by Sue Brown
Copyright 2016 by Sue Brown
Smashwords Edition
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Epilogue
About the Author
Also Available
Chapter 1
Monday 21st November
The message popped up as soon as Josh Cooper logged on.
“Morning Angel.”
Josh blew the message a kiss and typed a greeting in return.
“Morning Charlie. Need coffee.”
Any further communication would have to wait until Josh found caffeine. After two years Charlie knew Josh wasn’t in the mood to talk until his blood stream was eighty per cent caffeine.
Of course, Josh wasn’t really Angel and Charlie was… whoever he was… but if they wanted to greet each other like relics from a seventies TV show then it was no one’s business but their own. Their relationship—if IM could be called a relationship—had started two weeks after Josh began at CDR, when CDR053 had messaged Josh by mistake. When he wouldn’t give his name, Josh had dubbed the mysterious stranger Charlie. The minute Charlie had called Josh his angel; Josh knew Charlie was sent by his goddess, Farrah Fawcett, to brighten his existence. But he didn’t hear from Charlie every day. Sometimes weeks would go by without a word but, when he’d log on and receive a “Morning Angel”, Josh would send up a thanks to Farrah for making his day golden.
Josh blew one more kiss at the computer even though Charlie couldn’t see it, and wandered off to find live-saving coffee. It was just after nine in the morning and he was about to drink cup number four, which would elevate him from zombie to almost human. He was unashamedly addicted and if he encountered one of those ‘green tea plucked from the Himalayas only on a full moon in a month beginning with Z’ types he wouldn’t apologize for what came out of his mouth. He liked his coffee black and strong, just like his… dog. Josh didn’t have a dog either.
Whenever he said that people would smirk at him and he’d smirk back. He didn’t care what they thought he was going to say. Josh didn’t give a fuck if his men were black, white, built or tiny. When a guy tried it on, Josh stabbed a finger in his chest. “If you think picking me up and banging me against a wall is a sign of a real man you can think again. ‘Sides, I can probably put you on the floor before you lay on finger on me.” And then he would demonstrate. Josh was a show-not-tell man, and the guys who picked themselves up and ran away weren’t worth his time of day. Enough of them dusted off their butt and stayed to make the demonstration worthwhile.
Josh filled his mug with fresh brewed coffee, took a huge swallow, topped off the mug again and returned to his desk at a leisurely pace, waving to the receptionist as he rounded the corner. She blew him a crimson lip-sticked kiss and he caught it, slapped it to his ass and grinned as she giggled. He sat at his desk, pleased to see the cursor still flashing, and typed a quick “Back again.”
“Been caught by Dominic yet?”
“Not yet.” Josh had slid past the operations manager’s office in the hope of being undetected. He couldn’t cope with Dominic Cook prior to being caffeinated. Charlie found Josh’s fractious relationship with Dominic endlessly amusing. Josh had another word—many words— for their working relationship. Amusing wasn’t one of them.
“Did you hide from him?”
Josh pulled a face at the screen. Charlie knew him far too well. “It’s too early to deal with him.”
“Coward.”
“Sensible.”
It was all right for Charlie to fling random accusations around when he didn’t work for Dominic. Josh wasn’t entirely sure what Charlie did for CDR and Charlie was annoyingly closed-mouthed.
CDR, named after its founder, Callum David Ross, provided security for anyone who needed it; whether they were celebrities, big companies, or wealthy individuals who could afford CDR’s resources.
Two years ago, Josh had been head-hunted from his former company after he saved one of CDR’s high profile clients from an assassination attempt. Josh always maintained he was just in the wrong place at the right time but, after a cutting interview with Dominic which felt like he’d had the close hairs shaved off his balls; Josh was employed as part of a field team dealing with low profile but high risk clients. The rest of his team were currently two floors up in the gym beating the living shit out of each other. They were the muscle; Josh was the brains. At least in theory. Josh didn’t want to test it out. He had a feeling both men were more than capable of beating him in both brains and brawn.
Charlie left a new message. “You’ve got a new assignment.”
Josh frowned at the screen. “How do you know that?”
“You know I’m not going to tell you my sources.”
“Fuck. I’ve just got back from the last one. Mr. Truffles is gonna be pissed.”
Josh had recently been adopted by a chocolate brown cat who’d moved in one day and showed no signs of leaving. So far his neighbor had seen more of Mr. Truffles than he had.
“You know Eileen will love to have him again.”
“That’s what I’m worried about, Charlie. I swear one day she won’t give him back.”
“Angel.”
“Yes?”
“Be careful.”
Josh didn’t think Charlie was talking about the potential loss of a cat. He huffed and stabbed at his keyboard. “I’m always careful. You know that.” He’d built his reputation on protecting his clients and his team.
“I know, Angel. But this isn’t like your usual assignments.”
Josh could almost hear Charlie trying to sooth him but he was still feeling huffy. “I’ll do my job. You know. What I’m paid for.”
“I know you will. Just watch your back. Sorry, Angel. I’ve got to go.”
Josh stared at the screen for a long moment. He’d always suspected Charlie was high up in CDR’s ranks, but for Charlie to know about the assignments before he did only confirmed Josh’s suspicions.
“Cooper!”
Josh looked up to see his flame-haired operations manager waving from conference room one. “You yelled, oh great one?”
“Cut the crap,” Dominic growled. “It’s too early.”
“Yes, sir!” Josh saluted him smartly.
Dominic growled again. “Get the boys down here now!”
Josh sent a text to both members of his team and then sat back in his chair to finish his coffee. There was no point in rushing. They would take six minutes and forty-five seconds to shower and arrive from two floors up. In the meantime, he wondered whatever the hell was so serious that it had stuck a bug up Dominic’s butt and worried Charlie. He pulled out his notebook and logged this crisis under number 5440. Josh definitely had OCD tendencies, although not many people noticed until they discovered he never forgot
anything, invariably to their cost.
After six minutes Josh headed into the conference room, a full mug of coffee in his hand. Dominic was staring pensively out of the rain-lashed window. He didn’t turn around as Josh entered so Josh took his usual seat and waited for Dominic to acknowledge him. Forty-five seconds later when the rest of the team arrived, Dominic was still staring out of the window.
Landry and Gil Grover, the so-called muscle of his team, took the seats flanking Josh. Twins, six-foot-four, dark skin and dark eyes, they were basically sex on legs. Josh had entertained more than one fantasy about being the filling in that particularly muscled sandwich. Unfortunately, they were both straight, laughed hysterically at the idea of being in the same bed and rejected the offer of Josh’s dick on numerous occasions. He kept trying though, for form’s sake. At least now they rejected him without threatening to rearrange his face. Josh didn’t take it personally. He was born to flirt. Sometimes he got lucky.
Gil raised an eyebrow at Dominic’s preoccupation and Josh shrugged in response. Aside from Charlie’s comment he knew no more than they did. Eventually, Dominic dragged himself away from the window to sit down at the table.
Josh leant back and stuck his feet up on the polished surface, crossing them at the ankles. Landry automatically knocked them down before Dominic exploded. Josh thought about doing it again but decided against it. He gazed around the table, flitting from one face to the other. Josh was sure none of the three men were Charlie. Landry and Gil had girlfriends. Landry’s girl was half his height and twice as scary and Gil liked to date stunning models. Dominic had a wife—supposedly. No one at CDR had ever seen her. He kept his personal life well away from the office.
“If you’re ready to do your job, Mr. Cooper?” Dominic snapped.
Josh slurped his coffee loudly and gave him a condescending wave. “Please, go ahead.”
His red brows almost knitting in the ferocity of his scowl, Dominic tapped at the iPad on the table. The screen on one wall sprang into life showing the round face of a man, his hair thinning on top and grey around the edges, but handsome enough, with a slightly crooked smile and teeth to match.
“Who is he?” Landry asked. Six minutes older and half an inch taller than his twin he was shy in a public situation but was always the one with the questions. It was easy to underestimate Landry. Josh didn’t make that mistake.
“Jonathan Michaels, thirty-eight,” Dominic said. “An entrepreneur who’s now a hedge fund investor in London. He’s gone missing.”
Gil tapped the table. “So why do we need to know about a missing Brit?”
Josh was equally confused. CDR focused on bodyguard work for celebrities and politicians. The agency never touched missing persons’ cases.
“Because he’s a friend of a friend,” Dominic replied. “We’ve been instructed to find him before Scotland Yard’s Serious Fraud Office does. You’re booked on a flight to London this evening. Details of which, along with the hotel information, have been forwarded to your emails.”
“We don’t do cases for friends,” Landry said in a flat tone. “Company policy.”
Dominic inclined his head. “Normally yes, but not this time. He’s insisted.”
He was the boss. Josh had never met Callum David Ross but he wasn’t in any hurry to rectify that situation. From office gossip CDR could snap people in half if they crossed him, pull out their intestines and fry them up for dinner. The stories may have been exaggerated but Josh had never met the guy. What did he know?
“When did he disappear?” Josh asked.
“Three weeks ago. October 30th,” Dominic said. “He left the office at 7.00 p.m. and never arrived home. The journey from his office to his house in Chelsea takes thirty minutes.”
“And we’re only just getting involved?” Josh knew in K&R three weeks was a lifetime.
“The local law enforcement, the Metropolitan Police, thought he was a jumper as his car was found by the Thames. His body’s not been found, although that’s not unusual. Sometimes they get stuck in the mud but the bodies usually turn up downstream after a few days. If he didn’t jump and he’s still alive, no ransom demand has been made.”
So no kidnap and ransom. “Why us?”
“Because money has gone missing,” Dominic said. “A lot of money, from his clients’ accounts.”
“And Michaels is the prime suspect?” Landry asked.
“That’s the general belief, yes.” Dominic’s frown intensified. He seemed personally pissed off about this case.
Landry leaned back in his seat and slurped his coffee, ignoring Dominic’s glare. “This sounds more like a job for the insurance company than us. An executive skipped off with the cash. Why isn’t their white collar division dealing with it?”
“What are you not telling us?” Gil demanded.
Dominic took a long time to answer but finally he said, “Jonathan Michaels is a partner in this agency. If he isn’t found this agency is at risk.”
Josh snapped his fingers. He knew that name sounded familiar. Before Josh had interviewed for his post, he’d found out all he could about CDR. Jonathan Michaels was the silent partner of CDR. An old college buddy of Callum David Ross and an extremely successful businessman, Jonathan had lent him the money to start the business eight years ago. Now he was in trouble and therefore, potentially, so was the agency. Josh tried not to process the thought that his job was at risk. He loved working at CDR. “Where do we start?”
“I’ve sent you everything we already know about Michaels,” Dominic said. “I’m going to follow the trail this end. There’s no record of him leaving the UK but that don’t mean jack. You coordinate the London operation and report back to me. Darryl and I will stay here and focus on his financials and his movements. Nothing else matters until we find Michaels, dead or alive.”
Josh waited for Dominic to say something else but the operations manager stood and scowled at them all. “Why are you still sitting here? You’ve got a plane to catch.”
Gil looked at Josh. “Meet at your desk in ten?”
“Yeah.” Josh finished his coffee and headed for a refill. He had a ton of phone calls to make before they left. Not the least of which was roping in his neighbor to look after his cat while he was away.
London in November. Christ, why couldn’t Michaels live somewhere hot?
Chapter 2
Monday 21st November
One advantage of working for CDR was the chance to fly Business class, which saved Josh having to listen to Landry and Gil moan about the leg room. Today there was a cute little flight attendant with a bubble butt who eyed Josh up and down as he boarded the plane.
Josh returned his gaze with a grin and sashayed to his seat, knowing the steward’s eyes were glued to his ass the whole way.
Across the aisle Gil gave Josh a flat stare as he settled for the flight. “Already? We’re not even off the ground yet.”
Josh sniffed and settled into his seat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Just ignore him,” Landry said. “He got dumped this afternoon. She wasn’t happy about him going away again”
Josh frowned, leaning over to pat Gil’s knee. “Poor boy.”
“Fuck off,” Gil growled, then he grinned at Josh and muttered his thanks.
“How did Lisa take it?” Josh asked Landry, who grimaced and shook his head.
“You really don’t want to know.”
Josh nodded. Lisa was pissed.
Once in the air, Josh accepted a sparkling water from the perky flight attendant, who wiggled his butt as he moved away from Josh. Gil bit back a curse. Josh slurped his water and gave him the finger.
“You never stop, do you?” Gil muttered.
“I won’t stop until they put me in a box.” At Gil’s scowl Josh winked at him.
“Leave Josh alone,” Landry said. “At least he’s not like Dominic.”
“Fuck me, I hope not.” Josh was horrified at the thought. “You have my perm
ission to shoot me if I turn into Dominic.”
Ignoring the derisive snorts of his traveling companions Josh changed into slippers, reclined his seat and slipped his eye-mask over his baby browns. It was a long flight. He needed to sleep if he was going to deal with the Brits. Perky would have to wait for his entertainment. Josh yawned and let the muted sounds of too many people trapped in a tin can thirty-six thousand feet in the air lull him to sleep.
Josh woke to someone shaking his shoulder. He grumbled his annoyance as he removed the eye-mask, only to see Perky smiling hopefully at him as he nodded toward the bathroom. Josh thought about it—for five seconds. What the hell? Endorphins always worked for him.
Inside the bathroom Perky pulled him closer and ground his mouth against Josh’s, exploring Josh’s tonsils with his tongue. Damn, he was a pushy bitch. Josh hauled Perky closer and he rubbed blatantly against Josh, shoving his groin in an insistent fuck-me-now motion. Josh got with the program and manhandled him around to face the mirror. Perky shoved his pants down and stuck his butt out.
Josh looked at Perky’s fuzzy butt, ready and Josh was pretty sure lubed, and waiting for him, and hesitated.
Perky glanced at Josh’s reflection in the mirror. “Come on. I can’t be in here for long.”
Josh looked again at that inviting hole, sighed and patted one ass cheek. “I can’t. I’m sorry.”
“You married? Attached? Is it the dudes out there, cos I wouldn’t mind a daisy chain if we could find somewhere bigger?” Perky hauled up his trousers. He didn’t seem angry, more resigned.
“No. Long story. Just waiting for the right guy to notice me.” Josh leaned forward and kissed Perky on the cheek.
“You can have fun in the meantime. You don’t want to get blue balls.” Perky looked into the mirror to straighten himself out. “You know where I am if you change your mind in the next hour.”
“I know and thank you.”
Perky smirked at Josh. “Gotta go.” Then he eased himself out the door.
Josh waited a minute and then he followed, relieved most of the passengers were still asleep and oblivious to two men leaving the bathroom. He settled back in his seat.