by Tiffany Snow
“How do I look?” I asked the two men. The cut of Devon’s coat was such that the deep V went nearly to my waist, exposing the lacy bra. “Do I look like a prostitute?”
“Now that’s a question I wouldn’t dream of actually answering,” Devon replied. His levity made me smile and eased my nerves.
Reggie’s eyes zeroed in on my cleavage, then dropped to my legs. I saw his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed.
“Your eyes look about to fall out of your head, mate,” Devon teased him.
“You look amazing,” Reggie blurted to me. Impulsively, I leaned down and gave him a hug. He turned beet red. “So what’s my job?” he asked Devon, after clearing his throat slightly.
“You keep track of the transmitter and make sure it’s working when we plant it,” Devon said. “You’ll be in the car.”
Devon handed me the transmitter, which I slid into the inside pocket of the jacket I wore. “Plant this in a similar location,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be somewhere permanent, just on his person for a few hours.”
“Understood.”
“You have everything you need?” Devon asked Reggie, who nodded, slipping his laptop into his backpack.
“Ready.”
Devon had a car waiting when we went downstairs and I assumed the hotel had arranged for it. He got behind the wheel and I slid into the passenger seat. Reggie got in back.
Club Elegance wasn’t far from our hotel and we were pulling up sooner than I was prepared for, but I didn’t let it show. Devon’s words were echoing inside my head, but I was determined to not let him down.
Reggie replaced Devon behind the wheel after we got out about a block from the club.
“Stay close,” Devon said to him before stepping away. He slid his arm around my waist and I clung to him the way I imagined a woman who knew he was her paycheck would . . . and that the amount of that paycheck depended on how well she pleased him.
Devon gave his fake name at the door and we were shown upstairs. It was a dark place, light filtering through the dim rooms and hallways from golden sconces on the walls. Upstairs was a big room with a stage in the middle. A barely clad woman danced to music I didn’t recognize. Men milled in groups, both standing and sitting, as other nearly naked women draped themselves on their laps.
The VIP area seemed to be the couches edging the room, and that’s where we were led. My nerves were jangling something fierce as I watched the prostitutes plying their wares. Some men obviously wanted to try the merchandise first, and I had to look away from where two men were fondling a woman’s breasts. She didn’t seem to mind, but I had a hard time wrapping my head around that.
Devon sat down on the cranberry velvet seat and I was going to sit next to him, but he pulled me down onto his lap instead. A server came by immediately, setting up bottles of liquor for us and pouring us both martinis.
Handing one to me, Devon said in an undertone, “All right, darling?”
I nodded, taking a large gulp of the drink, then set aside the glass. Leaning down, I kissed Devon’s neck and whispered in his ear, “Is he here?”
“Right behind you.”
I waited a moment, then casually turned and glanced over my shoulder. The man who’d been on Reggie’s screen sat on the couch beside us. He was surrounded by several other men; a quick count turned up six.
Women had already latched on to their group and I noticed a brunette trying to get Levin’s attention. He humored her, but didn’t seem terribly interested.
“Can you work this?” Devon asked me, his arm tightening around my back. “If you can’t, then I’ll come up with another plan.”
“I’m fine,” I said, smothering my anxiety. “Trust me.” Devon wouldn’t have let me do this if he thought me incapable. And I knew how I looked. It had never taken much to get men’s attention. Even with the competition here, I was confident I could make my way onto Levin’s lap.
“Then let’s be quick about it,” Devon muttered.
I decided the jacket wasn’t going to work, so I slipped my hand inside and grabbed the tracking device, moving it inside my bra. After shrugging off Devon’s jacket, I took his empty glass and stood. I tossed my hair to the side, the long strands on full display for Levin to see, then leaned down to make Devon another drink.
My legs were long and the shoes showed them off well. I felt Devon’s hands on my hips and ass as I poured the vodka. Turning, I handed him the drink, then smiled as I straddled his lap.
Devon made quick work of that drink and I flipped my hair to the other side so I could see Levin. From the corner of my eye, I could tell he was looking our way. Devon’s hands skated up my thighs to rest on my waist, his lips tracing the curves of my cleavage. Sliding my fingers into his hair, I cut a sideways glance to Levin.
He was watching. Avidly. I sent him a coy smile and winked. He crooked his finger, beckoning me.
I felt a rush of adrenaline as I realized the ploy was working perfectly. I said to Devon, “He wants me to come over.”
“Then go. I’ll put up a bit of a fuss, then come get you. Put both hands in your hair when you’re done.”
With that last direction, I eased off his lap and strutted toward Levin. The brunette was still trying in vain to win his attention and she shot me a dirty look when I stopped in front of them.
“You can go,” I told her, looking down my nose. “I’m here now.”
Muttering angrily in another language, she stood and stalked off. I looked at Levin and raised an eyebrow.
“You wanted me?” I asked.
He looked me over from head to toe before giving me a satisfied smile. “Come sit down,” he invited. There was a predatory gleam in his eyes that made me want to shudder, but I suppressed it. I was helping Devon. I could do this.
I went to sit sideways on his lap, but he stopped me. “No. Like how you were sitting with him,” he said, gesturing toward Devon, who was watching us with an aggravated expression. The brunette had apparently decided to try her luck with him because she’d poured herself a drink and sat next to him, her scarlet-tipped fingers sliding up his thigh.
Jealousy spiked hard in me and I made myself tear my gaze away. It wasn’t real, just like what I was doing with Levin wasn’t real. I had to remember that.
I straddled Levin as I’d done to Devon, tamping down the squeamishness that surged inside. I didn’t let men get this close to me, sexually, and never had. Until Devon. But I had a job to do, and Devon was counting on me.
“You’re very beautiful,” Levin said, his accent thick. He was a big guy, as big as Devon. He was older than Devon, I’d guess in his mid-fifties, and had a hard edge to him. You wouldn’t want to meet Devon in a dark alley, but with this guy, you knew he wouldn’t even need a dark alley to crush first and ask questions later. A jagged scar ran down his left cheek.
“Thank you,” I said with as real a smile as I could muster. “What’s your name?”
“André,” he replied. “And yours?”
I decided to stick with the truth as much as possible, an adage my grams had taught me. “Ivy.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Ivy,” Levin said. His hands were on my waist and large enough to nearly span my body. If I wanted to get away, he’d have no problem subduing me and making me stay. I broke out in a cold sweat.
“Are you in town for business . . . or pleasure?” I asked, forcing my panic into submission. I crossed my arms over my chest and rested my hands on my shoulders, then slowly drew the straps of my bra down my arms. Teasing him, I let my palms drift down my chest to cover my breasts, palming the tracking device in the process.
“Business,” Levin replied, his gaze avidly watching my movements. “But I think I can spare a few hours for pleasure.” I felt his fingers at my back as he undid the clasp on my bra, the fabric falling from me.
I let the straps drop from my shoulders and slid my hands inside his jacket to circle his chest. Levin dipped his head, his mouth settling over my breast.
<
br /> The cold sweat was back with a vengeance, as was a whisper of panic, but I didn’t let it overtake me. I was almost done. I focused on breathing. I’d found the inside pocket of his jacket and dropped the tracking device inside. Relief flooded me. I’d done it. Now, to just get out of this.
Levin was caught up in things, I could tell, the hard press of his erection difficult to mask when I was sitting in this position. His mouth moved to my other breast as his hands tightened on my hips, pulling me down to grind against him.
Glancing up, I looked for Devon, and when I saw him, all the breath left my body.
He was staring at Levin with murder in his eyes.
Devon’s icy blue gaze was unblinking as he watched Levin touch me, the hard set of his jaw clenched in anger. His hands were tightly fisted and it seemed he only held himself back by his own fragile restraint.
Raising my arms, I slid my fingers into my hair, pulling the long strands up. Levin took that as encouragement, his mouth moving up my neck as his hands covered my breasts.
“I’m afraid there’s been a mistake.” Devon’s voice. I let out a slow breath of relief. “The lady is promised to me for the evening.”
Levin didn’t bother responding, he just snapped his fingers. One of the lackeys nearby jumped to his feet and approached Devon.
He didn’t get far. Devon moved faster than I would’ve thought possible, smashing the heel of his hand against the guy’s temple in a vicious jab. The guy dropped like a rock.
That got Levin’s attention and he sat back in his chair, his steely gaze now resting on Devon.
“As I said, the lady is mine,” Devon repeated.
“Listen, I don’t want trouble—” I began, squirming to get off Levin’s lap.
“Hush,” he said to me, his grip tightening and holding me in place. “Whatever you were told, find two others here and I’ll take care of the bill,” he offered to Devon, then waved him away. His hands slid up my rib cage, flitting lightly across my breasts before resting on my shoulders.
“I’m afraid no one else will do,” Devon said, his lips twisting in the semblance of a smile. In the next instant, he had his gun in his hand, the muzzle pointed directly at Levin’s forehead.
I gasped, suddenly terrified. I was sure the men with Levin were armed. Devon was vastly outnumbered. And as I’d feared, the men with Levin all went for their guns.
“Stop!” Levin ordered, his voice commanding. His men immediately obeyed, all of them warily eyeing Devon.
Gesturing to me, Levin said, “No whore is worth this much trouble, my friend. You want her that badly, then take her.”
My knees were shaking as Devon pulled me off Levin’s lap. He didn’t turn his back as we sidled away, and I grabbed the jacket I’d discarded earlier, pulling it on as we walked. When we were at the hallway, Devon holstered his gun and we moved at a faster clip. We didn’t speak until we were outside and walking down the street to where our car stood idling, Reggie inside.
“I did it,” I said quietly. “You know that, right? The tracker is on him.”
Devon still looked pissed and I eyed him. He had a tight grip on my hand. He didn’t respond at all to what I’d said.
“Devon?” I asked.
Looking left and right, Devon suddenly stopped and stepped into an empty alley, pulling me in with him.
“What are you—” But I didn’t get to finish my sentence before he was kissing me.
His lips were firm against mine, his tongue hot and demanding. I was against the wall, his body pressing hard into me. It didn’t occur to me to question or resist. I just kissed him back with equal urgency, reaching up to wind my arms around his neck.
The jacket fell open and Devon’s hands were on me, erasing the feel of Levin’s touch. Then his mouth was on my breast, his breath warm against my skin, and my pulse was racing. His mouth trailed up my neck to underneath my jaw.
“I despise seeing another man touch you,” he hissed in my ear.
Ah. Now I understood. Devon’s possessive streak was a mile wide, and even though tonight had been planned in advance, it seemed I hadn’t been the only one struggling to keep reality and acting separate.
“Tell me you hated every moment,” he said.
That wasn’t a hardship. “I hated every moment,” I repeated, my fingers sliding into his hair as his tongue dipped in my ear.
“Tell me you’re mine.”
“I’m yours,” I breathed as his lips descended onto mine.
I knew we had no time for this, and yet, when would there be time? Devon’s life was fraught with danger and I could understand why he’d taken a moment to exorcise the feelings of jealousy and anger that had dogged him inside the club. As for me, I took it all in, memorizing the feel of the brick against my back, the chill in the air, and the warm press of his hands on my flesh.
When we finally parted, his hand cupped my jaw as he gazed into my eyes.
“When this is over,” he said, “I want us to go somewhere beautiful, and just . . . be . . . for a while. Will you do that for me?”
My smile was immediate. “I know I should play hard to get,” I teased, “but I don’t care. Yes, I’d like that very much.” Time alone with Devon without the world at our backs and danger breathing down our necks? It sounded like heaven.
Taking my hand, he led me out of the alley and to the car, opening the back door for me to slide inside.
“Where’d you guys go?” Reggie asked. He sounded anxious. “I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to wait or if I should hide.”
“You did fine,” Devon said, taking the driver’s spot as Reggie slid over. “Let’s finish this. Tonight.”
The idea that Devon and I might be going somewhere as soon as tomorrow made me want to clap my hands. We just had to get through tonight.
Devon drove to the outskirts of the city. Reggie confirmed that the tracker was working on Levin, who was still at Club Elegance.
“Just watch this screen,” Reggie said, pointing to the laptop he set beside me.
“If he should start heading this way, use the radio,” Devon said, handing me a small walkie-talkie. He pointed to his ear. “I’ll be listening.”
“Okay,” I said. I tried one more time. “Are you sure I can’t come with you?” I’d asked on the drive and been told no. The look on Devon’s face told me he hadn’t changed his mind.
Devon laughed lightly at my expression. “Sweet Ivy,” he said. “What a pretty pout you have.” Leaning down, he brushed his lips against mine. “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he whispered.
I wasn’t about to let him go with that tiny kiss, so I grabbed his collar and pulled him back down. Heedless of Reggie standing a few feet away, I gave Devon the best kiss I was capable of, and it was several long moments before I let him go. His ice-blue eyes had darkened, and his gaze was hungry.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said.
I watched them walk across the dim parking lot toward a towering metal building. Many floors were lit, but I didn’t think people were still working at this hour. The lot was deserted and Devon had parked the car in a shady corner beneath a tree, so even ambient light barely touched my location.
I watched the laptop for a few minutes, then decided to change into the extra clothes that I’d brought—jeans and a long-sleeved button-up shirt. After slipping off my heels, I put on a pair of flats instead. I glanced back at the laptop, noting that Devon and Reggie had been gone for nearly twenty minutes already. It felt like an hour.
The dot that showed Levin’s location still glowed on the screen. It hadn’t changed spots while I’d been watching, so it took me aback now to see that it had moved.
It was headed right for us.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
I grabbed the walkie-talkie and pressed the button. “Is anyone there?”
I released the button, but heard nothing but static. I tried again. “Hello. Can you hear me?”
Again, nothing.
I didn’
t know what to do. Devon had said to use the walkie-talkie, but hadn’t said what to do if he couldn’t be reached.
The cell phone he’d given me was in my pocket. Pulling it out, I dialed the programmed number. It went straight to voice mail.
“Damn it!” I stuffed the cell back in my jeans, watching the dot on the screen. It was heading our way very fast. They’d be here in minutes.
I glanced back at the building, then got out of the car. There didn’t seem to be any other choice but to go after Devon. Maybe luck would be with me and I’d get inside and find him.
It sounded ridiculous, even to me, but . . . I had to try.
I ran toward the building’s entrance, hesitating once I reached the doors. The lobby was fully lit inside, but I saw no one. Cautiously, I opened the door and stepped inside.
It was silent, the buzzing of the fluorescent lights overhead unnaturally loud. Heading for the elevators, I skidded to a halt when I glanced behind the front desk and saw two security guards lying on the floor.
Swallowing heavily, I punched the elevator button and rushed inside when the doors slid open. Then I thought twice and ran to the security guys, grabbing the identity card hooked to the lapel of the shirt on the guy closest to me. Running back to the elevator, I got there right before the doors closed, and squeezed inside.
Now where?
Figuring I’d want to go where only the security tag would take me, I hit the button next to the floor with the access slot. It was in the middle of the building, the tenth floor. I waited anxiously for the elevator, watching the floors go by, then the doors opened on the tenth floor.
A man was standing there.
We both stood, frozen in surprise. I recovered first and did the only thing I could think of. I launched myself at him.
He toppled backward and I fell on top of him. He had a gun attached to his hip and he reached for it as I scrambled to a sitting position on his chest. I grabbed his hair with both hands and slammed his head against the hard, tiled floor as he yanked at his gun. Once. Twice. The third time, his body went lax underneath mine.