Castle Investigations Box Set

by Dee Bridgnorth

  They stopped at a bench facing the water. She stood looking out over the glass-like surface reflecting the oranges and pinks of the sunset, off to her right over the Key Bridge. Gabriel set the basket down on the bench and took out the wine, the fruit, and the two small boxes with their desserts. He sat down on one side of the basket, and she took a seat on the other side. Popping open the wine with the opener the restaurant had packed, he poured two glasses of the pink, bubbly liquid and handed one to her.

  He raised his glass. "To ghosts from our pasts."

  She raised one eyebrow and clinked her glass against his. She guessed that the toast was appropriate.

  He handed her the tiny box filled with three small cannoli. She opened it, taking one out and immediately biting into the crispy shell. The sweet ricotta cheese, chocolate drizzle, and waffle-cone-like casing melded together, bursting with flavors and textures in her mouth. She closed her eyes, trying to hold back a moan.

  She loved food. It was why she spent so much time working out. She was never going to be one of those women who picked at a salad with no dressing. She loved all the things that were supposed to make her fat—meat, cheese, bread, pasta, and chocolate.

  She opened her eyes and found Gabriel watching her.

  "What?"

  He shook his head and turned to look out over the water.

  "Aren't you going to eat your tiramisu?"

  "Not really hungry for it. I'll eat it later."

  Well, she wasn't going to be deterred. Nothing would stand in the way of her enjoying her dessert. She finished two of the three cannoli—a girl could only eat alone for so long—and placed the small package back in the basket. Taking a sip of her wine, she turned to face Gabriel.

  He'd barely said a word since they'd left the restaurant, and she wondered what was going on in his head.

  "So. You planning to tell me what it is that you really do?" she started.

  He sat back, placing his arm along the back of the bench, his fingers just an inch away from her shoulder. She thought back to their time in Naples, when he wouldn't have hesitated to caress her shoulder or draw her into his embrace. She hated how things had ended. How things were between them now. She wished she could find a way to fix it.

  "I work for Castle Investigations Firm." He paused, as if waiting for her reaction. She nodded but stayed quiet, hoping he would continue. He did.

  "Sully Castle is the founder. He and I, as well as the other operatives, except one, grew up in D-town." Her eyes grew wide. She knew D-town. It wasn't a nice place to call home.

  "Anyway, I wasn't lying when I said we do international recovery. A large part of what we do is recovering people in some capacity, or keeping them safe so that they remain out of harm's way." He absently curled a strand of her hair around his finger. Cate wondered if he realized he was doing it. She didn't think he did, or he would have stopped already.

  "What kind of events, then, would you need an escort for?" She couldn't help the censure that made it into her voice. These women were objectified, chosen for their beauty and conversation skills, as well as their skill in the bedroom. It was barely a step up from selling sex on the streets.

  "I don't. I'm investigating a missing persons case. We have reason to believe the escort service, or whoever owns it, took her. We believe she's being held against her will."

  "So, you've been dating women, hoping it would be her?" she asked, confused as to the reasons for the serial dating.

  "No. I've been dating women, hoping that they might have seen her or know about her. I'm hoping to find where she's being kept and free her."

  Cate's heart pounded against her chest. If this girl had been taken, then she could be a part of the sex trafficking going on, and could be on her way to Tariq. Cate wasn't ready to reveal that that's whom she was investigating, though. She knew that Gabriel would be angry since he'd already rescued her from Tariq's clutches once before.

  "I've been interviewing women for two weeks now. I've had no luck. No one knows anything, or if they do, they aren't sharing it with me. My plan had been to ask my date—" At this, he looked at her with hooded eyes, and, as if his fingers were on fire, he jerked his hand away from her hair.

  "You'd plan to ask your date what?"

  "If she—you—would want to help us find her."

  "What about my story?" she asked, knowing that helping him meant working with him—seeing him more. On the one hand, that sounded like heaven, and on the other, it sounded like hell. Could she be near him and not touch him? Not kiss him?

  "We can compensate you for your time. I know this might put a glitch in your story plans."

  "I have to finish the story, Gabriel. It's important."

  "For your fame and glory?"

  Her heart hurt at the venom in his words. She sighed. "You don't know me at all, do you?"

  "You never really gave me an opportunity to get to know you better. But—I thought I did. That week. I was obviously wrong."

  "Gabriel, I—"

  "Not now, Cate. Let's talk about this mission. I'm not interested in rehashing our past."

  She growled, angry that he felt like he could say anything he wanted without giving her the chance to respond or explain. It hurt that he wouldn't hear her out. And it hurt that he believed the worst about her. That he couldn't see that she'd had no choice in what had happened. She wondered what he'd been told about her disappearance.

  "What do you need me to do?" she asked. If she couldn't fix the issues between them, then maybe she could at least make some progress on this case. If she had a security team at her beck and call, then maybe this could work to both of their advantages.

  "First, I need to run it by Sully and make sure he's willing to work with you."

  Her feathers ruffled at that. "Why wouldn't he be willing to work with me?"

  "Well, for starters, you're a reporter."

  She rolled her eyes. She wanted this story, not just for her journalistic achievements, but because it was important. Her mind went back to the young woman and her daughter in Libya, who were rescued only because a SEAL team had had orders to take down Tariq Ahmed Ben Ali. If it hadn't been for them, they would be living as sex slaves. She thought of all the women who hadn't gotten away. Gabriel might think that this was for her own ego and pride, but he'd be wrong. She was doing this for those women and girls held captive. She was doing this for Todd.

  "You'll be briefed on what you can share. We can't allow it to get in the way of an ongoing investigation."

  "Wait just a minute. Who died and made you king of the world?"

  "Last time you and I worked together, you ruined a mission we'd spent months planning," he said.

  "That's not fair. I had no way of knowing you were after Tariq Ahmed Ben Ali. I didn't even know he was a terrorist. I was just following a lead."

  Her anger was rising. She'd just been at the wrong place at the wrong time. She was grateful she'd been rescued in time, even though she hadn't cracked the story at the time. Tariq had gotten away, and she knew that he had expanded his efforts after that day. Because of her, and his infatuation with her, he was targeting American women and girls now. Apparently, Gabriel blamed her for the fact that Tariq had gotten away. Well, welcome to the club. She blamed herself.

  "Still, you have a reputation for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I won't have this operation messed up because you're after a story."

  "I don't need your permission to be undercover. I don't need your permission to investigate."

  "Actually, you do. One strategically placed call, and I can have you placed under arrest for obstruction."

  "How would you have that kind of pull?"

  "Let's just say I have friends in high places. Now, do you want to help or not?"

  Cate fumed. She hated being outmaneuvered, but right now, she didn't see a way around it. She'd have to do as Gabriel said if she wanted her story—and if she wanted to help bring Tariq down.

  "Fine. We'll do it y
our way," she grumbled.

  He smirked, one side of his mouth twitching up.

  "Good. I'll be in touch with a time for us to meet with the team. I'll continue to go through Christy to make it look good."

  That reminded her of his after-hours entertainment with some of the escorts.

  "You'll need to pay for overnights if you keep requesting me," she blurted.

  Confusion marred his gorgeous face. "I don't understand. Why would I pay for overnights?"

  "Because you have a reputation for not paying for overnighters with some of the escorts. They got in trouble for 'clocking out' and then meeting you at a hotel."

  If she didn't know better, she would think that embarrassment shone on Gabriel's face. His cheeks pinked just a bit, but then he dropped his gaze, and when he looked up, his face was a mask. No emotion at all.

  "I didn't realize—so, overnights it is. We'll have to make it look believable."

  "Why would we need to?" she asked.

  "If Christy is concerned that I'm ripping her off, she may have you followed to make sure she's being paid for the accurate amount of time. Just be careful. Make sure you make it look good."

  What did making it look good consist of? Cate shivered at the thought of being close to Gabriel again. She wasn't sure she could put on an act without her heart getting involved. He'd broken it once before, and she'd be damned if she let him break it again. She nodded, unable to get the words of agreement out.

  "I'll pick you up Saturday evening, and we can meet with the team," he started, but she interrupted.

  "I've got a client Saturday night."

  "Who is it with?" he said gruffly, his arms crossing over his chest.

  "I'm not allowed to say."

  "Come on, Cate. Confidentiality isn't really an issue between us. If we're going to work together—"

  "You're right. It's Andrew Haney."

  Gabriel winced when she said the name. His facial expressions blanked, and he stood up abruptly.

  "You ready?" he asked.

  She stood, but she wasn't ready. She wished they could sit together without the walls between them. Gabriel was harder now. Angrier. She hated to think that her leaving all those years ago had made him this way. Surely she hadn't meant that much to him. He had meant that much to her. His rejection of her had changed her. But she would never tell him that those days with him had been the best of her life.

  They walked back to the restaurant, and Cate turned to walk towards the parking garage, to her car.

  "Cate, wait—"

  She turned back to him. He moved closer to her, reaching for her arm. His warm hand gently wrapped around the top of her bicep. They were so close. If she just lifted her head a fraction—

  His gaze settled on her lips. She searched his eyes for what he might be thinking. But he was completely focused on her mouth. He leaned nearer, so close that she could smell his spicy scent.

  A car horn blared, and they jumped apart. Gabriel put his head in his hands, rubbing his temples.

  "I'll pick you up Sunday. Give me your phone," he said.

  She was still in shock that he'd almost kissed her, so she unlocked her phone and handed it over without argument. He took it, punched something into it, and then handed it back to her.

  "My phone number is in there. Text me your address, and I'll let you know what time I've set up with the rest of the team. That work?" he asked, his face a mask, not giving away his thoughts or feelings.

  "Sure. Yeah. That's fine."

  "And Cate?"

  "Yeah?"

  "If you need anything on Saturday night, you just call. Ok?"

  Cate's heart melted just a little. At least she knew he kind of cared about what happened to her. Too emotional to say anything else, she simply nodded.

  "Goodbye, Cate."

  "Bye, Gabriel."

  "See, that wasn't so hard, now, was it?" he said. Confusion filled her mind. Then it hit her.

  A goodbye.

  She hadn't given him one. She opened her mouth to answer him, but before she could, he turned and jogged away towards a side street. She shook her head as she watched him go. He may have gotten the last word tonight, but she was determined not to let it happen again.

  Chapter 7

  The restaurant where Cate was to meet Andrew was crowded on a Saturday night. Cate was running a few minutes behind due to a wardrobe issue and trying to find a parking place. The metro was unpredictable at this time of night, with long wait times between trains, so she'd opted for driving, which also meant finding parking.

  Cate had dressed in a dark silver bandage-style dress with a deep V-neck and layered fringe along the hem. On her feet, she wore strappy silver sandals, and held a red clutch in her hands to offset the outfit. She could definitely get used to the clothes for this job. Although she wasn't used to wearing clothes that left so little to the imagination, the cuts and fabrics fit her to a T and made her feel as if she were fresh off the runway.

  She gave the hostess Andrew's name, and the woman's eyes went wide, taking in Cate's attire and low neckline. A smirk lifted one side of her mouth, and she motioned for Cate to follow her. Embarrassed, Cate followed the hostess through the rows of tables. She must not be the first escort Andrew had brought to this fine establishment. Or maybe it was the obvious age difference between them.

  She was taken to a table in the corner that was separated by a thick, tapestry-style curtain. Cate stood by as the woman announced her presence and then slid the curtain open.

  At the table sat two other men besides Andrew, all three in suits and ties. They exuded power and money. And she recognized the Secretary of State immediately . Charles Kingston. The man had as much power in this country as the President did.

  Each of the other men had a woman seated next to him, and Cate recognized two of her co-workers, Alison and Stephanie. Both were dressed in tiny cocktail dresses, and they sat next to each other, wearing sultry looks on their faces as they conversed with the men. The conversation stopped as Andrew drew her close to his side.

  "Good evening, Katelyn. Did you have trouble finding us?" he asked, drawing attention to the fact that she was late. He appeared to be a charmer, but there was a mean streak to him that scared Cate.

  "I did. Traffic and parking. Both can be a bear in D.C.," she said, hoping that he would drop the subject.

  "Well, if you'd have let me pick you up, that wouldn't have been a problem." The reprimand was clear in his voice, but Cate had no intention of letting any of her clients pick her up at her townhome.

  "I'm sorry. Next time, I'll be on time."

  He dropped the subject, and the conversations rose once again. He'd yet to introduce the men, and although Cate was familiar with the women from the website, she didn't know them personally.

  Finally, one of the girls looked up and caught her eye. "I'm Alison," she said.

  "Nice to meet you. I'm Katelyn." She smiled and looked expectantly toward the other girl.

  "I’m Stephanie," she said. But her expression was closed off and didn't welcome any further discussion.

  Andrew finally decided to introduce her to the two men at the table. "This is Charles Kingston." He pointed to the Secretary of State , his gray hair a severe military style and a stern look on his face. In all the pictures, Cate rarely saw him smiling. He was about the same age as—or maybe a few years older than—Andrew. Although not unattractive, his features were harder, more severe. She could tell that he was muscular from the way his arms filled out the jacket he was wearing. He lifted his hand across the table to shake hers.

  "Nice to meet you—?" he asked as a question, and she filled in the blank for him.

  "Katelyn. Nice to meet you, too." His gaze settled on her cleavage, and Cate felt dirty as he ogled her.

  "And this is Michael Sutter," Andrew said. Michael held out his hand to shake hers. And she took it.

  "Nice to meet you," she said. Michael appeared to be quite a bit older than the other two men. He
had graying hair slicked back in a typical politician hairstyle. He was not as fit as the other two, sporting a paunchy belly, but his suit was expensive, and his facial features pleasant-looking for an older man.

  The conversations rose around her, and though at first she couldn’t make heads or tails of them, she did her best to follow along. The food was exquisite, and she was quite glad that she'd decided on a steak. Andrew's eyebrows had almost disappeared beneath his hairline, and the two women had scowled at her after she'd ordered the steak. She didn't understand until the women's chicken salads were delivered. Ah, yes. They were hungry. Well, she wasn't going to apologize for feeding herself.

  Another round of drinks was ordered, although Cate had barely finished her wine. The men had moved on to the hard stuff, and the two ladies ordered girly drinks that contained words like “fruity” and “passion” and were served with tiny little umbrellas. Cate decided on a mojito, knowing that it was typically served in a smaller glass and filled with ice that would water down the alcohol. Once the order was placed, she excused herself to go to the ladies' room.

  "I'll go with you," Alison said, rising from her seat. As she scooted in front of Charles, her date, he squeezed her rear with his hand. Cate looked away. The display of affection was entirely inappropriate in mixed company. Even though they were escorts, she'd figured that some rules of decorum would still be observed. She'd figured wrong.

  "I guess I'll go, too," Stephanie said, and stood to follow them to the restroom.

  She pushed open the door, and both girls rounded on her.

  "Listen, we've been working together for months now. We know you’re new, so don't get in our way. Just play your part," Stephanie said.

  "What are you talking about?" Cate asked, confused by the conversation.

  "She's talking about what happens when we leave the restaurant and go to the hotel," Alison said, filling her in. "Stop freaking her out, Stephanie. It's her first time. Andrew will go easy on her."