by Misty Evans
Everything in Olivia’s body froze. “Which Fed?”
“I didn’t get a name.”
Of course you didn’t. “I need to know who the target is, Alfie.”
“Look, my guy was getting nervous from all the questions. I didn’t want to blow it and act too interested. Besides, I should be in the know with Gino and Frankie and I ain’t. Didn’t want this guy to figure that out. The hit wasn’t mine, and if I go badgering people to find out the who, what, when, and why, I could end up taking a swim in the Pacific.”
Pushing him farther would be a waste of time and yet her skin crawled and she wanted to hit something over his lack of intel. She’d learned along the way when to press an issue and when to back off. Handling made men like Alfie required finesse and patience. Too bad she had neither at the moment.
“We’re still on for dinner tomorrow night, right?” she asked, even though she already knew they were.
“Of course, doll.”
“I’ll be there. And Alfie?”
“Yeah?”
“You better have a name for me, or I’ll make sure you take that swim.”
3
Olivia woke to the sound of her phone dinging. She scrambled over Taz to reach her nightstand, the caller ID reading Victor’s name and telling her it was four a.m.
When she answered, he said, “I’ll be there in ten.”
She and Taz hustled out of bed and she slid her robe on, yawning as she headed for the kitchen. Victor’s voice had been rough and ragged, the toll of the night and his emotions apparent, even with a layer of steel under it. The members of his taskforce were family, and nobody messed with his family and got away with it.
In the kitchen, she pulled out her bottle of Frangelico and two shot glasses, pouring an inch into each. Grabbing them with one hand, she headed into the foyer, turning on lights as she went.
She deactivated the security system and opened the door. Taz stood next to her, as if he knew they were waiting for Victor. The man in question pulled in moments later, parking behind her car. He was on the phone when he stepped out of his Cadillac SUV and stood for a moment by the open door.
“Yes, sir,” he said. “Agent Harris is stable. Agent Mann and I have a list of suspects we’ll be investigating today. I will keep you informed of any further updates.”
There was a pause as he listened to the man on the other end. His gaze raked over Olivia, his expression one of controlled patience. “Yes, he is. Agent Harris and I have worked together for many years now, and he’s always been one of my best agents. A good friend too.”
Another pause and he glanced at her bare feet, his gaze lingering on her ankles before rising to her calves. “I’m about to do that right now. A couple hours of sleep and I’ll be back on the case.”
He said goodbye, disconnected, and tossed the phone on the driver seat. Leaving the door open, he walked straight to her. “Sorry. Had to update the director.”
The director, as in the main guy in Washington. It was three hours later on the East Coast and Director Allen was probably already at his desk.
Victor opened his arms and Olivia went into them without hesitation, rubbing the back of his neck and letting him hold her. He nuzzled her ear, breathing deeply and hugging her tight. Next to them, the dog whined.
“Glad you made it,” she said. “You have suspects?”
He released her and rubbed his eyes. “Sort of.” He grabbed his phone, popped the trunk, and then went to withdraw an overnight bag. A beep of his key fob and the car was locked. He set down the bag and greeted Taz with a ruffle of his ears. “Have you been a good boy?” he asked.
“He’s extremely well mannered,” Olivia told him. She handed him one of the glasses. “You went all the way back to LA to get clothes?”
He downed the Frangelico in one gulp and picked up the overnight bag, following her into the house. “I keep spare clothes in my car at all times. I never know when I’m going to make it home for a shower and a fresh shirt.”
Smart man. Because of her job, she often carried extra clothes, protein bars, and extra ammunition in her trunk. Came with the life of an agent.
“Nice place,” he said, peering around once they were inside. “Do you like it here?”
She sipped at her drink and eyed him under her lashes. Leave it to Victor to make small talk at four in the morning when he was totally exhausted. Such a kind, polite, amazing man.
She took the empty glass from his hand and drew him down the hall with her. Her place was small, barely more than a surfing shack, but she’d made it hers through the years with small touches here and there. “I do. Carlsbad fits me, and it’s nice to know Celina is down the road. How is she? Did Dr. Collins talk to her?”
“She’s doing okay. Emma and Ronni stayed with her all night.”
In the kitchen, she finished her Frangelico and set the glasses in the sink. “Can I get you something to eat? You must be starving. Eggs and toast maybe?”
“Throw in bacon and you have a deal.”
She made a face. “I have sausage. Will that do?”
He pulled out a chair and sat at the breakfast bar. “I’ll take it.”
Good thing she’d gone to the market two days ago. Her ancient refrigerator was well-stocked with the basics. A rare occurrence. “So do you actually have any suspects, or were you inventing them for Director Allen?”
“The shooting happened in broad daylight at a kids’ function. Parents all over the park were filming their children. It’s already on YouTube, going viral, thanks to a couple enterprising souls who are more interested in likes on their channel than the horror of a DEA agent being gunned down in front of innocent children. The upside is that we confiscated multiple videos shot from different angles, and do actually have several potential suspects. We’re running them through facial rec and following up on any hits we get. Two of the taskforce members are starting interviews with witnesses today to see if we can glean better details. Our three suspects are nameless at this point, and I can’t guarantee any of them is our shooter, nor can I assume they are linked to criminal organizations, but they’re all we have.”
Factual, no emotion. Even in his current state, he was all business, his analytical mind going over the facts, or lack thereof, repeatedly.
Olivia heated a skillet and got out the toaster. “Coffee?”
Victor shook his head. “I’ve been running on caffeine. Got any orange juice? Whatever was in that glass was pretty good. Maybe I should just have another shot of that.”
“Frangelico. Haven’t you had it before?”
“Not that I’m aware of. You know me, I’m more of a beer guy.”
After she broke a few eggs into the skillet, she poured him some juice. Then she put ice, a squirt of lime, and a couple shots of the liquor into a separate glass and set both in front of him.
“Frangelico for breakfast?” He chuckled. “Guess it’s five o’clock somewhere.”
She popped two slices of bread into the toaster. Taz sat patiently, watching the food prep. She passed him a piece and he gobbled it down. “I assume you’re familiar with the Suarez Kings?”
His expression turned curious. “Of course.”
“I heard from a source that Gino DeStefano and Frankie Molina are trying to take over the cartel for the Fifty-seven Gang. Various law enforcement officials are making this difficult for him, and Gino has no qualms about removing those obstacles. I didn’t get a specific name, but I wondered if you, or one of your taskforces, was leading the charge and might be a target.”
“The DEA and FBI have been trying to infiltrate the Suarez cartel for the past eighteen months to no avail. We know someone has been putting heat on the cartel, and there’s been several bloodbaths between them and the Kings, but we’ve been focused on the cartel itself. Didn’t realize it was a mob versus cartel war.”
“I didn’t either. Molina is pretty sneaky and crafty, and I’m guessing DeStefano is trying to accomplish the takeover on the d
own low.”
Victor nodded. “We shut it down, Gino’s got nothing. Again. He and some of his cronies have been trying to establish themselves in California for the past several years, as you know, but haven’t gotten a true foothold in the drug biz. They haven’t had much success in general, from what I understand, probably because of you.”
He smiled at her, his tone teasing.
“Just doing my job,” she said, ignoring the pride she felt at his acknowledgment. Maybe that wasn’t the right word. Self-respect was more like it. She knew the mob from the inside out, and how to use that to her advantage when it came to stopping them. It was her duty, her responsibility, and she took it seriously.
The eggs were done, so she put them on a plate on the back of the stovetop to keep warm and started frying the sausage. Four pieces of perfectly browned toast popped up, and she buttered them while her thoughts ran in circles. Should she tell him what Alfie said? It was a lead, but a very slim one, and at this point she had nothing to link the information to the shooting. “And you’re sure Cooper has never crossed paths with DeStefano or his gang in conjunction with the cartel?”
“I assume if you thought there was a connection, you already checked.”
She shrugged, flipping sausage. “Not every FBI operation is open access to marshals, and I get it if you can’t share details. I just have a feeling…”
He took a drink of the orange juice. “I didn’t have a chance to double-check the records regarding Harris and DeStefano, yet, but I will.”
“Also the Kings, okay?”
“Of course.” He watched her carefully. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
Wow. He was good. She kept her eyes on the skillet. “My source claims Frankie is going after whoever stands in Gino’s way. Like I mentioned before, it might include the law enforcement officer he credits for blocking his takeover attempts.”
He tried the other drink, seemed to like it better, and took a second sip. “But you don’t have a name or know the branch this law enforcement officer works for?”
Anytime you used informants, they could—and often did—lead you on a wild goose chase. Anytime one of them did not give up specific details, it made you question the validity of the intel.
She drained the sausage. Taking down a clean plate, she placed two eggs, two pieces of toast, and two sausages on it, handing the fixings across the bar to Victor. “I’m working on it.”
“I appreciate the heads up, and I get where you’re going with it—that Cooper may be the target,” he said. The fact it was basically worthless information without specifics didn’t seem to bother him. Or maybe he was just being kind, as usual. “I appreciate the breakfast too.”
She made a second plate for herself and sat next to him. Taz joined them, taking residence under her chair. A small sausage might have slipped off her plate and landed in front of him and he gobbled it up, her partner in crime.
As she and Victor dug into their food, she realized she’d never had a man over for a meal before. Hell, she couldn’t remember having any man, outside of a couple contractors, inside. She snuck a sip of Victor’s orange juice, cutting a glance his way. He didn’t complain, but moved the iced Frangelico out of her reach, giving her a grin.
It felt so right having him here, talking work, sharing a meal. So…normal.
The thought scared the sin right out of her.
“I will alert my teams about your info,” he said. “And I’ll check with the DEA, just to be sure Cooper never worked a case involving the Fifty-seven Gang, DeStefano, or Molina before he joined my taskforce.”
A brief feeling of relief spread through her. Victor hadn’t blown off her concern or simply placated her. He was taking this seriously. “Thank you.”
They finished in companionable silence. When he began to clean the dishes, she stopped him and led him to her bathroom, grabbing his overnight bag on the way. She started the tub filling and got out a clean toothbrush for him. “You wash up, and I’ll be back shortly.”
He glanced at the big tub and then at her. “You want me to take a bath?”
The only shower she had was outside, meant for washing off after a day at the beach. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those guys.”
“Not sure I follow.” But the look in his eyes said he was teasing her again.
“You think bathing is only for women.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “A manly man only takes a shower, right?”
“Actually, I was hoping you had some bath salts or bubble bath to go in it.”
“Nice save. When was the last time you took a bath?”
“Yesterday. I take one all the time.”
“Liar.”
He chuckled and raised both hands in the air. “Busted.”
“You might like some lavender Epsom salts. They’re detoxing and help you relax.”
“I’d rather have you. Why don’t you join me?”
“Because you’re tired and need sleep. You told Director Allen you’d be up and going in two hours, and you’ve already burned thirty minutes of that.”
He gave a mock salute. “You’re right, but I’m so damn crazy about you, I’d rather spend the remaining hour and a half in this tub enjoying every inch of your skin. I’ll take you over sleep anytime.”
His chocolate eyes grew darker, a sexy intensity she recognized. “Although I’d love to, I’ll give you a rain check. You need to take care of yourself, Victor, and if I have to force you to do it, I will.”
He started to argue, and she was already feeling pretty weak about her stance thanks to those sexy eyes, so she whirled away and shut the door behind her. All the way to the kitchen, she had to draw in slow, deep breaths to keep from running back to him.
Scrubbing the pans, she decided she had to come clean. Tell Victor the truth. Everything about him made her feel safe and ready to take the next step with their relationship. The nagging doubts were still there, but when he was around, they seemed completely ridiculous and insignificant. That’s what he did for her, giving her perspective and making her realize she needed a man in her life. Not just any man, but the right man.
There weren’t many things she felt one hundred percent confident about, especially outside of her job. But she couldn’t base a real relationship with Victor on a lie, and while the timing was poor, she couldn’t go on without telling him the truth.
Wiping down the counters, she hummed softly, and when she was finished, she shut off the kitchen light. I’m going to tell him everything.
Her insides felt tight with doubt and fear because there was no way he would take what she was about to tell him casually. In fact, he might walk out the door, but it was a chance she had to take. Undercover work was one thing—you had to lie and deceive people for the higher good. Lying to Victor was wrong, even though she hadn’t been investigating him seriously since that first night. Her instincts were usually spot on, and she’d known after talking to him for several hours at the Christmas party, that he was clean as a whistle.
Of course, her report to her boss with those words had only garnered a ‘stick with it’ reply. Normally, she wouldn’t have been annoyed because some of the best criminals were exceptional at creating a persona that made you trust them implicitly while they were doing illegal activities behind your back. She’d been duped once before, but never after that. Her bullshit radar was as superior as her shooting capabilities. She hit the bull’s-eye every time.
I have to do it. For better or worse, she had to come clean.
The bathroom door was open, steam filtering into the bedroom. Crossing the floor, she glanced to her bed and her heart melted.
Victor was fast asleep, the dog lying next to him.
Taz peeked open an eye and his tail did a lazy wag.
So much for good intentions.
Liv crawled in beside them both and let herself drift off.
4
Victor came awake slowly, spooned around Olivia. Another warm body pressed against h
is back snoring softly. Taz.
It felt right. Comfortable. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d woken up in a strange bed, outside of the occasional hotel room when he was traveling for work. In the past year or so, there’d been no women in his life, except his mother and four sisters, and he’d been okay with that.
Until Olivia.
His morning erection pushed into her bottom, and he breathed deeply into her hair on the pillow they shared, drawing in the scent of her shampoo. If only he could stay in this place, forget about the worries pressing into his brain already.
Olivia shifted slightly, sighing as her hand found his arm. She gently trailed her fingers over his wrist to his hand, pulling it tighter around her abdomen. Her bottom pressed back into him, an invitation.
He didn’t need further encouragement. Snaking his hand down the edge of her nightgown, he eased the satin over her hip.
She wasn’t wearing panties.
His hard-on grew even more painful.
Her moan was low and soft, her legs opening to allow his fingers access. He tickled her soft folds, enjoying her heat and the wetness he found. Part of his brain urged him to get up and check on Cooper, but his other brain, now situated at Liv’s warm entrance, suffocated the demand.
He buried his face in her hair, nuzzling her neck and tracing his tongue down the knobs of her cervical spine. His fingers slid through her wetness and found the spot that made her catch her breath.
Along with her increased breathing, he heard panting in his ear. Taz was awake and leaning over Victor’s shoulder to see what was going on.
“Down,” he demanded.
The dog licked his face and he had to give the command again, but then Taz got the point and bailed. In his arms, Liv laughed. “For a second, I thought you were talking to me.”
He chuckled, stroking her until she cried out his name, her orgasm tightening around his fingers. Once she came down, he maneuvered her onto her stomach, propping her hips on a pillow and plunged inside.