had proven true in the Garden of Eden was still true: If you wanted to take down a son of a bitch, you sic a dick magnet on him. The more beautiful, the better. And if she happened to have been one of his teenage lovers, the plan was practically foolproof.

  Gray admitted to himself, as he studied the superstar with the Hollywood looks and thousand-watt smile, it was that last point that had his gut in knots. Yeah, Torres had taken the teenage victim and no doubt convinced her that it was love, not lust and power, that made him want her. While Torres’ motives were clear, Gray couldn’t help but wonder if Ian’s mention of the Stockholm Syndrome wasn’t a cause for concern. After all, Torres had been Topaz’s first lover. Hell, as uptight as she was, she might not have had one since. Was she after him because he’d destroyed her family and so many others… or did she need to prove something more basic? That she was a woman now, not a frightened child. And that, by God, Torres was going to pay for taking her, physically as well as emotionally.

  At that moment, Topaz appeared in the doorway, a relieved smile on her face, a bottle of Maker’s Mark in one hand and a glass in the other.

  “I found some bourbon along with the wine that Ian brought me. Is… is it a brand you like?”

  “Honey, you could have brought me a bottle of Old Crow and it would have seemed like the nectar of the Gods. But how about you? Are you going to join me or is the rest of that bottle of Gavi calling out to you?”

  Topaz smiled one of those face lighting smiles that made his jeans tighten. Damn, he was going to have to be careful with this woman. Gray was within minutes of telling her that he was about to be her commander. It was unseemly at best that he wondered if it was appropriate to make love to her now so there wouldn’t be a conflict of interest later. Confirming that he could occasionally think with his big head not his little one, Gray reached for her hand.

  “Tell you what, Topaz. Let’s each get a glass of whatever suits us, and then turn t
o the business at hand.”

  As he said it, Gray wished that the hope on her face wasn’t so obvious. Even though he’d conceded to himself that the mission would go forward, he was a long way from crafting her role and an even longer way from convincing her to agree.

  Not able to keep from asking the question that was clearly on her mind, Topaz stammered, “Uh, before I get the wine, I need to ask. Now that you’ve seen my plan, are you willing to work with me on it?”

  Gray examined the walls thoughtfully, and then at length met her gaze.

  “Let me be clear. What I see is an enormous amount of work and attention to detail. You know more about Dante Torres, his organization, his appetites, his friends, his enemies, his goals and how he plans to achieve them than a whole division of DEA agents likely knows—even if they are working on nothing but Torres.”

  He paused and pressed his lips together not letting her look away.

  “What I don’t see, Topaz, is a plan.”

  At her attempt to interrupt him, he shook his head.

  “No, honey, what I see is your certainty that you know Dante Torres well enough that you are convinced that you can get him to renew an old acquaintance. The concept is interesting if not one of the more dangerous schemes I’ve seen. But a plan, Princess? No way. An operation is more than you flashing your admittedly first class ass at him and expecting to take him down. Uh uh, honey. It’s what we do after you get him interested that will determine if we’ve created something brilliant or a surefire way to get you and likely me and the rest of our team killed.”