Just the driver, his ass. “I believe you,” said Michael. “Now back away.”
Instead, he just stood there, eyes darting around the room like a cornered animal. That wasn’t good. Cornered animals were desperate and unpredictable.
But then Michael saw a flash of silver as Lori brought her arm up and slammed a knife into the man’s arm. He screamed as she lunged forward. Except she didn’t run into his arms like he’d hoped. She fell straight toward the ground. The man ran around Michael, but Luke was ready and body slammed him, tackling him to the floor.
Michael bent next to Lori as she struggled to roll over. She looked as if she’d been through hell. The entire front of her hooded sweatshirt was soaked in something, and her eyes were bloodshot and ragged. Thankfully, he didn’t see any obvious sign of injury.
“Michael,” she whispered.
“I’m here. I’m here,” he said desperately. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”
She smiled even as she coughed. “Ken.”
Michael looked up and saw that Ken was gone, having snuck out the door in the commotion. “The police are on their way. He won’t get far.”
Luke grunted as he adjusted his hold on the man Ken had hired. “Mother fucker,” he muttered.
“You okay over there?” called Michael.
Luke reached back and slammed his fist into the man’s face. “Just another day,” he muttered.
“Grayson and Ken were working together. They had a side deal. That’s why Ken killed him.”
“Shh,” said Michael. She’d been through too much already. They could regroup when Evelyn got there.
She shook her head. “No, you don’t understand. He’s terrified of them, Michael. You need to catch him now, or you won’t get a chance to.”
Just then, a pair of police officers entered the apartment, guns drawn.
“Ken Kemmerling,” shouted Michael. “He ran out of here just a minute ago. You need to catch him. He tried to kill her. And we need an ambulance!” Damn it. He should’ve asked for the ambulance first.
One of the officers went running while the other radioed in that he was with Michael, Luke, Lori, and an unarmed suspect. The guy on the other end said something that Michael couldn’t make out, and the officer nodded soberly as he ended the call.
“It looks like they found your guy,” he said.
Michael let out a sigh of relief. “Thank God.”
“He took a swan dive off the roof. Would rather kill himself than be arrested.”
“How do I look?” Lori tugged at her blouse so it would sit just right.
“Terrible,” said Michael from behind his desk with a scowl. “Go put on some jeans.”
Lori smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Don’t be bitter. It’s not attractive.”
“It’s unprofessional to run personal errands on work time,” he said. “Don’t you have enough to do at your desk?”
“Fillon Corp has some great positions that I’m qualified for. From what the recruiter said on the phone, I basically have my pick.”
“You want positions? I have tons. Missionary, doggie...I’ll even buy you a damn Kama Sutra if that’s what you want.”
She laughed as she walked around to lean against his desk, right in front of his chair. He rested his hands on her hips and looked up at her. “I like you here. Close by when I need you.”
“I’ll be close by at your apartment,” she reminded him. “The movers will be over tomorrow to get the rest of the boxes and Quinn is already spending the rent money you gave her. How much closer do you want me?”
He tugged her closer until his knees were between hers and stared up with a burning heat in his gaze. “You have no idea just how close I want you,” he said in a husky, desire-filled voice.
“Would you two get a room already.” Luke sauntered into the office.
Lori jerked in surprise and pulled herself away from Michael. “Did you ever hear of knocking?”
He raised a brow. “Did you ever hear of keeping work and play separate?”
Her cheeks got redder as Michael narrowed his eyes at his brother. “Please don’t encourage her. She’s about to go to an interview at Fillon Corp. I’m already stressed enough.”
“We could be murdered at any moment by the people we gave a hundred million dollars to and you’re worried about your girlfriend not working fifteen floors below you? Priorities, Michael. Priorities.”
Lori smiled and waited to hear how Michael would shoot him down. She could listen to the two men bicker all day.
“They are not coming after us at any moment, actually. I was contacted by someone else from the Thirteen Stars. They wanted to assure me that even though Ken had certain issues he was working through, that everything is still a go. So it doesn’t look like they know we’re involved with the FBI. Evelyn made sure that the deal Ken had with Grayson made headlines, so they all knew the true motives of what he was doing and wouldn’t dig any deeper.”
“And does Evelyn know about this yet?”
“Well, I assumed you wouldn’t want to call her.”
Luke snorted but didn’t disagree. “So we’re still on, right? Look for the leaders and bring them down.”
“Bring them down safely,” clarified Lori. “You two need to be careful.” Sure, Ken had been crazy and working outside of the Thirteen Stars, but these people were dangerous. Her close call had given her a new appreciation of life and also a new paranoia.
One of the reasons that moving in with Michael after only being together for three weeks seemed like such a good idea. Not for him to look after her. But because he needed someone to look out for him. They’d be safe as long as they stuck together.
And if they happened to have lots and lots of hot sex while sticking together, well, that just made the deal sweeter.
“And you need to listen to Evelyn, Luke. She knows what she’s doing.” Michael had told Lori the story of Evelyn’s profile. Without her behind-the-scenes help, he might never have made it to her in time.
Luke didn’t answer and stood. “I listen to Evelyn.” He started out of the office. “Sometimes,” he added as he left.
Lori shook her head and checked her watch. “I have to get going. They’re expecting me at one thirty.”
“That’s forty-five minutes. It doesn’t take that long to get three blocks.” Michael intertwined his fingers with hers.
“No, but it takes that long to get there and then go over my prepared answers for the thousands of possible interview questions.”
He took a deep breath and looked down at her. “You’re really doing this, aren’t you?”
“I’m not going to be that woman who sleeps her way to the top, and as long as I’m with you, it’s always going to be that way. And, trust me, I did plan on advancing here.”
“So you are planning on sticking with me for a while.” A self-satisfied grin covered his face.
Somehow she hadn’t considered that he would doubt that he’d be stuck with her. She was moving in with him. “Of course. I love you.”
There was a pause, and Lori realized it was the first time either of them had said the words. It seemed so natural. As though it wasn’t some big revelation but simply a statement of how things were.
Michael leaned forward and kissed her. She thought he was going in for a quick peck, but his palm pressed into the small of her back and pulled her up against him.
Even though she knew she needed to be going, she rested her hands on the side of his face and pulled him closer. Closed her eyes as she fell deeper into the kiss.
Before she became completely overwhelmed, she pushed away. “Nice try on the distraction. I will not be missing this interview no matter how sexy you are.” She backed away and held up a finger in warning.
“Fine. I surrender.” He held up his hands to prove his point. “Go. Get another job. Leave me. I see the way it is,” he said in a joking tone.
She picked up her bag and portfolio folder from the chair
in his office. “I’m going.”
Lori had one foot out the door when she heard the words she’d been waiting for.
“I love you too.”
~~~~~THE END~~~~~
Testing Luke
by
Mallory Crowe
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Fonts used with permission from Microsoft.
Copyright © 2015 by Mallory Crowe
Mallory Crowe (2015-11-19). Testing Luke (Devereaux Billionaires Book Three)
Evelyn let her head fall into her hands and sighed. “I hate New York City.”
“So I take it your transfer request didn’t get approved?” asked Gail from the desk across from Evelyn’s in their shared office.
Evelyn looked through her fingers at the older agent who sat across from her. “This wouldn’t happen if I were worse at my job.”
“You’d also probably be dead if you were worse at your job,” pointed out Gail. “Try to look at the sunny side.”
Evelyn sneered at the idea of trying to find any sunny side. She wanted out of the closet that the agency thought was an apartment and back to where she could actually do some good. Not just babysitting the billionaires.
“I know at least five agents who would kill to be working with the Devereaux brothers,” said Gail. “Only female agents, by the way.”
“Well, they’re all stupid. The only good one is taken.” Michael Devereaux seemed as if he was already halfway to the altar with his girlfriend, Lori Briggs. Normally Evelyn was more than happy for couples, but she really wished Michael had picked a better time to find his one true love.
“If the good one’s taken, you can always go for the bad one.” Gail winked.
If possible, Evelyn’s expression became even more sour. “No. Just... No.” Luke Devereaux was a whole new sort of hell for Evelyn. Where his brother was reasonable and logical, Luke was an anomaly.
He was impulsive, controlling and, worst of all, entitled. “If they want to take my place, all they have to do is ask. The doctor gave me the all clear to get off desk work three weeks ago and I’m still stuck here.”
Gail shrugged, obviously unsympathetic to Evelyn’s situation. “If Hotchins wants you lead on this case, take it as a compliment.”
“He only wants me lead because I’m the one who brought it to him. And that was from a tip. Not like I broke the case on my own.” If her old friend, Jace Lance, who she’d known from her military days, hadn’t called and asked her to run some prints for him, she never would’ve been pulled into the investigation of the massive white-collar criminal ring known as the Thirteen Stars.
“If you find the faces behind the Thirteen Stars, your career will be made.”
“If,” said Evelyn. So far every lead she’d had led nowhere. Joslyn had blackmailed Brian Longineu, who was a known higher level employee of the Thirteen Stars. Unfortunately she’d blackmailed him with evidence that didn’t exist.
They’d sent a hit man after Emma Devereaux to get the nonexistent evidence, and since the hit man had been in custody, he hadn’t said a word about his employers. And every name Lori Briggs had given Evelyn hadn’t given her anything she could use. Except for Ken Kemmerling, who would rather take a nose dive off a skyscraper than get arrested.
And ever since Ken had come within inches of murdering Lori, Michael was adamant that she not be used in the investigation anymore and took her out of town on lavish vacations every opportunity he got. Once again, Evelyn would be more than happy for them in any other circumstance, but damn it, Michael had been her biggest ally.
“Maybe you need to think about it from a different angle,” said Gail.
Evelyn rolled her eyes. She didn’t need another speech about looking on the bright side. She liked Gail. She really did. The woman was smart and had been in the agency since a time when she was one of the few women there. Gail had managed to keep up on her caseload through two marriages and three kids, all boys. But Gail lived and breathed the white-collar division. She’d been there for a decade before Evelyn arrived and she’d be there a hell of a lot longer, judging from the number of college tuitions she had to pay for.
“What angle?” asked Evelyn. Just because she didn’t want to hear Gail’s opinion didn’t mean she wouldn’t.
“Well, your assets haven’t been performing the way you’d hoped and you’ve been cleared to work in the field. Maybe it’s time for some micromanagement.”
“Micro? You mean getting in the field? That’s just what I need. More time with Luke Devereaux. He’s half the reason I want off this job in the first place.”
“You want off this job because you miss Texas. Luke is a lesser evil than being stuck in white-collar any longer than you have to be, right?”
Evelyn leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. Damn it, Gail really was more perceptive than Evelyn wanted her to be, but she shouldn’t be surprised. Gail wouldn’t have stuck around the FBI this long if she wasn’t a damn good agent.
“So I’ll glue myself to Luke’s side and pester him until he gets me the info I need? I like it. Well, I hate it, but it could definitely speed things up.”
Gail smiled. “There you go! If you get the Thirteen Stars case wrapped up, Hotchins should let you transfer out. And, you know, if you need some assistance on this one, I wouldn’t mind wining and dining with the elite of the city.”
“Of course. I’m sure there are a few places I could use some experienced backup. If your caseload isn’t too much already.”
Evelyn knew for a fact that Gail had more work than she cared for at the moment, but Gail didn’t seem too concerned. “If I get the chance to meet any of the Devereauxs, I’ll take more work.”
Evelyn took a deep breath. “So get close to Luke to close the case. I can do that.” How hard could it be?
“Are you going to get that?” asked Cali from the doorway to Luke’s office.
He turned off the ringer as quickly as possible and dropped the cell phone into his top desk drawer. “It’s not important.”
Cali gave him a questioning look but didn’t ask any further about it. “You have a few free hours before your lunch appointment at one. Let me know if you need anything.” She turned to leave but then halted. “Oh, by the way, I’m taking Friday off.”
Luke tried to remember if he had anything going on Friday. Nothing important came to mind. “That should be fine. Do you have any fun plans?”
Cali averted her eyes to the ground before she looked back up at Luke. “Yes, actually. I’m going out of town with a, um, new guy I’ve been seeing.”
Luke opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. Cali had never once mentioned any man she’d seen before. He was more than happy that she was dating, but he didn’t know how much he was allowed to ask about it. Should he ask where they met? Should he ask where they’re going? At this point, Cali was more like a friend or a sister to him than an employee, but there were still some lines he didn’t want to cross.
“If you ever want to head up to the Hamptons,” he said, “let me know and I can try to get you a house right on the beach.” Of course, that offer would make much more sense if it was summer and not late fall, but it was the best way to pry for more information that he could think of.
Cali smiled at his feeble attempts. “That’s super sweet of you to offer. Were actually staying in the cabin upstate that’s owned by a friend of Easson’s.”
Easson... Luke racked his brain for anyone he knew named Easson, but nothing popped out. “Well, I hope you two have fun.” Would having a background check run on Cali’s new boyfriend be crossing a line? Did he really care about crossing a line if it meant keeping Cali safe? But before he could do anything, he had to know more than just Easson’s first name.
The door to his office opened and he looked up, half
expecting to see Cali standing there again, and he formulated what prying questions he could ask her next. But it wasn’t Cali. It was his worst nightmare.
Evelyn fucking Price was back.
“What a pleasant surprise,” he said as Evelyn strode into the office.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Funny. It wouldn’t have been a surprise if you returned any of my calls.”
“I’m a busy man, Evelyn. You can’t expect me to be at your beck and call twenty-four/seven.” He looked her up and down. Damn, it would be easier to hate her if she didn’t look so delectable. Her curves filled out a professional-looking pantsuit (the same boring style she wore every day) just the right way, and her black curly hair always seemed just the right amount tousled. As though she had just emerged from bed. And that was the last place he needed to be imagining Special Agent Evelyn Price.
“Luckily for you, you won’t have to be checking your phone every five minutes for my calls anymore.”
Luke could tell from her tone this wasn’t good news at all.
“Because the agency values all that you’re doing for us, and in light of recent events, we decided that it would be best if you had a more physical presence by the agency. So until everything gets sorted out, I would like you to meet your new intern.”
Luke glanced over her shoulder but didn’t see anyone walk in. “Who’s the new intern?”
“I am,” said Evelyn.
Luke carefully controlled his reaction as he studied his nemesis. Her own expression was blank as well, but he had to imagine she enjoyed torturing him with this joke. He had to assume it was a joke, because there was no way in hell he was going working side-by-side with her. “What’s the catch?” he asked. “Did Michael put you up to this? Is there a hidden camera somewhere in here?”
Evelyn sighed. “There is no catch. After what happened with Michael and considering the circumstances your cousin found herself in before I was called, I think it’s best for me to stick closer to you.”
The woman was insane if she thought for one second that he was going to allow this. “How the hell are you going to be my new intern? With no one from HR or even Cali knowing who you are?”
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