“That doesn’t mean anything,” she snapped. “Were there any children in the State’s Attorney’s or the police chief’s families?”
“Neither of them had children, and their families were killed as well two months later.”
“Even the children?”
“No,” he said. “The seven children are still alive.”
“What ages?” she demanded hands shaking. If Ace had lied…
“I think five months to fourteen years old, why?” he demanded. “You can’t sit around waiting for her to sway you. She’s no doubt very good at convincing people vulnerable people of whatever she wants them to believe.”
“I was almost killed last night,” she told him quietly. “She saved me twice. I think I’m going to stay here a little longer. Maybe she’s out there right now looking for The Hatter, and she’ll find him and do what you can’t. Kill him so he can’t come after me again.”
“Don’t even start thinking like that,” he snapped. “People like that are criminals. You can’t just take the law into your own hands because you feel like it. The Hatter will be brought to justice. He’ll stand trial. Now, tell me where you are.”
“No.” She shook her head, her chest tight as her hand came up to clench around the necklace Ace had given her eight months ago. “You should check Grande out. Maybe he’s the one that wants me dead—maybe there’s a mole in the FBI that decoded that SD card and handed you a pack of lies.” She grimaced, her mind running in circles.
She pressed her fingers to her forehead and closed her eyes as her skin turned hot.
A heavy sigh filled her ear. “You know anything that happens while you’re with her could be misconstrued as you aiding and abetting a killer?”
“You’ll have to prove she’s guilty of something first,” she told him. “I’ll talk to you later.” She ended the call with shaking hands. She’d never defied her older brother like this before, not where the law was concerned. She trusted his judgment on it since he cared about protecting innocent people from those that would hurt or kill them.
Jasmia blew out a harsh breath. She set the cordless phone on the table next to the laptop. “Cat!” She ran into the other woman as she raced out the door.
Bags flew from her hands as she reached out to steady Jasmia. “What is it?”
“What is all that?” Jasmia asked with a frown. She hadn’t heard the doorbell but then she’d been too busy talking to her brother.
“Ace ordered these for you. She knew you didn’t have anything except borrowed clothes to wear.”
“Oh.” That was nice of her she thought as she turned her head and caught sight of purple satin. She jerked her gaze away as she remembered why she’d gone to look for her. “Did Ace tell you what was really on the SD card?”
“Why?” she asked coolly.
“I need to know,” she insisted.
“Our IT person kept a copy and finished decrypting it. There were three murders and a rape on it.”
“My brother needs to see it.”
“No, baby,” she said. “It might get him killed. He has a track record of tracking down shit and The Hatter has a record for putting agents against him down like rabid dogs.”
“Where is Ace?”
“Checking out a potential lead that might provide intel on Grande and The Hatter,” Cattail said. “She’s already found out that the shelter is going to be used as a meat market.”
“No!” Jasmia screamed.
“Kids will be selected to work in a brothel The Hatter is building. It’s not far from the shelter.”
“My brother should know this. He’d want to prevent it.” She put her hands on her cheeks as her stomach clenched in agony.
“Talk to your woman when she gets back,” Cattail suggested. “We’ve got no horse in this race, honey. She should be glad to turn the intel over.”
She frowned. “What are you guys doing here?”
“Setting up a permanent base. We never had one. Our clients get our number, and we’re dispatched to their location. We aren’t even taking cases right now.”
“Why is Ace checking out The Hatter then?”
“Because he wants you dead,” Cattail told her with a shrug.
Chapter Twenty
“Why were you looking into this?” Ace asked Alexi with a frown. “And why call me?”
Alexi sighed and took a sip of tea from the tall glass of ice liquid. “The Cell was bad enough but to have Five by Five move into my city would be a disaster.” She shrugged. “He’s a cat shifter and he employs some cat shifters as part of his security team.”
“Thanks, but that wasn’t worth calling a meeting over.”
“He’s doing business with Grande,” she said. “The fundraiser is a cover for the brothel and some trafficking. Gay boys are mostly the target, but some lesbian girls are also on the table. He already has a small group of boys ready to ship out tomorrow night. The man he has running that part of the operation is Patton.”
Ace tensed in excitement. “What about him?”
“He doesn’t have a rap sheet, and he’s the epitome of all that’s good and right. He’s a coach at a local high school and all the kids love him. He works at the shelter after school, but he’s been meeting with Grande lately at the home shopping network studio. The Hatter’s right hand man’s been frequenting the place as well.”
“I need proof.”
“The only proof you’re going to get is those seven kids heading out on a private plane tomorrow night. The Hatter won’t be there, but Lonny Chastain will be. I hear he’s a weak enough link we might be able to break him and find out about the Secret Keeper.”
“The brothel site.”
“Exactly. He probably knows enough to allow us to stop The Hatter from prostituting those kids.”
Ace nodded. “If we could take over that shelter—”
“A joint venture?”
“Exactly,” she said.
“Let’s keep it clean and get the feds involved then,” Alexi told her. “Oh, I know this isn’t officially your city, but I think it’s big enough for me and you and Devin. Let’s cement our alliance by sweeping the trash out.”
“I’ll see what Dev has to say,” Ace murmured. Dev wanted a home and she’d been willing to fall in line. Neither of them had considered having to be guardians of sorts against the not so savory elements, but that obviously came with the territory.
I’ll make sure the right agent gets the intel I have, and I have a copy for you,” Alexi told her. “I want you and Devin to see it’s all above board. Our partnership will always be that way.”
“I know, Alexi,” she said evenly. Lex was as straight a shooter as she was. They’d both seen and done things as kids that made them kindred spirits.
“Even if Devin doesn’t want this partnership, I’m still going after Five by Five. The Hatter crossed the line when he came into my club and tried to fuck over someone. This is my territory—mine, and a jaguar never takes that shit lying down.”
Ace smiled. Alexi was a black cat mutant and she morphed into a jaguar when her domestic black cat form wasn’t strong enough to get the job done.
“I’m in either way,” she said. “The jackass had the bad taste to go after my mate, twice.”
“We can run him out of town, but I think we’ll eventually have to kill him to keep him down.”
****
“What happened, Black Jack?” The Hatter demanded quietly as he faced the other man across The Hatter’s desk that afternoon. “Why isn’t the girl dead and why for the love of God has an agent served a warrant on the warehouse?”
Black Jack shook his head. “I have no idea what went wrong,” he said. “Everything was tight. The guards were dead, no S.O.S. went out. All communications were jammed to ensure it.”
“Is the girl mated by some rotten fucking chance? Ace of Spade is the last damn assassin I want to war with. Her partner is like a bulldog on a bone, but Ace is like a—” He shook his head and
blew out a breath. “Tell me she’s not?”
“Her scent’s not the same as it once was,” he said. “I’ve never met this Ace, but according to some of my sources she’s not unbeatable.”
He sat back, cocking a brow at the other man. “I’m glad you have the balls to take her on because you’ll need them. I’m not backing down. I want the girl dead, and it’ll be best if you can take Ace out at the same time.”
“It won’t matter if I don’t,” he said coolly. “She’s a dead woman if you want her dead.”
“I want her entire organization out of commission, but blowing up their spiffy new headquarters isn’t the answer. I want the crew in jail and not all of them are ever in one place but I want the top four dead.”
“Top four being Ace, Devin, and who else?”
“Cattail and Blade. I think Blade has infiltrated for the Ghost, an organization run by Alexi Kazan. Kazan’s a thorn in my ass too. She actually told me to get out of her city last night.” He laughed. “Dumb broad has no idea just how bad I’m going to fuck her up, but she’ll find out.”
“Have you been able to infiltrate her organization?”
“The one operative I had in is dead, but I’ll turn one of her favorites. I’m on the verge of it now.”
“That will make bringing her down easier,” Black Jack murmured with a smile.
“First Mojo,” The Hatter said with a grin. “Someone was sniffing around the shelter last night. Patton can’t be sure who it was because it was a shifter. See what you can find out. I don’t want to lose that shelter. It’s more than a fertile source of whores and income. It’s the store front for part of my drug opp. So you and Patton get with Lonny and take care of this.”
“I still say dump that damned shelter. It’s nothing more than a recipe for grief for us.”
“You ready to leave the party, Black Jack?” the Hatter asked softly.
“No, but the drug opp can be set up at the Secret Keeper, and we can come up with another cover especially with the new drugs we’re going to be testing.”
“We’re not trying anything new right now,” the Hatter told him icily.
“Fine. I’ll have someone find out about Jasmia Anderson’s marital status.”
He grinned sharply. “Soon to be divorced.” Mated was the same to his kind as marriage only more binding since some cats mated for life.
****
“Hey,” Blade greeted Ace when she climbed out of her truck.
“Hey. Did you get anything on Patton?” She leaned against the truck.
“He’s a killer,” she said coldly. “He’s killed three kids from the shelter, and my source gave me proof. He’s also working for The Hatter and Grande. I haven’t found anyone who can put the two together, but ironically, one kid says they’re one and the same.”
Ace moved her eyebrows in a shrug. “That’d be some shit. Everyone’s running around thinking he’s two different people.”
“It’s the only way to account for the two men meeting at Grande’s studio but no one ever seeing The Hatter,” she said. “Either way, they’ve got a shipment of seven kids going out tomorrow. I’ve got names and pics. Two of the kids are in the Missing and Exploited Kids database. Fifteen and fourteen. If he ships them out of the country, their folks will never see them again.”
“I know, but we need to tie the shelter to the warehouse.”
“Can’t be done right now, boss,” Blade said with a shake of her head. “Besides, my source says the kids and prostitution are a cover for his drug and gun running activities.”
“Do you have any pals in the airport?”
“I can get the plane stopped, but they might move those kids off the plane and onto alternative shipping means,” Blade told her. “We’ll have to have someone taking the shipment before the flight is forced to abort.”
“FBI. Where are those kids from?”
Blade chuckled. “Texas. The Hatter brought the boys with him.”
“You said you had pictures?” Blade laughed.
“Make it happen, baby.” Ace grinned. “I want that shelter closed too so I need that place connected to drugs and prostitution. Patton needs to be linked to the selling of both. That way The Hatter gets the illusion that we have no idea he’s the one really behind it.”
“That will be as easy done as said. Patton is the title-holder of the property. The woman that used to own it sold it for a million. She thought it was so Patton could take over doing good deeds, but he’s never been about the good deeds. The fucker’s been pimping kids out of that shelter quietly for years that’s why The Hatter put him in charge.”
“I need hard proof,” Ace told her.
“I’ll have everything you need before go time tomorrow,” Blade assured her. “What’s Devin saying about this opp?”
She’d called Devin after leaving Alexi. “She’s in. I think she likes the idea of being protector of a city.”
Blade chuckled. “Don’t you?”
“Hell, no. It’s too much responsibility, but she’s determined to let Alexi drag our asses into this.”
“You kicking and screaming and Devin throwing confetti,” Blade said with smirk. “Good luck with that.”
“Oh, no, baby girl,” she said shaking her head. “You’re going to be one of the top enforcers.”
Blade grunted. “Well damn.”
“What are you two talking about?”
They both turned to see Jasmia coming toward them.
“Damn she’s hot,” Blade murmured under her breath. “You lucky dog.” She punched Ace’s arm lightly.
“Tell me about it,” Ace agreed. “Where’s Cat?”
“I can walk by myself, Ace,” she said in an acerbic tone. “If you don’t trust me just say so.”
Ace shrugged. “We’re just finishing up with some plans.”
“Was the shelter part of those plans?” Jasmia went to lean against Ace putting her hand on her hip possessively as she looked up at her.
“It’s possible,” Ace said blandly. “Blade.” She turned her gaze on the other woman.
“I’m all over it.” She strode from the garage leaving Ace to study her mate.
“You can’t keep things from me if you expect me to trust you, Ace,” Jasmia told her tartly. “Especially not now when our relationship is still new. I need a foundation to build on.”
“Trust is a two-way street, Mia.” She moved so she was facing the other woman. “You can’t know everything about my work.”
“Don’t be crazy,” she said angrily. “You keep telling me how dangerous your job is. Well think about this. I’m at work and someone attacks me or starts following me on my way home. I don’t know why or even exactly what evasive maneuvers to take. I’m taken or killed, but if I had known what was stalking me I might have acted differently.”
“You’ll be protected.”
“You’re going to treat me like a princess? Wrap me in cotton and have a security detail on my ass with every move I make?”
“Mia—”
“Impossible unless you plan to hire someone just for the job. I wonder what Devin is going to say about you draining company resources on your personal life.”
“Devin can like it or leave it,” she snapped and turned to pace a few steps away. “You’re being irrational. You’ll be trained in defense, and you’ll call me if something feels wrong. You’re a fucking cat. Shift. Your small size and speed will allow you to evade or get into a tight space.”
“You don’t get it, Ace!” She poked a finger in Ace’s chest. “If you can’t trust me enough to confide in me, and know that I’ll keep my mouth shut, then this isn’t going to work even if we are mated.”
Ace pushed out a sigh as she glared down at her.
“While you’re taking that in and turning it over in your mind trying to decide if I’m worth that much space in your heart, take me to see my brother,” Jasmia told her coldly. “He wants to make sure I’m fine with his own eyes.”
“
No.”
“No because you don’t trust me?”
“No because I don’t trust him not to pump you for information.”
Jasmia laughed bitterly. “Translation, I don’t trust you not to answer those questions honestly.” She hissed at her mate. “Take me to see him now.”
“Or what?” Ace demanded slamming her hands onto her hips.
Jasmia close the distance between them. “Or I’ll know I’m right. You don’t trust me and have no intentions of ever doing so. In that case, I’ll be leaving,” she retorted. “You have five minutes to make up your mind.”
“Damn it,” Ace bit out and wiped a hand through her hair as she turned and trekked into the house.
“Four minutes.”
She slammed the door, but she knew Mia was right. She had to trust her, but Mia didn’t understand how critical a juncture they were at. Mia could doom them all with one carelessly spoken sentence.
She would not suffer the betrayal of anyone on this level not even her mate. And if such a betrayal came from the woman that had been made just for her, it would shatter her heart and shed truly become a heartless bitch.
She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. “Cat.”
The other woman sauntered into the kitchen. “Yeah, boss?”
“Let’s go,” she muttered. “Mia wants to go see her brother.”
“Bad idea with someone gunning for her,” Cattail said with a frown. “Invite him here.”
“You mean invite trouble here?” Ace demanded.
“At least the gear’s already in the truck. Though a bullet proof vest won’t do much good if the hitter goes for her head.”
Ace growled. “Let’s just fucking go.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Jasmia didn’t consider this a battle won. She knew that argument would make or break their relationship. It had been obvious Ace hadn’t liked having her power thwarted, but she knew she couldn’t live in a box.
She had to work. She had to be outside and away from Ace’s protective eye at some point. If she started out giving into her their relationship was doomed anyway. She was used to a certain level of independence that and her need for control of her own life wouldn’t just vanish because she’d found the woman of her dreams.
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