by Becky McGraw
“Your car is here, Snapper,” Slade said as he walked into the conference room and tossed her the keys. Lola followed him inside, and he took a seat at the end of the table. “You really should clean out those fast food bags from the floor board,” he said with a laugh. “Especially if you’re smoking again. You’ll torch the thing.”
“I’m not smoking again,” Susan said.
He shrugged and scratched Lola between the ears. “Sure looked that way to me from the half pack in the console.”
“I, ah…was nervous before I broke into the school.”
Slade guffawed. “I’d have loved to be a fly on the wall to watch that operation.”
“It wasn’t pretty,” Susan said feeling her face heat.
“Well, I bought you some popsicles and blow pops to convince you to give it up again.”
Because he cared about her, and wanted her around. Slade knew that Dave would fire her if she smoked. Susan was touched that he cared enough to do that for her. “That’s the sweetest damned thing anyone has done for me in a while, Slade. Thank you.”
The big man shrugged, looking slightly embarrassed. “Popsicles, aka my apology for the other day, are in the freezer,” he said, standing to shove his hand into the pocket of his drab green pants. When he pulled it out he had a fistful of blow pops that looked like multi-colored candy flowers.
Susan’s heart wiggled in her chest, as she stood to take them, and she stepped forward to give him a hug. “Thanks for caring, Slade.”
“What the hell are you doing, Slade?” Logan grumbled as he walked into the room.
“You scheduled a meeting at nine—it’s after nine,” he replied snarkily, as his big body tensed and he pushed her away. Dex walked into the room followed by Gray.
“You’re late,” Dave grumbled, and Susan groaned.
So much for their truce, she thought, as she sat back in her chair. Dex’s smile faded, and the corners of Gray’s mouth turned down as they took their seats. Susan peeled the paper from one of her blow pops and shoved it into her mouth before she could say anything. Any progress Logan had made last night was gone just that fast.
When Logan looked up his eyes fixed on her mouth and he frowned. “Lose the fucking sucker,” he ordered gruffly, before he flipped open his file. He looked at Dex. “What did you find?”
“Well, first—I found out GenMax is a drug under development at the school—” Dex started but Logan held up a hand.
“Tell me what you found out about the clinic first. Our paying case,” Logan said shooting Susan a hot look.
Susan picked up her phone, and angrily pushed buttons, texting Logan. You’re being an asshole again. Dave’s phone chirped in his pocket. He pulled it out, read her message and his jaw worked as his eyes met hers. She lifted an eyebrow, and he frowned as his eyes dropped to her mouth. Susan saw the purposeful shift in his mood when he looked back at Dex. Mission accomplished she thought smugly, as she laid her phone back on the table to cross her arms.
“You said this was priority, so I made it one,” Dex replied angrily. He glanced at Susan, before dragging his eyes back to Logan. “The GenMax Project’s stated mission is to develop an experimental drug at the Wellington School of Science. The drug is to treat women with endometrial problems.” When the men at the table looked confused, Dex clarified, “Female reproductive problems.” He flipped through the file folder in front of him, and pulled out a document. “I found the contract on the server at the school, and apparently the young women who include themselves in the project participate in a clinical trial to test the drug. They are paid to participate, or their tuition is forgiven in exchange for participating.”
“My sister doesn’t have those kinds of problems,” Susan interjected.
Jenna was healthy as a horse. Susan always made sure she reminded her to have her annuals. But then it seemed Jenna had been keeping things hidden from her, so who knew. If that was the case, in a weird way it made Susan feel better. At least maybe the project she was participating in was to help her not harm her. That could be why she was sick too. Maybe it was a case of getting worse before you get better.
Dex set that paper aside to pull another out of his folder. “This doesn’t make a lot of sense to me either. According to the project contributors list, some of the same players we found on the roster of principals for Ardmore Genetics Group are individual contributors to this project. Mostly, the international players. I’m having a little difficulty getting background information on them because they’re Slavs and Italians. This is a very well-funded project.”
“It would be, it’s an elite private college,” Logan commented.
Gray, who was sitting beside Susan, frowned. “The question I have is why would players who own a clinical group that specializes in providing genetic material to make designer babies want to fund a project trying to cure fertility problems? It seems that would be bad for business.”
“Very good point,” Dave said, and his brows knitted.
“I agree with Dex,” Gray said thoughtfully. “A business is not going to dump that kind of money into a program unless they are getting something in return.”
“Sorry, I’m late, boss,” Mac apologized as he rushed into the room. “Had to drop my son off at school this morning. I have information on the surrogate,” he said as he took the seat at the end of the table. “Francesca Torno is from Oratino, Italy,” he blurted, finally taking a deep breath. Susan couldn’t help but notice how agitated he was, and wonder if he’d had a bad time with his son this weekend, or something. “I found her exit visa from five years ago, and it was only a ninety-day work visa. It showed her employer was Ardmore Genetics Group. The visa has not been renewed, so if she’s still here, she’s not here legally. But the good news is her passport has not been used to leave the country, so, illegal or not, she’s still here. The guard list didn’t give any conclusive answers. I got nothing from researching the security contractor other than they do a lot of work in Jersey protecting a known mobster and his casino, and in Texas with that fertility clinic. That would make them a very close-mouthed group.”
“It definitely would. Close-mouthed or dead,” Dave agreed with a short bark of laughter. “Are you saying that clinic is being protected by mobsters?”
“That’s kind of what it looks like, boss,” Mac said with a twist of his lips.
“This gets better and better. The mob is moving into Texas,” Dave said with a shake of his head. “What I want to know is why? Those Goombas typically only buzz around when there’s something illegal going on.”
“Well they’re definitely buzzing around that clinic,” Mac said with a shrug. “The only way you’re going to find out why is to get inside. And the only way you’re going to get info on what happened to that surrogate is -”
“To get inside,” Dave filled in with a huffed breath. “I get it, Mac. Susan and I are going inside, as soon as we become Mr. and Mrs. David Lawrence.”
Gray slid a paper toward Dave and he took it and looked it over. “I’ve discovered the clinic in Brownsville isn’t the only clinic in the Ardmore Genetics Group. There are several others—two in Mexico, two in Greece, one in Italy and another in Russia. The Group’s main office is located in Rome, they have accounts in all those countries, including the US, but the money is quickly transferred out to the main account in Rome. We’re talking a lot of money…billions. It appears the baby-making business is booming,” Gray said with a shrug, then looked at Dex. “You may want to access their server and see what you get. Maybe the Rome office is where the main personnel records are located.”
A loud gong-type sound echoed through the office. “That has to be Cherry Branch,” Dave said as he grabbed his cell phone, pushed a button, studied it a moment, then pushed more buttons. Without looking at anyone in general, he gathered his papers and stood. “Y’all do more digging. Susan and I have an appointment.”
“Cherry?” Susan repeated, pulling her cherry-flavored sucker out of her mou
th.
“Our image consultant, sweet cheeks,” Dave supplied with a grin. “Dex, I need you to get busy on setting up our cover for Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence today. Put on your track shoes, Mrs. Lawrence. It’s time for us to shop til we drop, and time for you to practice for your role. Remember, Bunny is docile, obedient and submissive.”
Susan choked on spit from the sucker. She pulled it out of her mouth to beat on her chest with her fist. Gasping she looked back at him to ask, “Did you just say Bunny?”
“Oh, yeah. That’s Dave Lawrence’s nickname for his lovely trophy wife.”
***
Susan wasn’t sure who she would throat punch first—Dave Logan or Cherry Blossom Branch. She knew the woman’s middle name, because the former beauty queen introduced herself using not only her full name, but her former national beauty title, Miss American Beauty, when they met her at the compound.
As soon as they got into the Hummer for the trip to the mall, Cherry had latched onto Logan. Susan had been relegated to the back seat for the drive, supposedly so Cherry could speak with Dave about his needs, which must be beauty-queen-speak for blathering and flirting, because that’s what she’d done the whole fucking trip to the mall. By the time they got to the mall, Susan was almost in a sugar coma from the woman’s syrupy sweet drawl and manners. Logan on the other hand had lapped it all up like honey, like Susan was sure he’d love to lap up the beauty queen too. They even walked arm in arm to the mall entrance, leaving Susan to trail behind them like a third wheel on a date.
Cherry Blossom Branch was probably Logan’s normal type of woman. A petite, beautiful airhead who dressed nice, looked pretty, and agreed with everything he said. Well, for two hours now, Logan had what amounted to filet mignon for his ego. The small blonde hung onto his every word, laughed at things he said that definitely weren’t funny, and stuck to his side like she was wallpapered there. All Susan had been doing was trying on frilly, tight, totally inappropriate clothes selected for her by the beauty queen.
Cherry could have him, Susan thought grumpily, as she snatched the clothes a disembodied hand shoved through the dressing room curtain. They could have each other, because Susan sure didn’t want a man like that. That stupid airhead needed someone to direct her, tell her what she needed to think, do and feel. Susan would never let a man treat her that way. She had a brain and could make her own decisions.
Then why the hell was she here letting the airhead tell her what she should wear? Because the one thing Susan did need direction on was being a woman. The beauty queen had that down in spades, and Susan didn’t like it, but she needed her help.
Sorting through the clothes, she tossed aside shirts with ruffles and bows, which seemed to be what Cherry chose for her, then flung a pair of knit pants that would cling like plastic wrap to her body on top of them. She looked at the length on the remaining slacks, and huffed out a frustrated breath. This woman was evidently shopping for herself, not Susan. Susan parted the curtain. “I told you I need extra length, Cherry,” she growled, sticking the hanger through the curtain. “Not fucking petite.”
Cherry gasped, her china-blue eyes filled, and Logan frowned. He patted her shoulder then stalked to the dressing room to take the pants from Susan. “Lose the attitude, Bunny,” he grated, his eyes angry.
“If she’d stop flirting with you long enough to pay attention, I wouldn’t have one. I’ve told her ten times now that I don’t wear petite. I’m tall, so I need extra length. If she doesn’t get her ass in gear we’ll be here until closing time.”
Or until I kill you both and leave your bodies in this dressing room.
A strange look came over Logan’s face, part anger, part amazement, then his eyebrows lifted and he laughed. “What the hell do you know…the Barracuda is jealous.”
“I’m not jealous,” Susan grated through her teeth. “What I am is fed up with her not focusing on our purpose here. I don’t have time for this crap. I need some clothes that fit me, and,” she pointed toward Cherry, and her voice got louder. “For some reason, you’re paying that woman to pick them out for me.” She looked back into Logan’s angry face, and lowered her voice to hiss, “If you want to hire her for other services when we’re done here, it’s no skin off of my nose!”
Dave growled as he shoved Susan back through the curtain and she stumbled into the wall. He crowded her, and glaring down, he spat, “I’m paying you to be my docile, submissive wife and so far, you’re not doing a good job of that either. You will be nice to her and cooperate, or I will hire her for other services—your role in this mission!”
Emotion shot up to clog Susan’s throat. She swallowed it down, but her eyes still burned and that pissed her off. “Hire her then,” she challenged, grabbing his wrist to thumb the pressure point there. His hand sprang open, and Susan stepped to the side. “But she’s not real bright, Logan. When she says something stupid and outs you, you’ll wish you had me there to cover your ass. I’ll laugh when I read your obit, or maybe the gangsters will bury you so deep I’ll never hear about it. Either way is fine with me.”
Dave stepped toward her and Susan backed into the wall again. She didn’t have much choice the room was so small. She couldn’t go out, because she was standing there in her bra. “Why in the hell do you have to be so hard all the time? Why can’t you soften up—just this much?” he asked holding his thumb and forefinger millimeters apart.
“Because soft women get taken advantage of,” Susan replied. “They don’t get the respect they deserve, and this is a prime example of that.”
Logan brought his fingers nearer to her nose. “Susan, if you give me this much, we can make this work. I don’t want you to be like Cherry Branch. That kind of woman doesn’t do it for me, personally or professionally. But for this job, that’s exactly what I need you to be. It’s going to take some very good acting skills and a helluva lot of control for you to pull it off. Honestly, I don’t know if you have it in you. You’re too much of a loose cannon agent.”
Loose cannon? Her anger inched up. Not pull it off? That anger doubled, then shot to the top of her head. Was that a challenge? “Let’s take bets and see—” Susan started, but stopped when Dave put a finger over her mouth.
“That’s the first thing you need to do. Learn to keep your mouth shut and listen. Don’t go off every time someone pisses in your Cornflakes.”
She nodded, and Logan leaned in close to her mouth. “Now be a good wife and kiss me, so we can finish shopping.” He brushed his mouth over hers, and Susan was surprised to feel her anger leave as he pulled back. What replaced it was determination, when she saw his placating smile as he backed through the curtain and pulled it together.
Susan yanked a spandex mini-dress from the hanger, and somehow managed to get into it. She shimmied out of her yoga pants, and smoothed the dress over her hips, then stepped into the sky-high red stiletto heels that Cherry had picked out to go with the dress.
If Dave Logan wanted Cherry Blossom on this mission, that’s exactly who he was gonna get, Sugah. Cherry Blossom Whitmore. She was going to be so sweet, by the time the mission was over, Logan was going to have a toothache. And an ache elsewhere too, she thought, tugging the dress a little lower to expose more cleavage. Head held high, Susan flicked open the curtain and stepped out. Cherry squealed and clapped her hands, while Logan looked like he’d just been hit by a grenade.
Susan batted her eyes, and twirled the end of her hair. “How do I look, sweetheart?” she asked coyly. With a mock frown, she walked over to Logan and put her hand on his forearm. “Why, David, I do declare, you look positively poleaxed, darlin’. Aren’t you feeling well?” Her gaze slid to Cherry who was still smiling. “I think we’ll take this dress, don’t you, Cherry? Let’s go find more just like it, and hurry up, because my pookie bear isn’t feeling well.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Dave was in hell, and the devil wore red high heels with a black pinstriped suit today. He only thought those yoga pants on Susan Whitmore
were inflammatory to his libido. The spandex dress she tried on at the mall didn’t even come anywhere close to his body’s reaction to seeing her in the black pinstriped suit she’d worn to her interviews today. The black lace edge of her pushup bra, obviously the only thing she had on underneath the suit, had sent him to the moon and back in six point two seconds. He was surprised he hadn’t gone up in flames when she gave him that sizzling smile and girly little finger wave over her shoulder as she left.
And the sad thing was he’d paid for the pleasure of being tortured and left hard up from seeing her in those clothes for nearly a week. Yesterday’s red suit with the little flounce in the back that accentuated her perfect, tight little ass so well it made his blood boil. Today, he almost melted under his desk when she came into his office at the compound to tell him she was leaving for her interviews, then leaned over his desk just so to see what he was working on. What he was working on was keeping his sanity, because Susan Whitmore seemed to be determined to drive him bat shit crazy.
Unlike the yoga pants, Dave could hardly complain about what she was wearing now. He had helped pick out the outfits, so there was nothing he could say to her. But they hadn’t looked on her then how they looked now. The makeover she had at the salon on Tuesday, which he didn’t attend, totally changed things. Her shoulder length hair was almost white blonde now, swingy and shiny like polished gold. The peach-colored lip gloss she wore made her mouth seem full and swollen, the main focus on her face. His main focus anyway, as memories of her mouth looking just like that after she sucked his cock flooded his mind.
And there was a new confidence about her in those sexy high heels she wore with everything. A new womanly confidence in general. He didn’t know if Cherry had given her a personality overhaul too, maybe pointers on seduction, but whatever happened Dave realized now he was in big trouble this coming weekend when they went to that clinic. He needed to focus, and he had no idea how he was going to do that with her near him.