“She cool now?” Brad asked.
“She’s cool. We…worked things out.”
Brad guffawed. “Worked things out. Is that what they’re calling it nowadays?”
Hunter shot him a warning glance even as his lips twitched. “So did the rookie get in okay?”
“Her name is Kimiko. And yes, she got here a few hours ago. She’s sleeping now. Gearing up for tomorrow.” Joaquin shook his head and rubbed the stubble on his jaw, his expression tight. “I don’t know. I think she’s too green. This is a helluva assignment to be her first.”
Hunter paused. “She graduated from the academy with flying colors.”
“She’s young.”
“Twenty-two,” Hunter argued, turning around a chair and sitting backward on it. “She just looks young—which is why we need to use her.”
Kimiko Roberts was new to their team. With her shifter blood a mix of Japanese and Caucasian, she easily passed for an older teenager. She was the perfect agent to go undercover into Delmore’s supposed sanctuary for runaways.
“She’s the best fit for this,” Brad agreed and set his beer down. “Tomorrow we send her in there. Hopefully Delmore takes the bait and tries to send her out.”
Joaquin grunted but didn’t look convinced. “If I see anything that indicates she’s not ready, I’m pulling her.”
Hunter clenched his jaw, wanting to argue but knowing he couldn’t. Joaquin ran this operation.
Brad set the empty beer bottle down on the table and stood. “I’m going to try and grab a couple hours sleep.”
Joaquin sat the chair back down on all four legs and nodded. “Yeah, I should, too.”
Once the two men had left and Hunter was once again alone, he headed to the fridge to get the snack he’d initially come downstairs for. He’d fed Gemma tonight but hadn’t had time to eat. Not after she’d run.
He hurried through the leftover steak then headed back upstairs. He was already itching to spend those last few hours before dawn with Gemma back in his arms.
* * * *
The hint of sunlight trickling through the window woke her. Gemma blinked and adjusted her eyes to the room. What time was it? She’d slept hard, which was unusual for her. Maybe it was because she’d been so exhausted. She yawned and stretched beneath the sheets; her leg brushed against Hunter’s hairy leg and she flushed. Or maybe it was because Hunter had been with her.
She rolled onto her side and propped herself up on an elbow, gazing down at him. His face was relaxed in sleep, those sexy lips full and curved into a slight smile. Maybe something in his dream was amusing.
Not wanting to disturb him, she slipped silently from the bed. She’d woken to find him gone at some point in the night, and he hadn’t returned too long ago to fall asleep.
Pulling on the dress he’d given her yesterday, she left the room to go downstairs. The house was dark, and she searched for a light switch, but a noise from where she guessed the kitchen would be gave her pause.
She bit her lip and crept the last few steps to the landing then peeked around the corner into the lit-up room. It was the kitchen, and her cousin and Brad were standing near the stove arguing.
She slipped back before they could hear her. She could go back upstairs, but they’d probably creak again and maybe this time announce her presence.
“I told you, Megan, it’s not you,” Brad’s voice sounded strained, a little harsh.
“How can it not be me? Yesterday I thought we were really getting along. And then last night you kind of just wigged out. Didn’t talk to me. Didn’t want to see me.”
“Megan—”
“I just want to know what I did to make you pass me off to Joaquin to deal with.”
“You didn’t do anything, okay?” he rasped. “It’s what I wanted to do.”
“What? What did you want to do?”
Brad gave a defeated laugh. “God, how you push me, girl. I wanted to do this.”
There were footsteps, and then her cousin gasped. A second later she made a soft moan.
Gemma frowned. What the hell? She peeked her head around the corner and her eyes widened. Brad had Megan in his arms and seemed to be doing a thorough exploration of her mouth with his.
Jerking her head back again, Gemma bit her lip and shook her head. Not a good idea. So not a good idea.
“Shit,” Brad said raggedly, obviously having come up for air. “I’m sorry, Megan. That wasn’t a good idea.”
Gemma nodded. Hmm. Well at least he agreed with her on that.
“I don’t think it was a bad idea.” Her cousin’s voice had turned breathy, wondrous. “At all, actually. Brad? Where are you going?”
“Out for a run. Go back to bed, Megan.”
“Brad…”
“What just happened? Didn’t happen. Got it?”
“Uh, not really.”
Brad didn’t answer, and a few moments later, the front door opened and shut.
Gemma winced. Damn. She didn’t like the idea of Brad putting the moves on her cousin; she was barely eighteen and leaving for college next month. She didn’t need to get into a complex relationship with an ESA agent. But he could have at least let her down a little gentler.
After counting to ten, Gemma took a deep breath and trudged loudly into the kitchen to announce her presence.
“Wow, you’re up early,” she said brightly, noting Megan’s pink cheeks and swollen mouth.
“Yeah…I couldn’t sleep. Heard Brad out here and just got up.” Megan lowered her gaze. “He’s out running.”
“Probably a good thing,” Gemma said quietly.
Megan’s head snapped up, and Gemma held her gaze. Realization flared in her cousin’s eyes, showing that she knew Gemma knew what had happened. She sighed and looked away, her expression more than a little disappointed.
“I suppose.” Megan crossed the room and poured herself a glass of water. “You’re up pretty early yourself. Everything okay with lover boy this morning? Have you realized that resistance is futile and you need to stop the fighting and work on the lovin’?”
Gemma gave a soft laugh. “Something along those lines.” She paused. “And you were right about Jeffrey.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. There’s something up with him, Meg. Hunter just told me about it earlier. And… there were signs, when I think about it. I just can’t believe I couldn’t put them together.”
“They were out of context. Besides, Jeffrey is a charming bastard—as much as I hate to say it. Brad kind of filled me in on the situation. It’s pretty horrific, Gem.”
Down the hall, a door slammed shut, followed by the sound of someone being sick. A moment later, the toilet flushed.
“Yikes,” Megan lifted an eyebrow. “Somebody’s dinner didn’t agree with them.”
Another door opened, and Joaquin strode out wearing nothing but pajama bottoms. His expression pinched.
When the bathroom door opened, a girl stepped out, pale, her entire body rigid.
Joaquin approached her, shaking his head. “I’m pulling you from the operation, Agent Roberts.”
Chapter 8
Agent Roberts? Gemma’s gaze darted back to the girl—woman rather, though she looked so young. The agent flinched and paled even further before her almond-shaped eyes narrowed.
“Why would you do that? I’m fine. I’m ready for this—”
“You haven’t slept. I heard you pacing your room. And that’s the second time you’ve thrown up since dinner last night.”
Her chin lifted. “So I drank some bad milk.”
“Bullshit.”
“Look, a lot of agents go through this. A mild case of nerves is common.”
He shook his head. “You got little, if any, sleep last night. And it doesn’t appear to be a mild case of nerves, Roberts.”
“What’s going on here?” Hunter appeared in the hallway directly between the kitchen and bedrooms, fully dressed, and glanced both ways.
“I’m pulling h
er from the operation.” Joaquin walked past her, his jaw tight.
The agent hurried after him, desperation in her gaze. “You can’t do this to me. I’m ready.”
Joaquin spun around, snapping harshly, “You’re not ready, Kimiko.”
Hunter folded his arms across his chest. “Someone want to tell me what’s going on?”
“She’s been puking all night. Hasn’t been to sleep.”
“I’m not going to choke. I promise.” Kimiko’s face finally gained some color back, but the red stain on her cheeks didn’t help her case much.
Gemma’s stomach twisted, and she felt a stab of sympathy for the younger woman.
“Shit.” Hunter sighed and turned, shoving a hand through his hair. “She’ll probably be fine, Joaquin.”
“It’s my operation. I don’t think she can be convincing undercover right now, so I’m pulling her.”
Hunter paused. “Can we get another agent up here to replace her?”
“Don’t replace me,” Kimiko pleaded, though her shoulders remained stiff, her expression stoic. “I can do this. I’m ready.”
Joaquin and Hunter exchanged a long glance, and then Hunter shook his head.
“I’m sorry, Agent Roberts. I don’t make the final call. If he says you’re not ready, you’re out.”
She let out a ragged breath and then her lips pursed. Casting a hard look at Joaquin, she turned and walked back to her room. The door closed a second later.
Gemma glanced at Megan, who looked just as puzzled by the encounter. That poor female agent—though she’d tried to keep a professional appearance—had obviously been devastated. What was her part supposed to be in the sting anyway?
“Fuck.” Joaquin crossed the room and opened the fridge. “It’ll take us days to get a replacement up here and briefed on the operation. Roberts has been studying this case for weeks.”
“At least.”
“Maybe I could help.” Gemma cleared her throat. “What was she supposed to do?”
Hunter gave a harsh laugh. “Be the bait. Pose as a runaway to get into Delmore’s ring.”
The color drained from her face, and Gemma let the air out of her lungs on a hiss.
“Do you realize how dangerous that is?” she asked when she could finally speak.
“Danger is all part of the job for an ESA agent,” Joaquin murmured and glanced down the hall toward the closed door. “But we don’t send someone into a situation they’re not ready for.”
Gemma bit the inside of her cheek, casting furtive glances around the room at everyone. So they’d just send up another agent to fill in as bait? Ask another girl to risk her life by getting thrust into the world of fuck hunting?
Her stomach clenched and she swallowed hard. No. She couldn’t let them do it. There was another way. And even though it sent a small stab of terror through her, she knew it was the answer.
“I have another suggestion,” she said quietly, and all eyes turned toward her. “Send me instead.”
There was a moment’s silence before both men laughed.
“Just one problem with that, sweetheart,” Joaquin said, with a sardonic smile. “Since you were supposed to be Delmore’s wife, you can’t exactly pose as a runaway.”
“No…” she began slowly. “But since I was supposed to be Delmore’s wife I do have access and knowledge to where he keeps information regarding his…business.”
Hunter straightened from the counter, his brows drawn together. “You told me you didn’t know anything.”
“I didn’t…or I thought I didn’t. It all started to come back to me last night. There were men who would come by for parties…discussing recent hunting successes. When I asked what they hunted, they would never respond, just laugh.” And stare at her like she was a piece of prime rib. She drew in a deep breath and pushed a wave of hair back over her head. “And when Jeffrey and I first got engaged last year, we threw a party. The invitation list was saved on his computer, and I needed it. So when he wasn’t home, I went to print it out.”
She licked her lips, visualizing the document in her head. “I opened the list, but…it took me a few minutes to realize I was looking at the wrong thing. The only names were of men…and there were dates on it, followed by dollar figures.” She swallowed hard, guilt stabbing in her gut. “I closed it out and brushed it off, figuring it was nothing. Then I forgot all about it. Until last night.”
Joaquin approached her. “Do you think you could get access to his computer again if we sent you back?”
“No,” Hunter said vehemently.
Gemma nodded. “Probably. I’d find a way. He trusts me. I’d just slip in when he wasn’t in the room and transfer some files to a jump drive.”
“We’re not sending her back to that bastard,” Hunter snarled, straightening to his full height, shoulders quaking. “He’ll probably be suspicious as all hell the minute she walks in the door.”
“Maybe not…hang on for a second.” Joaquin disappeared down the hall, reappearing moments later with a folder in his hand. He dropped it on the table and smacked his palm on top of the thin file. “These are the transcripts of all the phone calls going in and out of Delmore’s estate in the last twenty-four hours. Several of the calls are from Jeffrey Delmore himself.”
Gemma’s pulse jumped, and her gaze dropped to the file. “Did he give you anything that could be used against him? Evidence?”
Hunter’s harsh laugh exploded in the room. “He’s not that stupid. He knows there’s always a possibility of us bugging him.”
“Does he know he’s bugged?” Gemma asked.
“No. Not that we’re aware of.”
Joaquin scratched the back of his head. “Signs indicate he doesn’t. He’s even said a few times his compound is too air tight for anyone to get a bug in.”
“But you did.”
“We did,” Joaquin agreed. “Anyway, the last few calls…same old stuff as usual, except one call with his father. They talked about you.”
“About me?” Gemma backed away from the table, not sure she even wanted to know.
“He doesn’t seem suspicious. He seems distraught. Worried something happened to you. He’s had people looking for you since yesterday morning.”
The idea took root inside her head. “So this could work. I could call him, explain I had cold feet, and ask him if he’ll take me back.”
Hunter snarled and paced the room. “It won’t work.”
“It might,” Joaquin argued.
“Hunter, you don’t have a choice. I’m the best option you have.” Gemma touched his shoulder, feeling how rigid his muscles had become. His eyes now glinted with panic.
Joaquin cleared his throat. “She’s right, Hunter. She can go in and be under the radar. If we sense something changes, we can pull her.”
Hunter shook his head. “I don’t like the idea of putting her safety at risk.”
“Jeffrey adores her,” Megan spoke up. “Obviously those transcripts prove it. I don’t like this any more than you do, Hunter. But if anyone can pull this off, Gemma can.”
The front door opened, and they all looked up to see Brad returning from his run. His gaze immediately sought out Megan, who cleared her throat and excused herself, walking quickly from the room.
Brad’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he just glanced at the other men.
“Pull what off?”
“Agent Roberts isn’t ready. We pulled her and we’re sending in Gemma,” Joaquin said, then proceeded to explain their reasoning.
“I like it. Let’s do it,” Brad immediately agreed.
“Fuck.” Hunter pushed away from Gemma and slammed a fist into a wall. “This is a bad idea.”
“I’m in charge of this operation,” Joaquin said resolutely. “I’m sorry, Hunter. But if Gemma agrees to do this, I think we’d be stupid not to.” He turned at looked at her. “Gemma?”
Her pulse jumped and she swallowed hard. Her gaze darted to Hunter. His eyes were
locked on her, and it was hard to miss the blatant plea for her to say no.
She thought of the shifter women who’d been killed, who’d died such horrible deaths. How long had it been going on? Would it continue to go on? Her stomach rolled with revulsion. It made her sick to think she’d been engaged to the man behind their deaths, that she’d slept with him.
Licking her lips, she gave a slight nod. “I’ll do it.”
Fear and pain flickered across Hunter’s face before he turned and left the room.
“Great. Thank you, Gemma.” Joaquin touched her arm. “Go talk to him. You’ve got two hours before we leave.”
* * * *
Hunter paced the bedroom, wanting to throw or hit something. Most of all he just wanted to show up at Jeffrey’s estate and kill the bastard on the spot. Screw a trial.
Sweat beaded on the back of his neck, and his head pounded with the beginning of a headache. He groaned and slapped his palm against the wall. What was she thinking? To volunteer to go back to Delmore’s and get the evidence. It was too damn risky.
What if something happened? What if—
“Hunter.” His name was a soft caress on her voice.
He turned, his heart in his throat.
Gemma stood in the doorway, her body leaning to one side of the frame, her hip thrust out against the cotton dress she wore, her breasts hugged by the fabric. She looked feminine. Entirely too delicate. An easy target if Delmore were to turn on her. His gut clenched.
His gaze moved up her body again, and he met her eyes; finding her expression imploring.
“Please, Gemma.” He shook his head. “Don’t do this.”
“Hunter.” She said his name on a sigh, closed the door, and then crossed the room to him. “I have to.”
“We can find someone else. There’s—”
“I have two hours.” She touched a finger to his lips, before sliding her hands to his shoulders. “Two hours before I leave. You can spend it arguing with me, and I’ll warn you that I won’t change my mind, or we can do other things…”
He knew by the determination on her face that she meant what she said. There would be no changing her mind. He hesitated for only a moment and then slid his arms around her waist, pulling her hard against the contours of his body.
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