Nate groaned and crossed his arms over his chest. Shit. He’d taken his earpiece out when he’d gotten into Dylan’s suite, not thinking that Ashley would be out of the loop. She was right, coming down here was risky. Hell, he shouldn’t even be here. The plan had been for Nate and Ashley to arrive as a couple and Dylan on his own. That way if Dylan’s cover got compromised, Nate and Ashley would go unnoticed, and vice versa. If the three of them were spotted together and one went down, they all would.
“The shit hit the fan, that’s what happened.”
Ashley’s eyebrows shot up and her hand rested on her chest. Her lips parted and she looked at Dylan, her eyes wide.
Dylan cleared his throat and locked his eyes on Ashley’s. God, he was sunk. He’d have to have a talk with his friend about biting the bullet with Ashley. She didn’t give too much away, but Nate had noticed a few lust-filled, brown-eyed stares from her. He was certain nothing had started between them yet; too much tension arced in the air between them.
Voices started up again at the computers and Nate strode over to the table to listen as Dylan spoke. It wouldn’t do him any good to go storming in to Carlos’s suite if by some miracle things had smoothed over.
“Carlos called Maddie to their suite. He got ahold of the surveillance tape of Maddie kicking Tony’s ass in the parking lot at the club,” Dylan explained.
Ashley gasped. “Shit. That’s not good. What did he say?” She reached around and pulled her hair out of the bun at the top of her head. Her raven hair fell in a wild curtain down her back and Dylan let out a stammer.
“He–uh–he’s…”
Nate wanted to cross the room and slap the stupid out of Dylan. He couldn’t even pretend to be unaffected by Ashley.
Maddie’s voice carried over the speaker, “It hurts that you don’t trust me.”
“Shh!” he barked. He pressed his palms into the table and stared at the control panel on the screen. Damn he wished they had been able to secure a camera in the room. Most cruise lines had paper-thin walls and setting up a camera would have been a breeze. In a ship as luxurious as this, soundproofing was a top priority. Steel walls separated each suite, making drilling and threading a cord impossible.
Three tiny gnats flitted from a plate of dried gravy and landed on an empty glass of beer. Nate’s lip curled as he swatted them away. Dylan would never land Ashley if he continued to be such a slob.
The speaker monitoring the master bedroom kicked on and the door slammed. Dylan had each bug hooked up to a different computer so it would be easier to tell which room they were in. The other computer speaker crackled on and Hector’s voice reached his ears.
“She’s lying. I’m not right about everything, but I’m right about this.” Desperation laced his words.
“Did you corner her in the bathroom?” Menace filled Carlos’s voice and he enunciated each word as if through gritted teeth. A beat passed.
“Yeah, but only because I knew I could get her to confess.”
“I told you, I had her checked out months ago. She was clean.”
“What if she’s not? What if she’s undercover? Ricky wouldn’t possibly be able to tell that.”
Silence strung through the air and Nate leaned forward, his pulse tripped.
“What about Eduardo? He could—”
“Dammit, I don’t want to hear another word about it.” Carlos ground out. “I’m not stupid. I’ll keep a close eye on her. Let’s step outside. I need a fucking smoke.”
Shit. If they stepped outside, they’d have no way to listen in on their conversation. Dylan’s suite was much smaller than Carlos’s penthouse. Carlos’s unit had two balconies. Their master bedroom balcony lined up with Dylan’s only balcony in the living room. The suite next door to Dylan’s would be directly beneath Carlos’s office patio. There was no way for them to eavesdrop.
The patio door closed, indicating they had gone outside. A tight coil of dread wound tight in Nate’s stomach. He tore himself away from the desk and dropped into the soft couch cushion. He rested his elbows on his knees and pressed his palms into his eye sockets. From day one, the priority of this job had been different for him from anyone else’s on the team—including Maddie’s. The agent in him wanted Carlos behind bars and on trial for the murders he’d committed in the past. No one would testify against him because of the deep pockets of his power. Getting Carlos arrested first would re-open investigations on past cases that he’d been acquitted of.
That should mean something to him. It should make him want to go to every length to see this through. It didn’t. All he wanted to do was get Maddie off this goddamn hellhole of a ship. To hell with Carlos and to hell with the case. Fuck, he’d kiss his job goodbye if it meant saving her life, and if he blew this case he’d probably have to.
He’d put his neck on the line, and if his boss hadn’t respected him he never would have been allowed to pursue this case, with so little time to plan. But, it had been a once in a lifetime opportunity to have Carlos’s girlfriend as an informant, and his boss couldn’t refuse.
And now, Maddie was as good as dead. If he pulled her out now, Carlos would put a hit on her head. She’d have to go into Witness Protection and even then there was no guarantee he wouldn’t reach her. Nate exhaled deeply through his nose. He’d have to sell his condo, all his assets and run with her. Carlos would be looking for him too. It wouldn’t take much for him to figure out Nate had been involved. Without the case, they had nothing on Carlos to keep him in prison.
A light, feather-like touch rested on his shoulder and he jerked, but didn’t look up. The fingers squeezed. Ashley.
“Boss, none of this is your fault. We had no way of knowing that footage would surface. We only have two more days—”
He snorted and lifted his head. “I don’t give a fuck about the job, Ashley. I’m trying to decide if Witness Protection is safe enough for Maddie.”
Ashley’s hand yanked away as if he’d burned her and her spine straightened. The corners of her eyes creased and her lips parted. “I know this is serious and that Maddie could really be in danger, but as of right now Carlos just suspects her.” Her gaze flicked up to Dylan, and Nate shifted his gaze to his friend. Even Dylan’s face was somber.
“She held her own. I think we might have a shot at keeping this up for another couple of days.”
Nate chewed his tongue. Was he overreacting? Was he too emotionally involved? From Tony’s death to Hector’s cornering her in the bathroom and now that damn video… it was a miracle the whole thing hadn’t gone up in flames. Carlos was a smart sonofabitch and he was also as paranoid as any drug dealer. Why hadn’t he pulled out yet? He had a lot riding on this exchange… three million dollars to be exact.
Maddie had handled the confrontation well. Better than he’d expected. She was quick on her feet and her ability to remain unfazed is probably what had saved her ass today. She’d threatened Carlos that she would leave the ship tomorrow at the next port. She’d taken a huge gamble by saying that, but maybe it would serve them. If something happened between now and tomorrow she’d have an exit. Maybe they should just use that and get out while they were ahead.
Dylan sat on the coffee table in front of him, his elbows rested on his knees, mimicking Nate’s posture. “Pulling out now will only put more focus on Maddie. We’ll lose the case for sure, because Carlos will undoubtedly not chance the exchange. If he misses out on that money, he’ll be blood thirsty. I hate to say this, but I think the safest option is to continue, unless something else happens.” Dylan shifted his blue eyes to Ashley. “What do you think?”
Her hand moved to rest on his, squeezing. “You know I wouldn’t normally agree with him, but I think he’s right. We’re so close. Day after tomorrow we’ll be in San Juan and should be able to nail down the exchange.”
He took a deep breath and rested his back against the couch. It did nothi
ng to relieve his bound up muscles. His phone vibrated against his thigh and he shifted to pull it out. Ethan’s name lit up the screen and he cursed. A heavy weight settled on his chest. Ethan must be telepathic. Ashley’s eyes landed on the screen and she tensed next to him. Damn, he didn’t need to be judged right now. His hand clenched into a fist as the phone continued to vibrate. He swiped his finger across the screen, ignoring it.
This just kept getting worse.
“All right. But if anything else happens, we’re out of here.”
If Carlos so much as looked at her the wrong way, they were done.
* * * *
Once again, she hadn’t fucked him. Carlos massaged the back of his neck as he stared at the computer screen with Maddie’s profile in front of him. Ricky, his trusted PI, had given him a brief background on her before he’d started dating her. He paid Ricky a healthy supply of cocaine each month and in return, Ricky pulled whatever dirt he could find on anyone Carlos needed. Right now, he needed to get sucked off and his supposed girlfriend was fast asleep. Most women slept with him eagerly on the first attempt. He hadn’t had to work for sex since his wife. If it weren’t for that constant nagging in his head, he’d almost believe Maddie was who she claimed.
According to the information in front of him, everything she’d told him in the beginning added up. There was no mention of her martial arts training—but would there be? When Hector had first showed him the video, murder had coursed through his veins. The level of her skill was obvious in her defiant stance. She hadn’t been afraid of Tony for one second.
A dull ache started behind his eyes. It was after three a.m., but if he went to bed, he’d just lie there, hot and horny, and that would piss him off even more. He couldn’t even take what he wanted because Maddie could probably castrate him with one of her karate chops. Being out of control was foreign to him. He’d never been with a woman stronger than him or one that could overpower him. That didn’t sit well with him. She should fear him to some degree, at least enough to obey and give him what he needed.
In the beginning, he’d liked that Maddie had been different than every other woman who threw herself at him. Now, it pissed him off. He was getting too old for this shit. He stretched back in the leather chair, then leaned forward and pulled open the top drawer. His fingers closed over the smooth wooden box, and his tension already began to ease. He sat straighter in his chair. He opened the box and took out the smooth porcelain plate, and then poured a small pile of white powder from the vial.
He carved it into a neat line, leaned forward, and inhaled the powder into his nostril. Satisfaction hit him and his mind opened, the heavy monotonous fog lifting. God, he’d needed that. He set everything back in the box and locked it in the drawer. Gone was the need to be hyped up on drugs for days. He liked cocaine because it made him think clearer and function better, and not so much for the blissed out high that Hector and Tony craved.
Tony.
His eyes misted and his hands curled into the arms of the chair. Hector was dead set that Maddie had something to do with his disappearance, and after witnessing her in the video, he’d had a hard time denying the possibility. Anger spread through him like a wildfire.
There was no way he’d been stupid enough to let a woman fool him. If she’d had something to do with Tony’s death he would find out. She’d already made him look stupid with that fucking video. Carlos didn’t fuck up. Ever. And he sure as hell wouldn’t let her ruin his reputation.
Chapter 20
Buzzz… Buzzz… Buzzz…
Maddie blinked and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She stretched her arms over her head and groaned. Fatigue brought her eyelids back down and sleep clouded over her. Her hand curled into the cool sheets next to her and the gentle hum from the shower reached her ears. Last night she’d lain awake, her senses on high alert, waiting for Carlos to return to bed. After their fight she’d called the front desk to move to another suite, but the ship was filled to capacity. Thankfully, it had been after four in the morning when he’d finally passed out on top of the covers beside her.
His deep rumbling snore had assured her that he wouldn’t slit her throat while she slept.
Buzzz… Buzzz… Buzzz…
Shit! Her phone. She jumped into a sitting position and lifted the device from the night table where it sat plugged in. Zoe’s name and number illuminated the screen. Maddie swallowed, her thumb hovered over the icons. She couldn’t chance answering it and having Carlos come out. She’d have to wait and call her back. With all that had been going on she’d been completely out of touch with her friend.
She peeled back the covers and pressed her feet into the cool area rug. The water shut off and her back straightened. Her fingers curled into the mauve duvet comforter and she debated crawling back under the sheets and pretending she was still asleep.
No. The last thing she wanted was for him to catch her in bed. It could give him ideas. Her phone vibrated again and she picked it up to read the message. It was Zoe again. Guilt gnawed at her. She needed to get better about returning calls while on a job, but when her mind was on a task she thought of nothing else.
Where are you? I’m worried. Call me asap.
She moved her fingers over the screen.
I’ll call in a bit.
She had to talk to her. If Carlos asked her to come downstairs with him right away she’d tell him she needed to call her mom or–
Shit! She slapped her palm to her forehead. She’d completely forgotten about the lie she’d told Carlos about her mother having a heart attack. Damn, she was rusty.
She got to her feet and the bathroom door swung open. Carlos stood in the doorway, a mauve towel draped around his hips. Curly black hair swarmed around his chest like bees to a hive, trailing their way down to the towel. God he had a lot of body hair. Nate kept his hair nicely groomed, nothing like Carlos’s hot mess. His body lacked the thick, muscular build that Nate worked so hard for.
His bloodshot green eyes landed on her and his face twisted. “Morning,” he said and stepped out of the bathroom. His still wet feet left a trail of footprints on the marble floor. “Are you coming down for breakfast?”
“After I take a shower and call my dad.” She kept her voice terse and carefully enunciated each word. If they had a real relationship, she’d still be pretty pissed about his accusations yesterday. She met him at the bathroom door, intending to brush past him. He didn’t budge. His eyes moved over her face. She folded her arms tightly across the thin material of her pajama top, blocking her braless nipples. “I need to check on my mom.”
A muscle at the corner of his mouth jumped, but he didn’t say anything. His eyes moved down to her crossed arms, stopped on her belly, and slid back up even slower. If it was possible for his stubble to get any darker, it did. His eyes turned hard with need.
Her pulse beat frantically against her throat.
It wasn’t the hungry, soul-consuming need that she’d seen reflected in Nate’s eyes. This was different. Up close, Carlos didn’t look good. Instead of being deeply tanned from hours spent in the sun, his olive skin tone held a shade of ash beneath the brown. His eyes were bleary and red, and his lips bone-dry. Her stomach muscles clenched and she sucked her breath in. Had he done drugs last night? He’d never appeared high around her, but that didn’t mean he didn’t do them. Sober, Carlos was terrifying—if he was using drugs that was a whole other ballpark. Her skin prickled with the need to curl away from him.
Carlos’s chin lifted with an air of entitlement and he took a step closer, bringing the towel in contact with her abdomen. Her blood turned to ice.
The back of his knuckles stroked over the bare skin of her bicep. She cleared her throat. “We should hurry before it gets too busy down there. I could sure use some coffee before we dock.” With any luck, coffee would get him moving.
This morning they would be stopping at St
. Thomas. Their original plan was for her and Carlos to spend the day together, but she’d also told him yesterday that she was flying home. Dammit, she’d taken a gamble by saying that, and unless he begged her to stay, she had to follow through.
His eyes snapped up to hers. Her breath caught in her throat as his finger touched her chin, turning it up toward him. His mouth came down on hers, hot and demanding. Revulsion spiked at the back of her throat and her arms dropped to her sides.
The last few days she’d gotten away with the odd peck or kiss on the cheek, but nothing too invasive. He was testing her… searching to see how far she would go to prove herself to him. She opened her mouth, welcoming him. His tongue was sticky, as if he needed a gallon of water and his lips scraped over hers.
Brrring! Brrring!
The sharp chirp of his phone sounded from the nightstand behind her. He pulled away. “I want more of that later. But I need to take this call. Come find me at breakfast, we need to talk.”
He brushed past her and reached for his phone. She fought the urge to wipe her mouth with the back of her hand. She moved quickly into the bathroom, shut and locked the door, and pressed her shaking hands to her face. Oh, God. He wasn’t stupid. If she didn’t sleep with him tonight he’d probably call the whole deal off…
Or kill her.
By the time she got out of the shower, he was gone. She dropped on the bed, and rolled her shoulders back. This case was wearing on her. She wouldn’t admit that Nate had been right… at least not aloud. But she’d come close to death more times than she cared to count and they were nowhere near finished.
She picked up her cellphone and curled her legs under her. She clicked on Zoe’s contact and the phone rang in her ear.
“Maddie! Where are you?” Zoe’s soft, flighty voice rang out. Anxiety laced her words and guilt stabbed through Maddie’s heart. After all Zoe had been through, the last thing she needed was to worry about her best friend.
“Well, hello to you too. How are you?”
Exposed Page 17