“I had no dog in this fight.”
She’d said the words coolly, but she’d knelt to take care of La—Ashley. “Ace took it.”
“Shit,” Seymour cursed. “We have to get it back.”
“The only way to get it back is through me.” Jasmia faced her brother. “She’s coming over tonight to give me some files on her business for my article.”
“We need those files,” Terry said softly. “But I can’t allow you to be alone with a killer.”
She didn’t argue with his description of Ace, but her cat balked and wanted to scratch his eyes out. But Ace had killed. She’d killed for her.
“Did she kill the guys the police found on the scene?” Seymour asked. “Is that why you couldn’t identify the other killer?”
Her cat resisted the human urge to tell him she’d killed one of the men. Even as she opened her mouth no words came out. Jasmia turned away from them running her hand through her hair.
This felt like a betrayal, and her cat wasn’t having anymore of it. She fought back a hiss. This irrational reaction was probably a result of her being in heat. She had to just stay away from Ace for the next five days.
“I’ll go pack a bag,” she said quietly.
“I’ll arrange protection for you while I’m at work,” Terry said. “You’ll have to give a statement about what you saw. They’ll understand your fear, so don’t worry about the cops charging you with anything.”
“I’ll call in a favor from a few of my military buddies. You’ll need more than one team,” Seymour said.
****
Grande picked up his phone from his desk and glanced at the display. With a frown he accepted the call. “What is it?” he asked tersely.
“The agent’s email didn’t just go to her boss.”
“Who else?” he demanded. The information on the email had been more than a little sensitive. He’d have a hard time getting out of this, but he might be able to put it off on the man he’d been grooming to be the fall guy should one be necessary.
“She met with a reporter today. I’m certain the reporter knows something, but worse yet Ace was there today. She no doubt took out Lewis and Jayne.”
How had she come into play? She wasn’t working with any covert government team at the moment as far as his contacts knew. So, why had she been there?
He ran a hand through his hair. He wasn’t afraid of Mojo though. So they’d gone up against more than a few hard-nosed dictators in South America not to mention the sadistic leaders they’d taken out before they could come to power.
“Kill the reporter,” Grande said coldly. “We’ll deal with Ace later.”
“Thy will be done.”
“Amen.”
Chapter Twelve
Jasmia stepped back into the living room fifteen minutes later with a bag packed and her thoughts rioting. Her brother was busy on his phone talking in quiet tones and Seymour was in the kitchen doing the same thing. She couldn’t make out the words, but his voice held an edge.
She peeked out of the window as her brother stepped into the hallway to keep her from hearing the rest of his conversation, and she smiled. A truck pulling to the curb caught her attention and Ace climbed out. She had flowers in one hand as she made her way up the walk.
Jasmia’s heart skipped a beat, and breathless, she went to open the door. The part of her that was feline was happy to see Ace, and meowed in joy. The human half of her knew there was so much she needed to know despite the animal’s insistence that they claim Ace not run from her.
Ace mounted the porch and Jasmia’s cat lunged at the reins of her control. She nearly fell at Ace’s feet, but stumbled into her arms instead. One arm curled round her, strong and supportive as it held her.
Her entire body heated, and her cheeks felt flushed. “Meow.”
The sound escaped her before she could corral the animal inside. Jasmia closed her eyes in utter embarrassment as her skin went hot and cold all over.
“I’m glad to see you too,” Ace murmured and kissed the side of her neck.
Jasmia purred against her will, her cat nature was taking over. How was she going to explain this? And wasn’t Ace shoving her away and thinking her a freak?
“Let’s go have dinner at my place,” Ace said softly.
“I—”
“I’ll bring you back later,” Ace assured her. “I brought you something.” She held out the flowers.
Jasmia took the blooms wrapped in paper and gave them a sniff. The faint honeysuckle scent of them drew a sigh from her. She loved honeysuckle and it made her crazy. She quickly set the flowers on the old weathered table.
“Axana, I can’t have dinner with you,” she said. “My brother is here, and he’s decided to take me someplace safe.”
“Your brother can’t protect you against these people, sweetheart,” she said patiently.
“He’s an FBI agent,” Jasmia said coolly. “He knows what he’s doing.”
Ace grunted. “He’ll put you right into the hands of your killers,” she said in a hard tone. “Come with me now.”
“No. For all I know you’re that killer.”
“I saved your life—”
“You were following me today,” she accused angrily. “And Lewis Loser was right. You’re an assassin. You killed the State’s Attorney didn’t you? I didn’t live that far from where he was staying did I? That’s why you were in Maine pretending to romance me, so you could find out about his security without looking suspicious.” She leaned closer picking up something faintly sweet in Ace’s scent.
“Don’t get so worked up over nothing, baby girl,” Ace murmured as she backed away and the scent seemed to follow.
“Is that what you call it?” Jasmia took a step toward Ace, following that sweet smell on Ace unconsciously. “You didn’t even blink today when you killed that guy,” she said, incredulity rife in her tone. “None of the deaths seemed to bother you at all, and I was ready to fall apart.”
“No you weren’t. You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for, but I wager you aren’t ready to walk in my darkness which is another reason we can’t be involved. It bleeds over into all areas of my life.”
Ace had said her life was dangerous, but Jasmia hadn’t thought that meant Axana’s life was any more dangerous than an FBI agent’s. She was wrong. Axana was a killer, so why was she drawn to her? Why did her cat want nothing more than to go with her?
“I can see that,” she whispered as she moved down the steps. “Where’s the SD card you took from that agent today?”
“Did your brother ask you to get it?” Ace asked softly.
“He doesn’t want me in danger.” It was too late for that. Her heart had been won by this killer eight months ago and her cat—heat. She was in heat. The heat was playing havoc with her mind and her ability to be rational where this woman was concerned.
“Then, you should come with me.”
No. She realized she was off the porch then. “I’m not going with you.”
“Yes, you are.” Ace brought her hand up then and blew something into her face. “Sorry.”
Jasmia batted at the air, and then wiped at her face, but blackness swallowed her whole.
****
“Is she okay?” Cattail asked after buckling Jasmia’s unconscious form into the seat.
“Make sure you strap her in all the way.” Ace glanced up to Jasmia’s house where Agent Terrance Anderson stood on the porch with a man she’d seen before. He’d been military last time she saw him in the desert. It was two years ago.
Lieutenant Seymour Murray. He’d been hanging out with a sergeant who was now part of Five by Five. She didn’t know what the other man did, but she wasn’t inclined to trust Murray if he’d continued the connection.
Ace started the truck and pulled away from the curb, glad she had tinted windows and a fake plate. Anderson would no doubt take her plate number and attempt to find her that way as he searched for his sister. She knew him to be a
dogmatic SOB and if he was the agent attempting to find her and bring her in for the State’s Attorney’s murder, she’d kill him too.
She wasn’t as good as Devin. She didn’t mind wiping out entire families to preserve her own life, but at the age of thirteen she’d been under the influence of a member of a small-time drug lord. He’d run the cartel with an iron fist, and she’d learned things no child should ever bear witness too.
“You know Anderson isn’t going to let this go,” Cattail said from the back.
“We’re not keeping her,” Ace muttered. Though unlike Cat she had the resources and the know how to vanish without a trace taking Mia with her. “I just want to put the tracker in. She’s not safe now. With her brother being a fed, they probably won’t go after her immediately.”
“You’re very wrong on that, boss,” Cat murmured. “The Hatter already had a hit out on her. The agent infiltrated his organization through the home shopping network The Hatter is affiliated with. He’s also working with its owner to put opiates on the streets here along with an exclusive brothel.”
“Exclusive.” She grunted. “Kids are always a hot commodity so who’s he going to sell them to? Pedophiles, politicians, and businessmen?”
“You are damn good aren’t you?” Cat drawled. “You’ve been doing this job too long.”
“Not really,” she replied. She’d just seen more than Cat obviously. Cat was a cat shifter too and she’d gotten her name because she had a long tail in her cat form. To add to that, Cat’s tail tip had sharp points that could be sheathed or not depending on her will.
“Anyway, the agent stole some information on the operation he’s setting up and it has something to do with that shelter or the warehouse his goods are going to be stocked in.”
“Best guess?”
“For drugs the warehouse, but kids—wouldn’t a runaway shelter be a great place to stash stolen kids until you can get them to the brothel? He has renovated the place adding on a dorm.”
He could be meaning to snatch kids from that place. The agent had died with the thoughts of kids on her lips from what she could tell.
“Well, the intel on that disk that I got from Crandall should clear things up.”
“It would help if we could figure out who The Hatter is.”
“It’s not our fight,” Ace said.
“Just that part of it that concerns the dish in the backseat?” she asked dryly. “You know he’s going to come after you if you fuck with him too bad in the process of protecting her.”
“He better watch his ass,” she muttered. Now especially. She’d learned too much before her time that she’d put into play over the years. She’d use some of those old tricks to track him through his own network and dispose of him like so much trash.
Cattail chuckled. “Yeah. Dev does get a little pissed when someone screws with you. It’s like an assault on her personally.”
“I’d kill for her too,” Ace said. They’d put their lives on the line for each other countless times and she didn’t see that changing anytime soon.
Chapter Thirteen
Jasmia woke to a pale light cascading through the room where she lay on her back. The scent of honeysuckle tempted her into a sitting position and her stomach grumbled. Her head swam for a moment and then it stopped as she put her fingers to her temple.
She wasn’t at home or—where am I?
She drew in the air around her picking up lavender and musk as the undertones to fish with lemon. She climbed out of bed, feet landing on a soft surface of carpet. Jasmia glanced around finding the source of light and walked to it. The bathroom was small but functional.
She stepped inside finding a note on the vanity. There were clean towels and new toiletries in case she wanted to freshen up.
Jasmia washed her face and brushed her teeth before heading back into the bedroom. She left it, following her nose to a small kitchen where Ace stood at the counter.
“I remember how much you enjoyed the couscous so I made some to go with the fish.” She turned to look at her. “Iced tea or white wine?”
“I can’t believe you kidnapped me,” Jasmia muttered. “Where are we?”
“Don’t worry, you can leave whenever you like, but I have something for you.”
“What?” she demanded moving to the breakfast bar which was set with plates and glasses. The rolled napkins she assumed held silverware.
“Only part of the file has been translated,” Ace told her. “Your brother’s a fed huh?”
“Is the food drugged or do you just use herbs for knocking people out?”
“If I’d wanted to knock you out, I’d have hit you,” Ace said with a smirk. “The powder was my contingency plan. The honeysuckle was my plan.”
“You jerk,” she muttered. “That honeysuckle is worse than catnip.”
Ace laughed. “The food isn’t drugged, but I’ll prove it by eating a bite of yours and mine.”
“I don’t know if I should even bother trusting that.”
“I’d never hurt you, Mia,” she said softly. “Not like that.”
“But you are a hit woman and you did kill the State’s Attorney,” she muttered. “What was I, collateral damage of the sexual kind?”
Ace studied her and then piled food onto their plates. “If you’d said yes to my terms, I’d answer your questions, but you’re a woman who will in all likelihood stab me in the back. I won’t put us in the position that will get you and your family killed.”
Jasmia’s eyes widened and her breath lodged in her chest. “You just said you wouldn’t hurt me like that.” The words came out a whisper but it was funny that her cat didn’t fear the woman who’d spoken them. The cat was stretched out lazily in her mind watching the byplay considering it nothing more than a prelude to the chase.
“I’d never poison you, sweetheart,” she told her as she turned to put the pan back on the stove. Ace faced her again as she was trying to understand her cat’s refusal to fear the assassin. She strolled toward her, eyes glittering with hunger.
She curled her fingers around Jasmia’s throat and she tried to push her hand away as her pulse kicked and her nipples hardened. The cat purred from the proprietary touch. It still had no fear though Jasmia wasn’t sure that was wise.
“I’d shoot your entire family for expediency’s sake,” Ace told her softly. “I’d save you for last, and one night I’d show up and strangle you.” She tightened her fingers a fraction. “I’m not really good. I admit that. I wouldn’t be able to let you go if we got involved.”
“Why not?” She demanded shock making her voice choked.
“Because you stole part of my heart in Maine.” Ace stroked the pad of her thumb against Jasmia’s throat. “I could easily become addicted to you, need you like I need the air. So you were right to turn me down. Now, let’s dine, so I can get you the hell out of here before I decide not to let you go.”
Ace kissed her hard, and her breath whooshed out of her. Her cat purred, but Ace was gone leaving her cold. Jasmia shivered, goose bumps rising on her skin. Her stomach was tight and her mind raced in a million directions.
Jasmia pushed her fingers through her hair as she drew in a breath and slowly let it out. “Did you doctor the file?”
“My IT person couldn’t decrypt enough of it yet so you’re only getting part of it, but you can’t print any of it.”
“Why?” She moved behind Ace to climb onto a stool.
Ace glanced at her and then went to get them some drinks. She poured iced tea for Jasmia. “Mia, I don’t know who you were trying to get a story on—”
“Lowell Grande,” she said quickly. “He’s hosting the fundraiser for the shelter for gay runaway teens, and it’s curious that a straight guy wants to out of the blue connect himself with the LGBT community. I want the truth.”
“Well, this document so far doesn’t give you that,” Ace told her and poured herself a shot of vodka.
Jasmia watched her toss it back and pour another be
fore rejoining her at the bar.
“What does it give me?”
“Nothing you can do anything with,” she said. “It’s just a little information about Grande’s home shopping network business and the new warehouse.”
“I’ve spent Saturdays working with those kids. I don’t want them getting hurt.”
Ace dug into her meal. “Tell your brother. Maybe he or that guy I saw on the porch with him can figure this out. Who was he?”
“Seymour. My ex. He’s in the FBI too now, but I don’t really know him that well anymore. If I get him involved, he’ll just think I want him back.”
“Do you?” The statement held a note of curiosity.
“No!” She shuddered. His touch had left her icy. She’d wanted to scratch his eyes out. “What are you going to do with the information?”
“Sweetheart, it’s not my concern,” Ace told her. “If the rest of the information isn’t corrupt, I’ll hand it over to you when or if it can be decrypted.”
Jasmia studied her, but Ace was so hard to read she had no clue what she was really thinking. Her closed expression and hooded eyes were like a cloak. It was as if Ace was distancing herself from her.
Her cat hissed inside her mind, rejecting the thought, but she tried to take comfort in it. Ace wasn’t the kind of woman she needed to have a fling with. She could easily continue falling for her and where would that leave her?
Broken hearted.
“Why don’t you just give me the file? I’m sure the FBI can decode it.” If she gave her the card it was proof that Ace had no plans for using the information in her work.
Ace took a swallow of tea. “Good idea.” She slid to her feet taking her empty plate to the sink. She dumped it into the dishwater and washed it. “You finish up, and I’ll get it.” She left the room.
That was too easy. She had to be lying about the information not being decrypted, but why? What was in it that she could use?
Jasmia took a sip of her tea and rubbed her arm. She hated this emptiness in her stomach and the heaviness in her chest. She didn’t understand it or the sadness washing over her.
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