Deep (The Deep Duet Book 1)

by M. Malone

  She gave him a shy smile. “Okay. Give me ten minutes to change.”

  Much to his surprise, she appeared in the living room exactly eight minutes later. Rafe was used to a different measurement of time when dealing with women getting ready to go out. Usually ten minutes meant forty-five. But Diana was wearing the same dress, now laundered and dry, that he’d found her in.

  She was quiet as he led her down to the parking garage. Rafe had no idea what to say, so they made the short drive in silence.

  When they reached the Blake Security building, Diana peered up at the signage. “Wow. Glass and steel. Impressive. What are we doing here?”

  “This is where the party is.”

  “At a security company?” Her brows shot up.

  His lips twitched. “It’s sort of a long story. My brother-in-law owns the place. Sort of a work-live situation.”

  “Okay then. Let’s do this,” she said with a sunny smile.

  Rafe tried to match her enthusiasm, but nervous energy still flowed through his veins. When they reached the elevator, she slid her hand into his and squeezed. Her tiny, delicate hand gave him warmth, gave him strength. He tapped in the code to reach the penthouse and then leaned forward for the retinal scan. If Diana thought that was strange, she said nothing.

  When the elevator doors pinged, he sucked in a deep breath. Next to him, Diana squeezed his hand and gave him a bright smile. “It will be fine. Watch. I have a feeling about these things.”

  They were met in the foyer by Oskar, whose permanent scowl was in place.

  “Oskar, how’s it going?”

  “You’re here, so not great.” The German turned his attention to Diana, and his whole countenance changed as he suddenly plastered a wide smile on his face.

  Rafe had to mutter under his breath. “Okay, I get you. Turn the wattage down.”

  His sometimes friend just laughed. “What’s the matter, afraid of a little competition?” Oskar looked back to Diana. “So, are you going to introduce me to my future wife?”

  Diana just laughed. “Are you always this outrageous?”

  Oskar nodded. “Pretty much. I’m not as bad as Noah though. So, Rafe, you can thank your lucky stars.”

  Rafe pursed his lips. He was happier when the German was his usual scowling self. When he smiled, it made him almost appear charming.

  “Okay, that’s enough. Diana, this is Oskar. He works with my brother-in-law.”

  The German grinned again. “When you get tired of this guy, come find me.”

  Diana giggled, and Rafe tugged her behind him. He found Noah in the kitchen, attempting to molest his sister, who was laughing as he copped a feel. “Seriously, do you guys have to do that? There are people around.”

  Lucia laughed and pushed Noah away before rushing over to give him a hug. It didn’t matter that he worked here now and she saw him almost every day, she always hugged him like she was trying to make up for all the days they’d missed.

  He held her tight. It was still weird as hell to see Noah with his sister. Yeah, sure, he’d always loved the guy like a brother. But him and Lucia… Rafe had never even considered it an option. And now they were happily married and parents of the only other person who had him wrapped around her little finger more than Lucia—his niece, Isabella.

  Noah came over and gave him a one-armed clap and then a good thump on the back. “What’s up, brother?” He inclined his head and slid his gaze to Diana while Lucia was dancing from foot to foot. Oh boy. They were going to make this a big deal.

  “Guys, this is Diana. She’s a friend of mine. Diana, this is Noah Blake and my sister, Lucia.”

  Noah shook her hand briefly and welcomed her to the party. Lucia was far more exuberant and hugged her tight before taking her hand and dragging her out of the kitchen, talking a mile a minute.

  Noah turned his attention back to Rafe. “A friend?”

  Rafe just shrugged. “I do occasionally have those.”

  Noah narrowed his gaze and studied him for a long moment. Then he started to laugh. “Friends. Uh-huh.”

  Rafe shook him off. “Shut up.”

  “I never thought I’d see the day Rafe DeMarco—” He paused. “Does she know who you are? Or are you using an alias?”

  Rafe shook his head. “No alias. I’m out, remember?”

  Noah nodded. “So, this is new then.”

  “This is nothing. She’s just a friend. That’s all.”

  Noah chuckled. “Yeah, you just go ahead and tell yourself that.” His friend clapped him on the back and said, “Come on, I just got the text from Dylan. Nonna will be here in ten minutes.”

  Rafe tried to make small talk. But his gaze kept tracking Diana. Lucia had commandeered her. And JJ, Lucia’s best friend, was regaling her with stories of when they were young. He could only pray that JJ didn’t give away all his dirt. But given that Diana was laughing, they were probably staying away from him as a topic.

  He hoped.

  Diana accepted another glass of punch and tried to tune back in to the conversation. Lucia had made sure she was introduced to everyone, and her brain was swimming with all the names. But after a few minutes, it didn’t seem to matter. Everyone included her in the conversation, so she didn’t feel like an interloper at all.

  To her surprise, Rafe’s family seemed… nice.

  It was a startling and incongruous thing that actually made her feel a little grumpy. Every part of her was uncomfortable with getting to know these women who talked about Rafe like some kind of superhero, knowing that she had every intention of exposing his crimes to the world. But now she was being forced to view the collateral damage of her plan. Rafe might be a murdering bastard, but he had family that loved him dearly. They’d be hurt once she got enough evidence to put him in jail. It didn’t change what she had to do. Rafe needed to pay for his crimes. But she’d have to have ice water in her veins not to care that she’d be hurting nice people also.

  As soon as she could, Diana excused herself and started toward the hallway she’d seen Lucia go down a few minutes ago. There had to be a bathroom back there. She needed a few minutes of quiet to get herself together. Rafe didn’t trust her completely yet, but he wasn’t threatened by her, obviously, or he wouldn’t have brought her around his family. She needed to stay focused and get him to trust her enough to leave her in his apartment while he went to work.

  This was no time to go soft. Not when she was so close to her target.

  “Oh, shit! Sorry!” Diana skidded to a halt at the sight of Lucia and her husband wrapped around each other.

  Lucia lifted her head, her eyes blurry. Noah didn’t even acknowledge the interruption, burying his face in Lucia’s neck while his hands lifted her higher. He stepped closer between her legs, pressing her against the wall.

  “Okaaay… I’ll just go back to the party now.” Diana laughed softly as the couple ignored her and continued attacking each other with their lips.

  JJ met her at the end of the hallway. “Are you okay?”

  “Oh fine. Totally fine.”

  The other woman gave her a strange look. “You’re as red as a tomato. Let me guess, you caught Noah slobbing his wife down.”

  Diana choked. “Is that a common occurrence around here?”

  “Yes. All the time. Not that I can talk, but at least my boyfriend and I keep it behind closed doors.” JJ shook her head and started down the hallway. The next thing Diana heard was her shouting, “Get a room, you guys!”

  Just then there was a loud chime. What was that? As she walked to the foyer, she realized it was the elevator. She hadn’t heard that noise when they’d ridden up.

  A beautiful older woman stepped off the elevator, followed by a handsome young man who was holding several bags.

  “Nonna!”

  Someone rushed by her, and Diana turned to see Lucia walking toward the older woman. She carried a little girl with dark hair and big gray eyes. Diana recognized the baby from her surveillance.

  �
��Hello, bambina. I brought your gnocchi and some tiramisu for the boys.”

  Lucia accepted a kiss and then suddenly turned, thrusting the baby into Diana’s arms. On instinct, she clutched the little girl against her.

  “Oh no, I don’t really know anything about babies.”

  But even as she said it, the little girl cuddled against her chest and rested a tiny fist near her throat. Diana’s heart clutched at the gesture.

  “Look, she likes you. She’s finicky about who she lets hold her. You know, they say children can sense a good person. I’m glad Rafe has a good woman in his life.” Lucia squeezed her arm gently before following the man holding the bags of food.

  “Rafe?” The older woman looked over at Lucia’s words. But Lucia was already gone. Suddenly the older woman paused, and her eyes fixed on something across the room. Rafe.

  “Oh. Oh. I didn’t know you would be here.”

  Rafe came forward, his expression so painfully tender that Diana found it difficult to watch. Who was this man? He definitely wasn’t the cynical, paranoid one she’d arrived with.

  “Of course I’m here,” Rafe murmured. “It’s your birthday, Nonna. I couldn’t miss that. I’ve missed too many already.”

  Nonna let out a happy cry and embraced him. “I know you have, bambino. But you’re back now. And so skinny! Well, I’ll fix that.”

  Rafe leaned down into the hug, his eyes closing as she stroked his hair. Diana couldn’t hear what he was saying to her, but she could read the love between the two, and it took her off guard. She hadn’t had that. It twisted her up inside watching them. Her father had loved her; she knew that. But being gentle didn’t come naturally to him. He’d wanted her to be smart and independent and not to need anyone. She hadn’t gotten many hugs, though there had been pats on the back for a job well done before her father retreated back to his office. Her brothers weren’t the demonstrative types either. Mainly they ignored her unless they needed something.

  She’d figured that was just how most men were. They weren’t as emotional as women. After a while she’d learned not to expect hugs or softness. The way to gain her father’s love was by providing results. Straight As on her report card. Winning a tennis tournament. That was how to get acknowledgment or the rare smile.

  But this, this unabashed joy flowing from one to the other, wasn’t something she was familiar with. And the longing she felt watching it took her completely off guard.

  “Ba, ba, ba, ba.” The baby in her arms babbled and blew a small spit bubble. Then she looked at Diana and grinned.

  When Lucia appeared at her elbow, Diana handed the baby back and mumbled an excuse about needing the bathroom. But truthfully what she needed was a break.

  She’d thought she knew everything she needed to know about Rafe from her research and her surveillance. But the man she was slowly getting to know wasn’t anything like the stone-cold killer she’d come here expecting.

  So which one was the real Rafe?

  chapter six

  “You’re sure you’re okay? You’re not hurting too bad?”

  “Yes. I told you I’m fine. I’m just a little sore—it’s nothing.”

  She’d been off all day. Well, off since pretty much yesterday. He’d been trying to figure it out. She’d seemed fine at the party. But now something wasn’t right.

  He lived downtown near Chelsea Piers. So that morning they’d taken a walk, grabbed breakfast at one of those trendy hipster spots. Like a normal—well, couple.

  Except you’re not a couple, are you? No, but you want to be, obviously. Dumb ass. But his point was, everything should have been fine. But it wasn’t. Quiet introspection he could handle, but this felt different. It felt like brooding.

  “Everyone was cool to you yesterday, right? Noah’s a good kid, but sometimes he can be an asshole.”

  She shifted her gaze off the television to meet his. “No. Noah was perfectly nice.”

  “Did JJ say something? Listen, she’s brash, but you know, she’s pretty cool—”

  She laughed. “I don’t know. I kinda liked her. And I don’t think she’s brash. I think she’s awesome. She really will say anything. I almost swallowed my chicken wing whole when she told Oskar that her dick was bigger than his.”

  Rafe threw his head back and laughed. “I don’t doubt it.”

  “I swear, I’m fine. I’m just thinking, you know? Your family is lovely. So, so… nice. Normal. Which is weird.”

  Rafe frowned. “What, you expected a three-eyed, three-horned, giant purple people eater?”

  “If you’re referring to that giant purple vibrator JJ was talking about, then possibly.”

  Rafe chuckled. “JJ is hilarious. Next time ask her about risking her life in an apartment fire to save her fish. You should have seen Jonas’s face when he realized she’d run back in to rescue that thing while she was practically naked.”

  He still couldn’t believe that shit. Rafe had been worried about her once they’d gotten the alarm. But Jonas had been beside himself. Rafe had never seen the guy like that before. But then, when Jonas discovered what she’d run back into the apartment for, he’d about lost it.

  “If you’re sure things are okay, I’ll just have to trust you.” The hell he would. His instincts had served him well over the past fifteen years or so. Something was wrong, and he’d figure out what it was. He was nothing if not patient.

  She sighed. “Okay. look. If you must know, I sort of walked in on Noah and Lucia you know…”

  Rafe blinked. Had he heard that right? “Noah and Lucia you know…” And then it dawned on him. He wasn’t sure his body had ever gone through simultaneous reactions like this before—the urge to throw up coupled with the urge to throw his head back and laugh. “Oh.”

  “Yeah. Oh. I mean, are they always like that?”

  Rafe nodded. “Yeah, pretty much. I know you’re probably pretty traumatized by the whole thing, but don’t worry about it. We’ve all walked in on them. And I mean all of us. If it is traumatizing and awkward for you, imagine how it is for—”

  His phone rang. It was rare that anyone called him. If it was some kind of emergency, Noah would have sent the usual signal, a series of texts and rings that would let him know he was needed for trouble. No, in this case, his phone was just ringing. Which meant Oskar. He didn’t even look at the screen when he picked it up. “What do you want?”

  “Is that any way to treat a friend? Not a friend, your mentor even.”

  Rafe clenched his jaw. Noah had been on something the day he paired him with Oskar. One of Rafe’s main jobs once they got some new recruits would be training them to be efficient. He would be training them to kill, but only if they had to. Oskar thought it was his job to train Rafe to not kill people. As if he needed lessons on that. He had been FBI after all. Yeah, but you were also an assassin for hire. Details.

  “Don’t make me repeat myself. You know how I get when I get angry.”

  There was a bit of silence. “You know what, come to think of it, I’m still mad at you for that.”

  “Get on with it.”

  “Ah, someone’s testy. Does that mean I interrupted some get-it-on time? What’s his name? Is he big and burly? I picture you with a bear type myself. But hey, I don’t judge. Whatever tickles your fancy.”

  Rafe just rolled his eyes. Oskar had somehow gotten it in his head that for six years Rafe had lived like a monk or was gay. Neither was true. He liked women; he was just selective. And he didn’t trust anyone.

  “Did you have a point? Or are you just calling to annoy me? Because of the two blondes I could choose to deal with, I’d rather Diana over you.”

  “Oh Diana. She is adorable. I’m surprised she’s choosing to hang out with you. But as much as I’d love to bust your balls, we gotta go. And lucky for you it’s in your neighborhood. Meet me on your north corner in five minutes.”

  Showtime. “On it.”

  Rafe turned to Diana. “I need to go out for a minute. Take care of s
omething for Lucia. I’ll run by the store on the way home. Do you need anything?”

  She shook her head. “That’s sweet of you. I’ll probably take a walk myself and do a little bit of shopping.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you back here for dinner?” He retrieved the extra house key from the kitchen and brought it to her. “You’ll probably get back before I do.”

  “Maybe not. I need a lot of stuff. I’ll probably head out and see if I can find a pair of sandals. I have a little money left from what you gave me the other day. And in case we go back to Noah’s or I meet Lucia for lunch or something, I want to have something besides the same pair of sneakers.”

  He frowned. Why hadn’t he thought of that? Oh yeah, like women’s fashion was high on the list of priorities. Well, except for lingerie. That could be the highest of priorities depending on who was wearing it. “Oh. Sorry, I should have thought about that. I can take you myself if you want.”

  She shook her head. “Somehow I doubt you want to go shoe shopping. Go. Go do whatever it is you have to do. I’ll see you later.”

  Rafe hated to just leave her behind. But he had work to do. Besides, she said she was fine.

  So then why is every instinct telling you she’s not?

  Diana wasted no time.

  The moment Rafe left the apartment, dressed in all black and with his don’t fuck with me face on, she was off the couch and sliding her sneakers on. There was no way she’d be able to follow him on foot. He was too good. She was glad she’d put one of those friend-tracker apps on her phone. Since he’d bought her the phone and they were on the same home network, the app loaded to his phone too.

  It was low tech, but it worked.

  She was out the door in a flash, keeping an eye on the direction Rafe was headed. Along the way, she passed a shoe store and stopped. She grabbed the first pair labeled in her size and was out in minutes. Now at least her cover was set.

  And just what are you going to say when you find him? Maybe she hadn’t thought this through all the way, but no way she was going to miss a chance to get some valuable intel.