“Yeah.” He leaned closer and whispered. “Like knowing who Giovanni is working for. I know Ethan has people working on figuring that out, but I hate the lack of information. We don’t have a time scale. We just know we have to work fast. It’s not good enough.” He shrugged.
“Wes, it’s not ideal but the way the unit works is to identify a problem and nip it straight away. That eliminates the bigger picture. I get the prints and there is no big picture.”
That was true. Which was why I was focusing on the parts I needed to.
“Just like that? And intel? Intel can be wrong you know.”
I nodded. “Yes, intel can definitely be wrong but we have to go with what we know.”
“And, that’s the problem I have. It feels like we don’t know enough. Come on Xander if this was you and me we’d be looking at people like The Chameleon? Get to the head and see what the rest of the body is doing.”
He wasn’t wrong but it didn’t work that way. This was my world. Working with the unknown and filling in the blanks. It was different.
“Everything you’re saying makes sense. You are right, but in all my time I’ve never known anyone to be successful in locating The Chameleon for more than five minutes in any location. Ethan is going with what can be localized and contained.”
“I hear you but there’s gonna be a point where things start moving along and you won’t know what’s happening because we don’t know the bigger picture.”
This was all going to be hard.
“I just have to focus.”
“Well, you should know we’re being watched and I’m not moving. This meal is too good.” He smiled and nodded.
I stifled a groan.
The fact that he knew we were being watched and I hadn’t even sensed it was not good. I had to be at the hotel in an hour to meet my new boss. This was supposed to be my time to gather my thoughts before I left.
“We’re not leaving,” I agreed. I hadn’t even eaten yet.
“Well I’m glad to hear that blondie.”
“Where are they?”
“Two guys to the far left. Don’t look, you’ll look obvious. They’re Giovanni’s guys.”
I cut into my steak and started eating. Once I’d swallowed, I took a sip of my wine and rested my hands on the table before me.
“I guess they’re still impressed by last night.” I could be a real show off when I wanted to be and last night I didn’t hold back.
Attention to detail was me. I damn well paid attention to everything and saw the slight outline of the cards in Giovanni’s pocket.
I was only half certain that was where he was keeping them, then got it confirmed when I watched one guy look through nearly his whole deck of cards before the poison took him. I knew then there wouldn’t be any red queens in the stacks.
Like my childhood games, it was a game of chance. Risk. I took it and seized the chance to shine. That was why these guys were here.
“I can’t say I’m loving my new job.”
Wes shook his head. “Me neither friend, but I’m here. It gets to me that I can’t do more to help.”
“I’ll be okay.”
The most Wes could do was listen in. I was going in with a virtually undetectable wire. A state of the art flesh colored spec of a device no bigger than the nib of a pen that molded to the back of my ear. It switched on and off with the tap of my finger.
Giovanni’s people would not have been able to detect it. It was something far more high tech than what Wes and I used on the usual run of the mill. Definitely impressive and most appreciated since I would have hated to get caught with something that would blow my cover. The first thing Giovanni would think was that I was a cop or a fed come to spy on him. He wouldn’t know that I was so much worse than that.
“Just gotta figure out what I need to,” I added.
Wes nodded then a smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “And the girl? You mentioned she was there last night, but you didn’t elaborate.”
How observant of him. I had my reasons for not elaborating last night, or the night before and I still had them now.
Off limits…
That was what she was. Off limits to me and I needed to keep that at the forefront of my damn mind.
“Nothing to elaborate on,” I answered when he intensified his stare.
He frowned. “The woman is hot. Don’t lie to me and tell me you don’t think so. Your face the other night said different.”
Didn’t matter what my damn face looked like, she was off limits.
“Wes, drop it. Seriously, what do you think is gonna happen? I need to focus on her father.” I nodded and he pressed his lips together.
This was hard enough as it was. No point making it harder.
I knew just how hard this job could get in the sense that I might have to kill Giovanni.
I might have to kill her father and I’d already gotten more involved than I would have wanted to by showing her compassion.
I read people very well and I could see she cared deeply for him. Even though she also saw he was a cold-hearted sadistic son of a bitch.
Love always complicated things.
I got to The Grand Marchesi and was searched on entry.
Once the guards were satisfied I wasn’t carrying anything and I wasn’t any kind of threat, I was taken up to a meeting room on the tenth floor. The floor above the casino.
The room held a view of the casino through the floor to ceiling glass wall.
Great view for sure, except the woman in the room was a much better view.
Jia Marchesi wore red tonight.
Blood red. The dress she had on looked more businesslike than last night’s dress of seduction. Tonight’s dress still clung to that body of hers all the same, like it was painted on her.
With her hair pulled back into a ponytail all the attention was drawn to her high exotic cheekbones and the fan of thick black lashes cast a shadow over them as she looked me over.
The men left me inside with her and quite honestly I was a little thrown by her presence. Didn’t expect to see her at all.
She straightened up and I noticed the tray on the table with the teapot, teabags, and sachets of sugar set out invitingly.
“My father likes to have tea at this time before a meeting,” she explained.
“Really?” It was hard to imagine a man like Giovanni sitting down to drink tea.
“Yeah. It’s Earl Grey. He asked me to bring enough for you too, in case you wanted some.” She kept eye contact with me the whole time she spoke. It was a sign of confidence.
I knew I shouldn’t like that but I did.
“I’m not a tea drinker,” I replied.
The corners of her full red glossy lips tipped with the beginning of a smile. “Okay. What do you drink?”
I didn’t miss the spark of curiosity in her eyes.
“Water.”
“That’s good. People should drink more water.” She bit back a smile.
I walked closer to the table, shrugged out of my jacket and set it on the back of the chair.
She continued to watch me, observing. “Do you really play golf?” she asked.
“Yes.” I might not have played in a while but I played when I could. It was something I’d picked up over the years as a distraction.
“And do you even have a cat? You don’t look like a cat person.”
I chuckled. “What does a cat person look like?”
“Not like you. I figured you more for a low maintenance pet. Like some kind of reptile. Maybe a lizard like an iguana, or an insect like a praying mantis. Not something you’d take vacation leave for.”
“I used to have a cat.” When I was a boy I’d picked up a stray cat that reminded me of myself. I called it Winks because something was wrong with her eye. It made her wink a lot. I had her for three years until she ran away and I never found her. In my head sometimes I’m still that kid with his cat. Last night I used the reference more as a joke.
&n
bsp; “How did you do what you did last night?”
I raised my shoulders into a shrug. “Attention to detail.”
She shook her head. “That was some off the charts attention to detail and you would have known the cards were in my father’s pocket when you drank the poison, yet you still drank it… Why’d you do that?”
“Rules of the game. Besides, I didn’t think it would go down well to go rogue on simple instructions in a job interview.”
“That wasn’t a job interview.” Darkness and dread filled her eyes and that desperation called out to me again.
It was how she’d looked last night. It wasn’t hard to figure out that she wasn’t used to the violence.
“It was to me,” I stated.
“Are you used to that sort of interview? Where you could die if you don’t get the tasks right?” She raised her brows and rested her hands on the back of the chair nearest her.
“Yes. Do you usually sit in on your father’s recruitment sessions?” I knew the answer was no, but that was my roundabout way of asking if she was okay. “You seemed quite surprised at his methods.”
“It was my first. I was there because I needed to speak to him about something of great importance.”
“Couldn’t it wait?”
“No. It was the sort of thing that couldn’t. But, after last night I think I’ll choose my timing better.”
After last night most people I knew would head for the hills. I certainly would have. She, however, was working her way around it. I guessed though, it had to be different for her.
I could imagine Giovanni wanting to keep tabs on her, if only to check that she kept her silence. Most people I knew would be in danger of what they’d witnessed last night. She saw it all.
Her gaze dropped to my lips and lingered there. Then the desperation in her eyes shifted to something else. Desire.
Desire was off limits.
Off limits…
Again…that was what I had to keep right there in my mind, although I wouldn’t have minded forgetting for one night.
“What?” I asked, throwing her.
Her eyes widened slightly. “What do you mean?”
“You’re looking at my lips?” I smiled and pressed my lips together.
Her cheeks flushed and the slight throw of her confidence actually made her look sexier than she already was.
“Maybe I like your lips,” she answered, regaining her confidence again.
I stepped closer and stopped a breath away from her. Maybe it was too close into her personal space but I was making a point.
“You shouldn’t.”
She lifted her head higher and tilted it to the side. “Why not?”
I widened my smile. “I’m off limits to you.”
She flashed me dazzling white teeth, perfect and straight and a little laugh escaped her lips. “I’ve never heard that before.”
“First for everything.”
She stared at me and set her delicate shoulders back. “You never gave your name last night.”
I was sure they’d have a name for me.
In normal undercover circumstances I would have used some false ID. Not this trip. Ethan had arranged to wipe my records after my enlistment with the marines. So, it just looked like I’d served, done my duty and changed paths from there. It was like my life in intelligence never happened.
Ironic, because sometimes I wished it never had.
“Xander Cage,” I told her.
Giovanni was the kind of man who would have had my name if he had his goons following me around. Maybe though, he hadn’t shared it with his daughter.
The twinkle came back to her eyes and worked its way to her lips. “Xander Cage. That’s a nice name. I’m Jia Marchesi. I’m sure you already knew that though.”
I never got to answer. The door opened and in came Giovanni.
He cast one glance at Jia and she took a step back away from me.
The asshole from last night he’d called his most trusted knight was right beside him.
Jia walked up to them and just glared at her father as she stepped past and left us. Clearly angry at him for something.
He gazed after her for a few seconds then returned his attention to me.
“Xander Cage,” he said and opened out his palms.
I chuckled to myself at the mention of my name. I knew he’d find it out.
When a smile filled his face, I geared myself up to start my new job.
Chapter Eight
Xander
I was glad when Armand left us.
I didn’t want the prick eyeballing me throughout the meeting, with that stupid tension and jealousy because I made him look bad last night.
The way I figured it from his body language was this; he was the brown-nosing ass kisser who had a major thing for the boss’ daughter.
All of what I did last night, from handing Jia the tissue to impressing the boss had placed me in his bad books.
I expected to see a lot of negativity from him.
“Did my staff get you up here okay?” Giovanni asked.
We’d sat down around the meeting table and he’d just made himself a cup of tea.
“Yes, they did. They made sure to give me the five star treatment with the search too. Are you sure I don’t need a strip search or an internal?”
He chuckled and regarded me with raised brows. “Mr. Cage you are one interesting character. It’s like you don’t realize I could end you with little more than a word.”
I sighed, brought my hands together and cracked my knuckles. “Can you? I’m not so sure about that. Even so, I’m not afraid of you.” I wanted him to know that right off the bat.
It wasn’t me talking big or doing anything to make myself look like I was more powerful than him. It was more that case of respect. Each of these guys were different. Respect came in different ways.
I’d learned very quickly that this man did not like any kind of weakness. No matter what it was.
“Why? Why aren’t you afraid of me?”
I smirked. “Because you need me. Last night was the interview because you needed people for a job. Nothing to fear there, and I’m here for my first meeting with you. You need me for something.”
“Wow.” He steepled his fingers and gazed at me. “Impressive. As impressive as your background check. And vague too. Ex-military and then nothing more. Most ex-military men don’t sign up to work for people like me.”
“I’m not like most ex-military men,” I answered simply.
“I gathered that. So were you ever interested in joining something like the police force or FBI?”
“Nope.” At least that was the truth. I needed something more exciting. Something that allowed me to truly use all my skills and abilities. Something that wouldn’t be restrictive to a guy like me.
“Well that’s great. Like most mobsters I hate cops, and any kind of government authority. So, the good news is you’re in. Welcome to the team.”
I smiled. “Thank you. Do I get to meet the other three recruits?” I wasn’t sure what more games he would have played last night, but I was sure the other guys would have definitely been more mindful before volunteering themselves.
“There are no others.”
“What? Did you kill everyone in the room?” I grinned.
He chuckled again and pointed at me. “Nope. I didn’t. I decided that after your little show I didn’t need anybody else. Well done. I haven’t seen the keen eye or tactics you exhibited before. I’m not sure whether to be amused, impressed, blown away. Or all of it. It does, however, make me wonder a little more about you.”
To give him the run down on me I’d have to write a book.
It was perhaps best to leave out the parts about me being a thief.
Me in a nutshell was twofold. I could steal anything with my eyes shut and get out of any situation. Those were my practical skills.
Technical skills branched off from that because it was the art of manipulation I used
to hack any system and decrypt any kind of password. It was just how my brain worked. It processed things at a hundred miles per hour and picked them apart. That was me.
“I’m sure you’ll get to know me as we work together,” I answered.
“I’m sure I will. Especially since I have a few special things I’d love for you to work on.”
Special… I really hoped that was special as in we were going to get to the subject of the blueprints.
“Special?” I asked trying to tamp down my zeal.
He took a sip of his tea and set the cup back down on the saucer. Seriousness washed over his face and worry brimmed his eyes. He pulled a Cuban cigar from the inside of his jacket and held it up to me.
“You smoke?”
I shook my head. “Not lately.”
“But you used to?”
“Yes, until I set fire to my foster parents house and they kicked me out.”
“Foster parents? Did you ever think to look up your real parents?”
I was always suspicious of people who were either trying to sidestep a direct question or avoid giving an answer.
“Yes.”
“Did you find them?”
“No.” That would always be the answer because I’d blotted out the truly horrific meeting I’d had with my father who was furious that I’d found him. The warning he gave my eighteen-year-old ass to never look for him again was enough to fend me off forever.
I could only hope that my mother would have had more compassion if she’d lived after giving birth to me. The records stated that she’d asked specifically for me to be given the name I had. Cage was not my father’s name. It was her maiden name although she was married to my father. My father, the high flying lawyer who lived somewhere in Chicago with his new family. After meeting him, I understood why she’d wanted to give me her maiden name.
Story for another time.
Giovanni lit up his cigar, took a puff and blew out a ring of smoke.
“Mr. Cage, may I call you Xander?”
“Of course.”
“The first thing you need to know about me and any job in relation to me is that my daughter is the most important thing to me. She’s special to me. I like what you did for her last night.” He leaned his elbow on the edge of the table.
Game of Love : A Mafia Romance Page 7
