Ladies of the Night OMNIBUS Collection: Sizzling Romantic Suspense

by Taylor Lee

  “You wanna tell us what the fuck is going on, Dude? Or are we going to have to pry it out of you?”

  Gray snorted. “You mean, you’ve figured out that the newest would-be LOTN agent with the fancy digs and myriad academic degrees might not be the highly-trained warrior woman we’re accustomed to working with?”

  He added with a contemptuous snort, “Or that only before I laid down an ultimatum, threatening to quit, our imperious boss fully intended to have the ‘newbie, never been an agent before,’ professor command the mission?”

  When both of his friends grunted in disbelief, Gray emitted a hard sigh and added, “And that, my dynamic duo, is only the tip of the iceberg.”

  Before he could begin to lay out the troubling facts, Noah held up his hand.

  “Hold on, Gray. I need to echo our good buddy who asked the right question. From the beginning, man. What the fuck is going on?”

  Gray took a hearty slug of his Maker’s Mark then rose to his feet. Motioning for them to follow him, he said, “If the beginning, middle and the potential end of the unbelievable tale is what you are interested in, you best follow me. I can’t make it any clearer than Maya did.”

  Holding his glass in his hand, he led them toward the office then stood aside to let them enter. As Gray had when he first entered Maya’s office, both men stood in the doorway for at least a full minute staring in stunned silence at the panoply of images arrayed on three of the office walls.

  Jase broke the tension.

  “Jeee—sus fucking Christ!”

  Gray could only nod in agreement, certain that the startled expressions on both of their faces mimicked the one on his when he first saw the incomprehensible sight. Bending at the waist, he swept his hand in front of him ushering them into the room.

  “Welcome gentlemen to the chamber of terror. Cast your eyes on the horrors of one young woman’s life. Then grapple, if you can, with the remarkable solution that she created to deal with the hideous cards that she was dealt.”

  Following them into the office, Gray watched as each of them studied the photographs and began reading the newspaper accounts.

  Noah’s voice was strained as he pointed to the NYT’s account of Maya’s kidnapping.

  “This? This is Maya?”

  Gray nodded. “Yes. Her real name is Mia Kobayashi. Her father was Takima Kobayashi, a young Japanese tech entrepreneur who developed a key element in the microchip processor. She was fourteen years old when she was kidnapped.”

  Jase scrubbed at the black beard shadow decorating his chin and nodded to images of Dante Torres being dragged into the police van.

  “I take it this is the asshole that we are about to risk our lives and those of our women chasing down?”

  Gray huffed a hard sigh.

  “Yeah, that is the son of a bitch who helped mastermind the kidnapping. He’s also the one who convinced Mia at the time that he loved her.”

  Noah’s frown deepened.

  “Rape?”

  “She insisted no, that their relationship was consensual. You decide. A sheltered, innocent young girl held in captivity? Bound and gagged for nearly ten days before she was rescued? A charming sociopath, who lucky for him was seventeen at the time?” Gray grunted and concluded disparagingly, “Not a hard puzzle to solve.”

  Jase had moved on to the stories detailing Maya’s parents’ deaths. Gray was silent as his friends read the obituaries and accompanying news stories describing the tragic events and the role the kidnapping played in their deaths.

  As they were moving to the succeeding panels, Gray intervened.

  “What you don’t see is the fact that Maya Taveras, as the family renamed her, was sent to Switzerland, where she lived until she graduated from high school. She became an academic recluse of sorts, adding one degree after another to her resume. According to the source with whom I spoke she lived a lonely life immersed in her studies.”

  Gray brushed a hand across his eyes and shook his head. Waving a weary hand at the panoply of devastating deeds that Torres had committed, he said, “As you can see, Maya’s life wasn’t the only one that Torres ruined. A couple of years ago she was approached by some fucking asshole at DEA who suggested she might be able to right the grave wrongs Torres had visited on her and countless others. The fucker proposed the outline of what became Maya’s belief that she could do what a dozen international agencies had been unable to do: bring Torres to justice.”

  As Noah and Jase studied the succeeding panels, Gray stepped back. Additional commentary wasn’t necessary. The conclusions his friends were likely to draw were obvious. It took Jase all of three minutes to articulate them.

  “I don’t have to tell you what a tragic story this is, buddy. My heart aches for her. Anybody’s would. At the same time, what she proposes to do is crazy as shit. Not just normal shit. Extra-crazy technicolor, dreamcoat shit.”

  When neither Gray nor Noah responded, Jase continued, not pulling any punches. Pinning Gray with a fierce glare, he waved his hand at the devastating walls.

  “Look, man, as ugly as this story is, you have to recognize this for what it is. It’s the demented tale of a tormented woman’s obsession over how to punish the man who robbed her and countless others of their right to happiness. I ache for her. She’s suffered enough to make anyone crazy. But, damn, Gray, you can’t seriously be thinking that we should go through with this fucking mission?” His emerald eyes hardened. “It’s obvious you’re falling for her, man. That at least explains why you’ve lost your mind. But, Jesus fucking Christ, how in the hell did Maya get to Diamond and Ian? Fuckin’ A, those two are the least easily fooled of anyone I know. Especially Ian. Hell, our boss man can cut through crap blindfolded. How did the delectable, certifiably deranged, ‘wannabe secret agent’ get to him?”

  Gray met his friend’s incredulous gaze then closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath. As he exhaled, he looked first at Jase and then at Noah whose expression was tight with compassion.

  Raising his hands in futility, Gray said, “This is worse than you can imagine.”

  Moving back to the wall that portrayed Maya’s family, he pointed to the family picture. “This is Maya’s mother, Elena. She is… she was… Ian’s half-sister.”

  Holding his friends stunned gazes he said, “You see, Ian is Maya’s uncle.”

  The minute-long silence was broken by a crisp voice.

  “Quite a tale of woe, wouldn’t you say? No wonder the ‘wannabe secret agent’ is crazy as shit.”

  All three men turned to see Topaz standing in the doorway with Sapphire and Ruby hovering wide-eyed behind her. Unlike the shocked expressions on her fellow agents’ faces, Topaz’s visage was tight with anger.

  Focusing on Jase, she said with barely contained fury, “What you don’t understand, Agent High and Mighty Malone, is that not only did this deranged woman conceive of the mission plan but she also intends to implement it. And soon. With or without you.”

  She was silent for a moment as if considering, then added scathingly, “I should thank you, Jase. You have articulated what your buddy Gray was too cowardly to say. That is that you all think I’m insane. What you need to understand is that I have the wherewithal to pull off this insanity without any of you. Which as of this moment is precisely what I intend to do. As I told Gray, you aren’t the only cock jocks for hire.”

  She added, “Now if you don’t mind, Agent Malone, get the hell out of my house, and take your fuck buddies with you.”

  When Jase lifted a questioning brow and looked at Gray, Topaz spit out, “Damn you! Don’t look at him! He doesn’t have anything to say about what’s going to happen now.”

  Jase shrugged and said in a casual voice, “Sorry, Agent Taveras, but like the rest of the ‘cock jocks’ here, including our LOTN partners, we only take orders from our commander.”

  Before Topaz could respond, Gray stepped forward. He reached for Topaz’s arm and ignoring her attempt to pull away, drew her next to him. His voic
e was soft, conciliatory, belying the dangerous glint in his hard sapphire eyes.

  “Jase, Noah, please take Ruby and Sapphire outside and wait for me. I’ll be out in a minute.”

  Tightening his grip on her arm, he said, “As for you, Topaz, you stay put. I’ll be back to talk with you in a few minutes.”

  Chapter 13

  For a moment, it appeared as if Topaz was actually going to do as he told her to. But even as he said it, Gray knew it wouldn’t be that easy to calm the irate woman. She jerked away from him, breaking his hold. Almost knocking Ruby against the door jamb, she fled from the room.

  Noah threw his arm around Gray’s shoulder and said consolingly, “Christ, man, I’m sorry. So Goddamn sorry. Why didn’t you call us when you found out? You didn’t have to deal with this alone.”

  He’d barely gotten the words out of his mouth when Topaz rushed back into the room carrying the large shopping bag from Madam Georgette’s. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and she was visibly trembling. She practically shouted at the silent group. “Why didn’t he tell you that he also thinks I’m an obsessed, insane woman? That he agrees with you?”

  Stepping back, she turned her furious glare on Gray. “I’ll tell you why! Because he thought he could make me believe that he cared about me, and wouldn’t lie to me. Then just when I thought I could count on him, he planned to pull the plug.”

  She added with a choked sob, “Fortunately, Candy and Lucy were kind enough to let me know what I could expect from my commander.”

  Gray frowned and slowly moved toward Topaz. He didn’t know what the two bawdy women had said to her, although he could imagine. He was surprised when she whirled away from him and turned her fury on Sapphire and Ruby. She flung the bag at Sapphire scattering the pricey contents across the room.

  “Here, you take these fucking clothes. Give them to Diamond, or keep them for yourselves. They’re of no use to me. After all, unlike every other Goddamned LOTN agent, I don’t have the vibe. I may be able to fight as well as any of you can, and I know I could outshoot every one of you. But what does it matter that I’ve trained for two years for this fucking mission?” Her shaking voice dropped to a sneer. “Apparently I’m certifiable. And apparently not even Diamond can teach the frigid bitch sex appeal!”

  Sapphire’s voice was thick with tears as she reached for Topaz’s arm. “Oh honey, come here. Please. Let me hold you.”

  Topaz brushed her hand away and cried, “Don’t touch me! Any of you! And for the last time, get the fuck out of my house or I’m calling the police!”

  She snatched her phone out of her pocket and backed away. Looking down as she prepared to punch in numbers, she didn’t see that Gray had managed to position himself behind her. When she bumped into him, Gray wrapped his arms around her and held her tight against his chest. Ignoring her shrieks and fierce attempts to break free, he spoke over her writhing body to his fellow agents.

  “Please, folks. Wait for me outside. I’ll join you as soon as I take care of Agent Taveras.”

  Before she could resist, he scooped her up in his arms and strode into her bedroom, slamming the door behind himself with his foot.

  When he got her inside, he stood her on the floor in front of him then captured her in a bear hug against his massive chest. Unable to move her arms, she thrashed her head helplessly from side to side, screaming at him to let her go. He held her even tighter in his arms and spoke quietly.

  “Listen to me, Princess. You know that I’m not going to let you go. You can fight me all you want, but you need to understand that I have you.”

  He held her in place with one strong arm, and with his other hand he lifted her chin.

  “Look at me, Topaz, now.” Holding her chin firmly, he forced her to look at him. Aching at the anger in her eyes that was contorted with pain he repeated softly, “Look at me, baby, and see that I have you. And, honey, no matter how hard you fight me, I’m not going to let you go. Do you understand that? I have you, Princess, and I’m not going to let you go.”

  When she couldn’t break his hold, she stopped fighting him and buried her head against his chest sobbing. He kept his voice firm but softened his hold.

  “What I am going to do is put you on your bed, where I want you stay while I talk to my friends. If you agree that you can be a good girl and do as you’re told, I won’t have to tie you to the bed.”

  He held her trembling body and said quietly, “What’s it going to be, Topaz? One way or the other, you are going to get into your bed and wait until I come back. Do I have to restrain you? Tie you to the bed? Or would you rather lie quietly and wait for me?”

  When she just shook her head refusing to answer him, he repeated, “Your choice, baby.”

  In response, she broke free and threw herself on the bed, burying her face in the pillow muffling the sound of her sobs. Gray sat on the edge of the bed and stroked her back. It was all he could do to keep from laying down beside her and pulling her into his arms. But he told himself that comforting her and himself would have to wait. Right now it was imperative that he brief his team. He’d already decided that crazy or not, he was going forward with the mission. But after Topaz’s meltdown it was going to be harder than ever to convince his hard-nosed friends that the operation could succeed. He wouldn’t blame them if they thought he was as crazy as he was sure they believed she was.

  “Listen to me, baby. I need to talk to the team. If there is a chance in hell that I can convince them to go forward, I need to do it now. Do you understand?”

  To his surprise, she rolled away from him and dragged herself to a sitting position. Turning her tear-ravaged face toward him she struck out, her voice taut with anger.

  “You don’t get it, do you, Gray? There is no mission with you or your fucking team. I’m done. Done with you and done with them. So go and talk to your glorious agents as long as you want. Commiserate with them about what a demented head case I am. But don’t come back because the doors will be locked and by morning, I’ll be so far away from here you’ll never find me.” Rising up on her knees, she glared at him, her bronze eyes gleaming with fury.

  “Just know that I am going after Dante Torres and I am going to take him down. And know that I’m going to do it without any help from you or your fucking team.” She pressed her hands against her knees for support and said in a fierce voice, “Now, for the last time, Gray, get the fuck out of my house. Your little fuck buddies are waiting for you at Mateo’s. You wouldn’t want to disappoint them two nights in a row. Oh, and by the way? You can tell Diamond that she’s right. I don’t have what it takes to be one of her agents. Tell her to check out Candy and Lucy. Apparently they have what I don’t, the ability to attract a man.”

  Gray rose to his feet and studied her. He knew the fury rising in his throat was irrational, but it was too fierce to ignore. In about one minute, the feisty little woman defying him was going to get the surprise of her life when he turned her over his knee and spanked the hell out of her. For the moment he decided he would have to content himself with the thought alone. If she’d known him better, the way his teammates did, she would have cowered at the way his voice had dropped dangerously low. She would have recognized the cold fury in his now midnight-blue eyes. But she didn’t know him—yet. Hell, he thought with a snort, she didn’t as much as flinch at his hard stare. If anything that saucy little chin just went higher in the air.

  He spoke quietly, not disguising the underlying threat in his voice. “I’ll be back in about ten minutes, Topaz. Don’t leave this room and don’t bother to lock the door. As I told you last night, there isn’t a bar or a lock that can keep me out if I want to come in.”

  Seeing the telephone in her hand, he warned her, “And don’t make any phone calls or I’ll have to take away your phone privileges in addition to spanking your ass.”

  Gratified at the furious flush that stormed her cheeks, Gray closed the door behind himself to the sound of her telling him to go to hell.

&n
bsp; Gray took several long, deep breaths in a vain attempt to quiet his pounding heart. Christ, breathing was a challenge but less difficult than gathering enough composure to address his team as their potential commander. Fuck, he had to admit. It was him, not Topaz, who was the head case. The confusing woman had tied him in knots. Part of him wanted to protect her from herself and others. Another part of him wanted to force her to obey him. But the hardest part, literally, wanted to lay her out on the floor and fuck her brains out.

  He walked outside and saw his team waiting for him. Jase was leaning against the wall, his arm wrapped protectively around Sapphire. Noah was sitting on the top step with Ruby perched on his lap. With a pang, Gray realized how much he wanted Topaz in his arms, holding her the way that his friends were holding one another.

  Noah rose to his feet, pulling Ruby alongside him. Gray knew from the expressions on their faces that they wanted to comfort him as he had so often comforted both of them in their various machinations. He was gratified when Noah resisted and greeted him professionally.

  “Is Agent Taveras okay, Dude? That was a hard scene for her to walk into.”

  Gray agreed. “Yes, it was. A hard scene for all of us. In answer to the question you asked me earlier, Noah, the reason I didn’t call you and Jase was because I had to get my head around this mess, before I dumped it on you.”

  Jase was cold. “And have you gotten your head around it, Gray?”

  Gray faced him head on. “Yeah, Jase, I have. I’ll admit it wasn’t easy. It won’t surprise you, but even harder than coming to grips with Topaz, was dealing with Ian. The guy is hurting. He’s Maya’s only living relative and might be her only friend. At least that’s how she sees it. I was mad as hell at the way he blindsided me with this, and would have walked away and never come back.”

  Jase persisted. “Why didn’t you? I would have.”

  Gray shrugged. “I intended to. And would have until I saw that damn office of hers. That shrine to revenge.”

  Jase scoffed. “Or until you realized what a great ass Agent Taveras has?”