Carley gripped the edge of the counter for support. “He was the only link to my sister, the only way to find out who is behind all of this.”
Hunt reached out for her, ran one hand down her arm. “We’ll still get the truth, Carley. It’ll just take us a bit longer. Wait here. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He leaned in and kissed her once, twice then strode out of the kitchen to the front door.
Closing her eyes, Carley tried to focus on breathing, but it didn’t work. She couldn’t just stand here and wait for Hunt to return. Franklin’s death told her whoever was behind the kidnappings was cleaning up, and cleaning up always meant making a run for it.
If Franklin wasn’t Dani’s killer then the real one could get away. Carley wasn’t sure she could bear that, and she didn’t want to spend the rest of her life searching for a ghost.
“The mission is complete,” JT announced as he approached Rena inside the warehouse.
Rena smiled and strolled toward him, wickedly sharp stiletto heels clicking out a tinny rhythm across the concrete floor. “Excellent. I’m assuming there were no unforeseen obstacles.”
“No, ma’am. No hitches.”
Suddenly the day seemed a little brighter. “When I didn’t hear from you yesterday evening, I was concerned.” The reprimand evident in her voice, she tipped her head back to see the man’s stony face.
“My apologies. I was detained.” The obvious hesitation in his voice erased Rena’s sunny disposition.
“I’d like an explanation.” She released his hands and stepped back. “Please.” Though the word indicated cordiality, Rena preferred to use it as a subtle reminder of her position.
JT’s granite jaw flushed but he squared his shoulders before responding. “When I left home last night, my wife followed me.”
Her eyes narrowed. “All the way to Franklin’s house?”
“No. She said she lost me, that she only followed me because she believes I’m cheating on her. She called me several times before I completed my mission but I didn’t respond to her until I returned to the car. That’s why I was unable to call you. I thought it best not to arouse her suspicions any further by attempting even a discreet phone call.”
Rena considered the excuse. It sounded plausible enough but she’d never been one to take anything at face value and, really, this situation couldn’t have worked out better if she’d planned it herself. “How can you be sure your wife didn’t see you kill Franklin?”
JT’s brows lowered. “Because she said she lost me, and I have no reason to disbelieve her.”
“Well I’m certain you’ll understand if I’m not that trusting.”
“I would have known if anyone was watching me.” The protest came off a bit more defensive than Rena liked. In fact, she didn’t like any amount of defensiveness in her employees. Even worse, she hated sloppiness, and JT allowing his wife to follow him smacked of sloppiness.
Making sure there were no loose ends was already proving to be more difficult than she liked. She hated getting blood on her hands, figuratively and literally. But Franklin’s death would only cause the investigation to gain more traction, and since she had no intention of being anywhere near the fallout, she had no choice but to follow through with her original plan to eliminate all witnesses.
“Bring your wife to me.”
JT’s head snapped up. “Excuse me?”
She checked the gold watch on her left wrist. “I’ll expect her within the hour.” As she began to walk away she paused and looked over her shoulder to add, “And though I believe you wouldn’t be so stupid as to even consider disobeying me, JT, you will be followed to and from your house. One wrong move and you and your wife will become the next assignment.”
JT’s retreating footsteps brought a heavy sigh from her. She didn’t want to have to kill him but if there was one lesson she’d learned and learned well, it was to never leave any crumbs behind. No ties back to her. The mandate had served her well, and she wasn’t about to break the rule now. JT and his wife would be the next targets. Slipping her hands into sleek leather gloves, she adjusted the fit over her fingers and stared down at her palms. She despised taking anyone’s life. It was just so…barbaric, but she couldn’t risk handing this task to yet another employee.
She was so tired of cleaning up messes other had left behind. And Franklin had definitely created a mess with the Rivers girl. Rena had taken one look at the bitch and realized things were going to get difficult, but she wasn’t about to walk away from over a million dollars. That had been the latest offer for Dani, and Rena had accepted with less aplomb than she liked.
Ordinarily she played it cool, negotiating with her clients until they were both satisfied with the deal. This time she’d simply been too eager to get the girl out of here.
She checked her watch again before hurrying to the small side room she utilized as an office in the abandoned warehouse. If JT followed her orders with precision, he’d be back here just in time.
And she could tie up this final loose end before leaving the coastal city behind.
Hunt looked down at the back of Franklin’s prone body, trying to decide if he was relieved or worried. With Franklin out of the way, his undercover assignment would end, and so would his partnership with Dave.
The plus side of things meant he could work openly as an FBI agent with the full force of the agency behind him. Franklin had been their only link to the trafficking ring but there was always more than one way into a criminal’s house. It just might take them a little longer to find the entrance.
“Hey, when did you get here?” Dave slurped a paper cup filled with coffee and winced. “IA’s already outside, crawling over everyone’s ass. Think this might be an inside job?”
Hunt squatted next to the body to get a better look at the entry wound. “A lot of people might not have liked him but I doubt anyone hated him enough to kill him. Clean shot. Looks professional.”
“Thought the same thing myself. No shell casings but I’m guessing a 9 mm.”
“I’m in charge here.” The bellow bounced off the walls as a large man wearing an expensive gray suit and Italian loafers shoved his way toward the center of the room.
“Great. Captain Apain. Affectionately known as A Pain in the Ass,” Dave muttered.
Standing, Hunt turned to watch the man buffalo his way past the crime scene techs and uniformed officers. He came to a puffing stop in front of Hunt and glared at him.
“I’m Captain Apain, and I’ll be taking over this investigation. Both of you step away from the body.” His face flushed and red, the ranking officer squared his shoulders and thrust out his chest. A good head shorter than most men in the room, he had to use what he possessed to gain attention, but neither the badge nor the bulk impressed Hunt.
He considered his options. Technically he should report in before breaking cover, but this might be one rule he’d have to break. With Franklin dead things were getting trickier. Whoever was behind the kidnappings was obviously cleaning house.
Of course, his boss would have his ass for breakfast, but he hadn’t met this captain. Hell, even his boss might forgive him for this one. Until he knew just how many cops were involved, if there were any more, he wouldn’t risk letting someone else take the reins. Leaving this murder in the hands of the local police would be akin to handing over the evidence to his killer.
Dave had already taken a step back and called Hunt’s name in a quick staccato burst.
Shit. Dave. Hunt didn’t even want to think about how pissed his partner was going to be when he learned the truth. If there was one thing he hated the most about being undercover, it was the lies. Especially those that affected innocent people.
“Detective, are you hard of hearing?” Captain Apain closed the gap between them, using his considerable weight for intimidation, but Hunt didn’t like to be intimidated. He liked this guy even less than his tactics.
“My hearing’s perfect. I’m just trying to make a decision here.”
“Hunt, for the love of God, get over here.” Dave waved his hand in a frantic motion then made a silent chopping motion across his neck.
“There’s no decision to make, Detective. I’m in charge of this investigation and you,” Apain stabbed Hunt in his chest with a blunt-tipped finger, “will clear out of here before I start getting testy.” He spun to spear Dave with an equally nasty look. “Don’t just stand there with your head up your ass. Get the hell out.”
Hunt looked down at the finger still touching his shirt then back up to the captain’s face. What the hell. It wasn’t like he’d never pissed his superiors off before.
With patience he didn’t feel, he grabbed hold of the captain’s finger and slowly moved it away from the front of his shirt. “Actually, you’re wrong on two counts. I’m not a detective, and you’re not in charge of this investigation.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation logo on the computer screen brought a grim smile to Carley’s face. Hacking into the government mainframe hadn’t been the easiest of jobs. Usually she had her team to rely on but she hadn’t wanted to involve them, not this time. Now, as her fingers flew across the keys, she’d have to move fast. It was only a matter of seconds before her intrusion was detected and a back-trace begun.
“Dad used to make this look a hell of a lot easier,” she muttered, scooting forward on the edge of the upholstered dinette chair. “Now, what exactly is it that you know and haven’t told me, Hunt?”
A knock on the door brought her up out of the chair. Damn! She considered ignoring the unwelcome intrusion until Hunt called her name. Trying not to panic, she disconnected from the website and slammed the laptop shut.
Taking a deep breath for control, she crossed the floor to the door and managed to look appropriately worried when she opened it. “What’s going on? I was starting to wonder if you were coming back today.”
“I almost didn’t. I shouldn’t be here now.” He rubbed a hand over his unshaven jaw and stepped around her. “But I already broke cover so I thought what the hell, why not go all out and let the FBI catch me communicating with a felon?”
Carley’s hackles rose. “I’m not a felon, Hunt. I’ve never served time at all, but then, you know that already so what’s with the attitude?”
He checked his watch. “By my calculations I’ve got about an hour before the deputy director gets wind of my lapse in protocol. Then, if I’m lucky, I’ll be on the next flight to Virginia. If I’m unlucky he’ll be the one doing the flying.”
Her anger fading, she followed him to the sofa. “So Virginia. That’s where you live?” Why did the thought of his living in Virginia bother her? It wasn’t like South Carolina was her home. To her, home was wherever she could make the biggest score.
Hunt shot her a look heavily interspersed with annoyance. “After everything I’ve just told you, that’s what you’re going to ask me about? Where I live?” He gave a short laugh. “You want to know what’s really funny? I convinced myself on the drive over here that I was only coming because you deserved to know what had happened to the man responsible for your sister’s death. Yeah. That’s the lie I kept repeating in my head.”
“So why did you really come then?” She released her breath on a hiss. He stood just close enough for her to breathe in his aftershave. The tantalizing scent enveloped her, masculine and spicy. Just like the man.
“Damn if I know.”
Liar. She didn’t call him on it. It wasn’t just a cop’s instincts that brought him here. It was a man’s. He was angry, frustrated, looking for release, something to ease the tension building inside him
“It must be difficult for you, being the type of man that you are. Strong alpha men always hate to admit any weakness.” The moment she took the stab she regretted it.
Hunt had done nothing to deserve her anger but with the loss of her sister she was scrambling for some sense of sanity. It was rare for her to feel so on edge. Anger pushed her back, gave her the push she needed to break out of the fog of grief, even if only for a little while.
Hunt blinked at her for a long moment, shifted his stance and stuck his hands into the pockets of his pants. “What do you mean?”
“What do I mean?” She eliminated the gap between them, snagging a handful of his shirt, which was warm from the heat of his skin. “You know what I mean. You’re here because even in the thick of this you can’t stop thinking about me and it’s driving you crazy.” Just as she couldn’t stop thinking about him.
How she could be thinking about sex at a time like this she didn’t know…or maybe she did. She needed a distraction, something to direct her mind away from the rapid reel of memories that had been playing her head since Hunt had left.
His gaze dropped to her hand before flicking back up to her face. “You sound very sure of yourself.”
She eased in even closer, wedging her thigh between his legs. His thickness was a much better reply than his hedge. “So tell me I shouldn’t be.” She almost prayed he’d take the offer, give in to the same desperate need to feel anything besides grief.
“It’s not a good idea to…” He stopped, cleared his throat and tried again. “We shouldn’t…” He pulled his hands out of his pockets, rested his hands on her shoulders. “You’re not thinking clearly, Carley. This wouldn’t be right.”
“What are you trying to tell me?” She relaxed her hand and slid it up alongside his neck. The heat of his skin burned her palm, making her want to sink into him. “That I’m wrong?” Taking the initiative, she stood on tiptoe and lightly nibbled at his lower lip. “Or maybe you’re just saying you’re not interested. Is that it?”
He groaned low in his throat and bumped his forehead to hers. “I—”
One finger touched his lips. “Because I have to admit, I never thought I could want a man as much. No, not want. Need.”
His hands settled on her hips. “This isn’t a good idea. Even if you’re sure, I can’t lose focus. My boss could call any second and—”
Why was he fighting this? She saw the desire in his eyes, read the hunger on his face. And yet, he wanted to push her away. She couldn’t let him, not now, not when he was so close, and she could finally breathe without her lungs aching. “Don’t. Don’t push me away. Not now. I need this, Hunt. I need you.” She molded her body to his, melted into his heat. “But if you really want to stop, all you have to do is tell me.” Her tongue lightly traced the corners of his mouth.
He swallowed audibly. “Yeah, I know.” His fingers dug into the flesh beneath her jeans.
“So do you really want to try to convince me we shouldn’t do this?” The thickness of his hair teased her fingers. She needed to feel something besides the grief, and being with Hunt, losing herself in the rush—she couldn’t think of a better distraction.
Pushing common sense to the back of his mind, he surrendered to the call of her body. She was like a siren, luring her innocent victim into her web, and he was drawn to her song.
Damn if he couldn’t get used to her. Grasping her chin with his thumb and two fingers, he stared into her eyes before his gaze flicked to her lips. “No, I don’t.”
Her lips were soft and sweet, moist and supple beneath his. Her slight gasp opened her mouth enough for his tongue to slip inside. An explosion ripped through his body, creating a fiery pit in the center of his stomach as desire collided with wanton need.
He had to have her now. And not just her body. He wanted all of her. Everywhere he touched her, he wanted to leave a mark, claim her as his own. She had to be feeling it too…this connection they’d shared since the moment she’d broken into his house.
Lifting her, he looked down the hallway and decided against it. The bed was too far away so he lowered her into an overstuffed chair, feverishly yanking the clothes from her body.
She panted as her hands tore at his shirt, pushing it from his shoulders and down his arms. The urgency of her moves spurred him on and he removed the final barriers between their bodies with frantic
rips of material.
They came together like two racecars on a collision course. Charged. Frantic. Connected. Their fingers united, they held on until the world that had fallen away righted itself and they could breathe again.
Purring low in her throat, Carley ran her hands up and down his arms. “How about we continue this in the bedroom?”
For once in his life he forgot about his job, duty and the drive to bring down a criminal. His focus centered on the voluptuous redhead with swollen lips and warm, supple body.
His boss would just have to wait.
He’d gotten so close to her and yet she knew he wanted to pull away. His career meant so much to him, so much that he couldn’t allow himself to even contemplate a future with her.
Carley almost laughed aloud. What in the hell was she doing thinking about a future…with an FBI agent no less? No, it was impossible. He wouldn’t walk away from his duty and he could never forget her past.
Her past. The words sounded unnatural. She lowered her head to Hunt’s chest, listening to the steady thump-thump of his heart. That was a sound she could get used to, but walking away from her entire life wouldn’t be easy.
She’d promised herself she’d do it for Dani but, if she didn’t have her sister, didn’t have anyone, what was the point of leaving behind the only life she knew? Her fingertips danced across Hunt’s chin and his answering smile swept away her doubts…at least for the moment.
Maybe she could think about the future later. She didn’t have to decide anything today.
“Just close your eyes,” Hunt whispered, the deep timbre of his voice offering further reassurance. “You need to sleep.”
“I need you.” The words slipped out before she could stop them and she held her breath, certain she wasn’t going to want to hear his response, but he surprised her with his quiet reply.
“I’m here.” He kissed the top of her head. “Now sleep.” His hand came up and cupped the back of her head, cradling her like she was a small child.
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