by Mia Dymond
“No. You can track them, right?”
Thunder shrugged. “My team is on it now. You better hope we come up with something, Greene, because your story is as flimsy as a palm tree in a hurricane.”
Greene lowered his head into his hands. “I told him messing with the bodyguard was stupid.”
Kat raised an eyebrow and glanced at Chaos while Thunder asked the question everyone else thought.
“He mentioned the bodyguard?”
Chaos sat morbidly still, his gaze focused on the window, his breathing so shallow she was tempted to place a palm to his chest to see if his heart still beat. Something told her he practiced great restraint from reacting.
She moved her attention back to Greene, who lifted his head. “Yeah. He not only knew his name, but a whole lot about him.”
Her heart pounded. Someone had gone to great lengths to study her, watch her, learn about her. And in the process, Chaos had become a target.
“Chaos.” She whispered the implied apology without moving her gaze.
“Part of the job, Kat. Let it go.”
Although his response did little to ease her concern, she knew he truly believed his reasoning. In no way, shape, or form would he allow her to accept responsibility for his choices.
“What exactly did he say about the bodyguard?”
“He called him Taylor. Said he was a skilled guard and we had to wait for him to make a mistake before we could strike.”
“Idiot.” Thunder snickered. “Taylor doesn’t make mistakes.”
“You’re not giving us much, Greene,” the detective prodded. “Anything else you’d like to share?”
“He’s not in this alone. He reports to somebody.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know. He told me that if I messed up, he had people to report to and he wouldn’t hesitate to blame me.”
“Doesn’t sound like someone you should trust,” Thunder drawled.
“Zelinski vouched for him. I swear, I had no idea he wanted me to plant a bomb.”
“Maybe not, but you did.” Thunder nodded at the police detective just before he left the room. “I’ll be in touch.”
Kat took a deep breath while her mind spun in circles. Did this man really know so little about her? Was he simply just a puppet? She glanced at Chaos who now happened to stare back.
“It’s a lot to process,” he said quietly.
“Do we know anything more than we did?”
“Actually, we do.” He took her hand and braided their fingers. “We know now that he was a hired gun, callous enough to murder for money. And, if he’s telling us the truth about the man who hired him, we may have something to go on.”
She frowned. “I don’t understand. He claims he didn’t know the identity of the other man.”
“If his boss knows me, the pool is shallow. Rebel will flush him out soon.”
He gave her hand a squeeze as Thunder entered the room and closed the door. “He’s narrowed down the playing field.”
Kat rubbed her free hand across her forehead, aggravated that she was thoroughly confused while Thunder epitomized Joe Cool. “What does it matter if this lunatic knows Chaos?”
“It matters.” Thunder raised an eyebrow and glanced at Chaos. “You want to explain?”
“It means one of two things.” Chaos tightened his hold. “Either he’s gotten to know my m.o by watching us, or he’s someone from the past. If he’s a shadow from the past, we can identify him without confronting him.”
“Either way,” Ace added, “it’s too dangerous for the two of you out in the open. I’m sorry, Kat, but you’re going to have to stay out of sight until we figure out who the hell we’re dealing with.”
She had no intention of arguing – not this time. The situation had taken a drastic dive into the river of fear and she, for one, was not going to drown.
“Of course. What about my father?”
“He’s protected.” Thunder reached for the doorknob. “Does anyone know where we stashed you?”
“Just the girls, my father, and James.”
“Good. Keep it that way.” He twisted the knob and opened the door. “I’ll call with Rebel’s Intel.”
As soon as the door closed behind him, she smacked her forehead with her palm. “Oh! I told Steven I’d meet him at the spa at 5:00 p.m. this evening.”
“Hawthorne?”
She nodded.
“Why?”
“We’re meeting to review the proceeds from the charity dinner.”
“You can make it quick?”
She gave another nod, not quite sure he would agree. Especially since his admission that he hadn’t told Melaina no kept echoing in her brain.
“We’ll go,” Chaos finally assured her. “I can keep an eye on things there.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s already two o’clock.” Chaos held tight to her hand while she stood. “We’ll head there now.”
Ace nodded and reached for the doorknob. “I’ll follow and then head to the office.”
***
Three hours later, Kat sat in her conference room at the table, re–reading the financial report from the dinner for the third time while question marks stabbed her brain. Somehow, the total income from the party just didn’t add up. Alpha Four’s contribution alone both physically and financially should have pushed the totals much higher than the figures in front of her. Not only should they have, she knew for a fact they did.
Frowning, she raised her gaze and glanced at Steven. “Are you sure all the donations are posted?”
“Yes. Is there a problem?”
“I think so.” She pushed the page toward him. “I’m certain we brought in more money than this.”
“I’ve recorded the payments just as they were received.” He gave the document a cursory glance and then looked back at her. “The bank reviewed them at the time they were deposited, as well.”
Maybe she had spent too much time around Chaos, but she knew better than to voice her suspicion – confronting Steven without definite proof would only put him on the defensive and make things very, very ugly. Yet, holding her tongue at this particular moment was almost impossible. Just to be sure she was doing the right thing, she moved her gaze from the table and onto Chaos. He gave a very slight horizontal shake of his head.
With a bitter taste in her mouth, she moved her attention back to Steven. “Maybe I’m mistaken.”
“I’ll go over them again, just to satisfy us both.” Steven stood and smoothed his tie. “I’ll call you in the morning.”
“Thank you, Steven.”
She waited, barely able to hold her tongue, until he left the room and the bell over the front door chimed. She then opened her mouth to speak.
“Wait.” Chaos stood and left the room, returning in a few seconds. “He’s gone.”
“I counted the proceeds myself before I turned them over to him.”
“Is that your normal protocol?”
“No.”
He leaned forward and grasped the top of a chair with both hands. “Why this time?”
“Curiosity, I guess. It was an awful lot of cash and I wanted to see just how profitable you were. Besides, I figured it wouldn’t hurt for two of us to count it.”
“Three. Rebel counted it, as well.”
“So, I’m right. There was more money than he reported.”
He nodded.
“Where did it go? He said he deposited it.”
“That’s what we need to find out. Has this ever happened before?”
“Never. Steven’s books are always meticulously kept. So much so that we can trace the origin of every penny.”
“Does anyone else have a part in the financials?”
“We, the board, all have a hand in collecting donations. Steven logs them in and then makes the deposits at the bank. And of course the teller also verifies the amount.”
“But you and Rebel counted it before Hawthorne got his hands on it.”
“True.” She released a hard sigh. “And in this case, it was all cash. There’s really no way to track where it came from.”
“No one pays by check?”
“Not to the waiters. Most write a large check payable to the charity and then use the cash as a non–deductible donation.” She grinned. “It’s all in fun.”
“Yeah, fun,” he mumbled as he straightened upright.
“You didn’t enjoy women stuffing cash in your waistband?”
He stood and extended a hand while he gave her a panty–dampening smirk. “There’s only one woman I’d enjoy stuffing my waistband.”
“I’ll bet,” she drawled as she slipped her hand in his and stood beside him.
“Do you have any reason to suspect Hawthorne pocketed the cash?”
“None. Like I said, he’s always been forthright.”
“We’ll give him some space.” He nudged her toward the door and then down the hallway to the reception area. “One of us will come up with an explanation.”
Although she didn’t doubt for one minute Alpha Four’s ability to get rid of this whole, sordid mess, she couldn’t help but be impatient. Frankly, she was exhausted from worry and fear. Yet, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing to spend every waking minute with Chaos. No, not a bad thing at all. And now that their feelings for each other were completely out in the open, they both seemed to relax. Yes, she still had nagging questions about Melaina but those could be answered in time. She simply wanted to concentrate on him at the moment.
She had just rounded the reception desk when the bell over the front door chimed and James Foster walked inside. She quickly glanced at Chaos, who folded his arms across his chest. Although she knew it was a defensive motion on his part, it tightened his t–shirt in the process and forced her salivary glands to work overtime.
She quickly swallowed and pasted on a smile. “Hi, James.”
“Hello, Kat.” He extended a brown sack toward her. “I’ve come bearing gifts.”
“Oh, yeah?”
She stuck her hand inside, delighted to feel soft, silky material against her fingers.
“What is it?” Chaos demanded.
She tilted her head to one side. “A surprise.”
“No surprises.” He snatched the bag from her hands, glanced inside, and then raised his eyebrows as he glanced at James. “You come up with this idea all on your own, Foster?”
A flush of red invaded the other man’s cheeks and Kat rushed to his defense. “No, he didn’t. I asked him to grab a few things for me.”
“You asked him to bring you underwear?”
She nodded without further explanation while he continued to dig through the sack.
“And this?” He dangled a green, lace bra from his index finger while a mischievous smirk split his lips.
“You don’t like them?”
“I didn’t say I didn’t like them. I’m just surprised Foster had his hands in your underwear.”
James cleared his throat. “Actually, I sent Maria to get them.”
“Thank you, James.” She stepped forward and gave him a brief hug. “I appreciate your help.”
“Not a problem. I hope these items make you more comfortable.” He glanced at Chaos and then back at her. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“No, thank you. I’ll call if I think of something.”
James gave a small nod and then quickly exited out the front door. Kat waited until the door closed soundly before she turned her attention back to Chaos.
“Shame on you.”
“For what?”
“You intimidate him. Loosen up, he’s only following instructions.”
“You didn’t tell me you asked him to come by.”
She gave him an exaggerated frown, knowing full well he wouldn’t fall for it. “I didn’t?”
“You know you didn’t.”
“Actually, it slipped my mind. Sorry about that.”
“I’ll forgive you this time because I happen to appreciate the contents of this bag.” He gave a husky chuckle and grabbed the bag while he pressed his other hand to the small of her back and urged her to the door. “Just make sure you don’t have any more memory lapses.”
***
He waited patiently in his parked car while the skinny nerd in the three–piece suit left the spa and then climbed into a black limousine. If his research proved correct, this man held the key to making his plan a success. He gave the other car a rather generous lead and then pulled out into the same lane, a discreet distance behind.
He allowed himself a wide smile, satisfied by the fact that Taylor and his crew had not managed to put a damper on things. Little did they know that they had actually made things easier for him and sealed their fates in the process. He had to proceed carefully, though. With Greene now in jail, he was forced to work quickly. The change in tempo was not a hindrance, really, just a necessity for him to gain control.
He continued to follow the hired car for another mile or two, encouraged when the driver entered a set of iron gates. Just as he suspected, the man who rode within was the perfect player in his game. The outcome was inevitable; there was no way for anyone to change it now.
He drove past, severely confident for the first time in weeks. He should’ve known better than to hire a scapegoat for this operation. Although they were the ones to accept the punishment, they also refused to take risks necessary to succeed. From this day forward, he would take care of things himself. Of course, if this operation ended the way he planned he wouldn’t have to worry himself with such things. He would regain his seat in the upper ranks of the organization and wash his hands of anything to do with manual labor.
He released a sigh, relieved the whole thing would be concluded soon. Not only would he eliminate barriers to the organization’s success, his own obstacles would be removed. He owed this to them, as well as himself. Still high on the euphoria of confidence, he reached beside him for the cell phone he’d placed on the seat, pressed a familiar icon, and then settled in to relay the news.
“I am prepared,” he said into the mouthpiece as soon as the call connected.
“You are sure this time?”
“Absolutely.”
“There will be no complications, correct?”
“None whatsoever.”
“What about the laundry?”
“I’ve washed and dried it. It is ready for transport.”
“Excellent.” The voice on the other end sounded impressed. “I was not convinced of your ability but you have proven yourself worthy.”
“Thank you. I’ll let you know as soon as my work is complete.”
***
Once she and Chaos were back at his house, protected once again by his fortress of a compound, she released a soft sigh of relief. Although Greene’s admissions didn’t provided a whole lot of information, at least now they had a better idea of what they were up against.
She followed him into the living room and tossed her bag of goodies to the couch. “Are you hungry?”
“Not really, are you?”
“No, but I wouldn’t mind fixing you something.”
“You’ve had an interesting day.” He pointed at the sofa. “Sit. I’ll bring you something to eat.”
“I’ll come with you and help.”
He released a hard sigh. “Are you ever going to let me tell you what to do?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want to.”
“Too bad.” A wolf–like grin split his lips. “Besides, you want to.”
“No.”
“Yes, you do. You like it when I give you orders.”
“Sometimes,” she mumbled against her will. “You’re just so … dominant.”
“And you hate that you like it.”
Bingo. Since when did he become so insightful? Yes, she hated it that she found his dominance so sexy and arousing. Hated that every time he issued an order, electric shocks cli
mbed her spine and sent shivers of desire screaming through every nerve in her body. Hated that she had absolutely no control over her mind or body when he was near.
“Yes.”
“Betcha I can change your mind.”
He stepped closer to her and her heart began to pound so hard she wasn’t sure she could push air across her lungs to dispute his proposition if she wanted to. Then again, who said she wanted to?
“Think so?”
He lifted a hand, his touch gentle as he brushed his fingers across her left cheek. She didn’t need a mirror see the flush she felt spread over her.
“You’re warm, baby.” He moved his hand down the side her neck and over the fabric of her blouse until it rested just below her left breast. “Your heart is beating ninety to nothing.”
“Chaos.” She finally managed to push a whisper over her very aroused bottom lip.
“Yes, Kat?”
“You’ve changed my mind.”
Without giving him the satisfaction of gloating, she placed both hands on his shoulders and pulled him toward her, pressing her mouth to his before a single word left his lips.
His lips moved hard and fast over hers, the pressure unmistakably dominant and exciting. If there was ever any doubt about this man’s ability to stake a claim, he had undoubtedly eradicated it. From just this one kiss, he had thrown her whole body into total chaos. How delightfully appropriate.
He attempted to lighten his touch and she released a small gasp of annoyance. Desperate to maintain her euphoria, she circled her hands around his neck, buckled her fingers in a tight noose, and then smashed her lips against his. Satisfied her intent was clear, she opened her mouth and bit down on his lower lip.
He released a grunt, moved his hands to her hips, and then jammed his own hips against her. Satisfaction coated her nerves when she felt sheer arousal caused by the erection now resting against her stomach and began rocking against her. Desperate to feel the entire strength of him, she unbuckled her hands and moved them over the heated cotton of his shirt where the tightened muscles of his shoulders and biceps resided beneath. Her fingers rapidly maneuvered down the buttons until her hands finally met the bare skin of his abdomen.