“You’re a pretty perceptive woman, Ariana, and your questions are valid.” He takes his glass and swirls the liquid around it, causing the ice cubes to clink against the crystal. It’s mesmerizing; not so much the action, but watching his fingers grip the glass…so long and thick…dammit, what the hell question did I just ask him? My mind is cluttered with a string of XXX-rated video clips that would even be too graphic for PornHub.
I drag my gaze away and focus on my glass instead. “You’re avoiding.” At least, I think he is. I’m so clouded by lust, I can barely breathe.
His grin deepens. “Much of what we know is under lock and key. You’ve only been made aware of what I want you to know. And for the record, if we suspected you had any links to Conlon, personal or otherwise, we wouldn’t be sitting here right now.”
“So you’ve been spying on me. Find anything interesting?” I meet his gaze, trying to keep a hint of suggestion in my voice, even though my stomach is clenched tight with anticipation. He’s bluffing. He’s waiting to see how I’ll answer. He can’t possibly—
“I think I was most taken by the black belt in tae kwon do.” He hesitates to sip from his glass, his deep, gravelly voice filled with innuendo. “Curious to see how you execute some of those more complicated moves.”
I lift an eyebrow, leaning closer. My head is a little woozy, but not sober enough for me to convince myself to stop the next words from tumbling out of my mouth. “It’s been a while since I trained, but they’re really good when you want someone to submit quickly.”
“Quickly, huh? That doesn’t sound like much fun.”
“It is when you’re the one being attacked.”
“I’d like to experience it for myself before I give an opinion.”
“That can be arranged.” I flash a smile before taking another sip of vodka.
“Are we talking about group play? I’m okay with that, but I much prefer one on one.”
“Interesting. I might have pegged you differently.” I force out a giggle. If he thinks he’s going to work me over with a little bit of vodka and innuendo, he hasn’t done as much background checking on me as he’d like to think. Like I’ve never done the exact same thing myself a million times before. I’m the fucking master of the work over, and it’s gotten me to where I am today. “You know what really gets me going?”
“I hope that’s not a rhetorical question.”
My eyes narrow. “You might wish it is in a second. Now, let’s rewind, shall we?”
Jeff’s eyes darken. They’d been heavy with lust seconds earlier, until I called him out on his own game. I’m not a sucker. His back straightens, face guarded. But his gaze doesn’t move from my face. He studies me, almost like he’s debating about how much to actually divulge. He has no clue what he’s up against.
I bite my lip to keep from smiling. The power has just shifted. Now, I want answers. “Tell me about Conlon. What does he want with Scarlet? And why did you really want to meet me, Jeff? What do you want?”
Chapter Fifteen
JEFF
Never judge a book by its cover.
That’s what they say. And they are fucking right.
Ariana Carlson runs her own show for a reason. She doesn’t let shit go, and she always gets what she wants. I was just curious to see how far I could push before she went full circle on me, but the vodka didn’t seem to have the effect I’d hoped it would.
Trey Conlon. He’s a fucking scumbag. The perfect example of a guy with a Napoleon complex. Short, attitude five times his size, with a need to be balls-deep inside the hottest names in Hollywood. Since he’s a huge investor in film and knows every producer and casting director by name, he has wannabes dropping their panties when he so much as looks at them. He promises these little bitches the spotlight because of his connections, and gets more pussy than a rock star. Did I mention he has a wife and kids? Or that he’s a fucking criminal?
He needs to pay for his wrongs, and I’d sure as hell like to see his pint-sized ass get railroaded, exactly the way he’s done to others. People like him ruin lives, they steal dreams, and that get-out-of-jail-free card in his wallet is about to be torn up and incinerated.
Money makes the world go round, and power feeds the beast. Conlon’s got an insatiable craving for both. It makes him dangerous and unpredictable. That’s already been proven. And I’ll be damned if I let him sink his claws into another unsuspecting victim.
I need eyes on him at all times. Because he’s watching for me, too, and this time, he’s not running away.
But none of this can be divulged to Ariana. Knowing too much makes people curious for more. That puts them in the line of fire. And sometimes, they wind up facing the barrel of a gun. I’d like to avoid that with Ariana, so I’ll give her just enough to keep her happy and somewhat informed.
I throw her a couple of bones because that’s about all I can afford right now. She’s the only one who can help us get to him, and I need her to trust me. “Conlon is involved with a lot of shady dealings. The porn ring is only one. Guys like him are slimy bastards, and sooner or later, their need for power makes them sloppy. That’s what I was hired to exploit. Once he fucks up, he’s mine.” I’d like to say she’s swallowing this bullshit, but the doubtful look on her face tells me, in no uncertain terms, she isn’t.
“And Scarlet? What purpose does she serve?”
“She can help set up surveillance.”
“I thought Ollie already took care of that.”
“The feeds aren’t working. Scarlet can drop a bug so I can keep my eyes and ears on Conlon.”
“Isn’t that illegal? Involving a civilian? Threatening her with defamation of character?”
“She should have thought about the consequences while she was letting him fuck her up the ass.” I need a diversion in the form of fake tits and bleached blonde hair, and Scarlet is it. He knows he’s running out of time, and pretty soon, he’ll also know I’m the one holding the stopwatch.
Ariana’s large green eyes study me for a few seconds. Even in the dim bar lighting, I can see the flecks of gold twinkle in the depths. The gears are turning, I can almost smell the smoke. The woman is no idiot. She didn’t graduate at the top of her class from law school because of her rack and her smile. I didn’t expect her to agree immediately, but this next response almost makes me fall off my stool. “Okay.”
There’s no way she’s letting me off with that scotch-tinged explanation. Christ, a first-year analyst could have come up with something more convincing. She flips her long, dark hair over a shoulder and picks up her glass. Her perfumed scent lingers in the air between us, almost serving as an invisible barrier to entry. Fuck. Game over. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking. I’m too desperate, I’m not thinking clearly. This was a futile attempt to get into Conlon’s head. Ariana would never put her clients in harm’s way, not when she spends so much time and effort keeping them away from direct attacks.
Then the axe falls.
“I’m not letting my client run interference for you. If you’re so hungry for information, I’ll do it. I’ll be the bait.”
My cock twitches. Great timing. Her willingness to help a virtual stranger get answers, pretty much on the blind, astounds and excites me. And her drive, loyalty, and protective nature really makes me want to fuck her senseless against the bar right now.
But it can’t happen. I won’t let her get tangled in his sick and twisted web of lies. She’s too damn smart, and if she tips him off, I’ll never get the answers I need. He’ll go running for the hills with his dick tucked between his legs before someone can take a machete to it. And then I’ll lose my chance.
Scarlet will just giggle a lot, strip out of her skimpy clothes, and suck his cock. She’ll swallow my bullshit, no questions asked.
Ariana…fuck, that’s not what I want her to swallow.
“You can’t do it.”
Her eyes widen. “Why the hell not? Or is an IQ of less than 50 required to carry out rec
on for what I’m presuming is a federal investigation?”
I bite back a smile at her belligerence. She’s sexy as hell when she’s pissed off. “Look, you know too much. I can’t have you seduce this asshole and wander into his house, taking mental notes on everything you see. I barely know you, and can already predict the Spanish Inquisition you’d force on him before he can drop his pants.”
Her cheeks stain pink and she averts her eyes. “I’d have to…sleep with him?”
“Why else would you be there?”
She shrugs. “Maybe I can make up some excuse about working with his publicist for a project?”
“Then why would you be at his house without his publicist?”
“Gotcha,” she murmurs, twisting a loose strand of hair around her finger. “I can call a meeting with him about upcoming projects for Scarlet. Things we want to get into the media, schedules, appearances…those are all legitimate reasons for meeting with him.”
I shake my head. “You’re too smart for your own good.”
“I can’t put Scarlet in the line of fire. What if he finds out what she’s trying to do?”
“He won’t. He’ll be more focused on what he wants to do to her.” I place my hand on top of hers to silence the tapping of her nails on the bar. She looks up at me, eyes wide. I drink in that intoxicating gaze and see so much floating in those pools of jade – hope, curiosity, excitement maybe? I yank my hand away as if I’d just touched a searing hot coil, before I let myself sink into her quicksand. Because I can’t lose sight of my objective, and I won’t rest until the job is finished.
Ariana clears her throat and fiddles with her watch. “We just wire her up? Is this even legal?”
“No wires. I’ll give her specific instructions on what to do when she gets inside. I promise you, she won’t be in any danger. But it has to be done quickly.” Conlon’s going to slip up at some point, and I need to be ten steps ahead of him when he does. Who he calls, who he meets, what he fucking eats, everything is relevant right now. As brilliant as Ollie is, he can’t get in deep enough from the outside. No, I need Scarlet to divert his attention with her golden pussy. Then, he’ll be mine.
“Are you sure this is the best way to go about your investigation? I’m not convinced Scarlet will be able to get you any real information. It’s not like she’s a trained professional.” She snickers. “Criminally-speaking.”
God, I want to drive into her so badly, but that’s the surest way for me to get thrown off-course. Anything that can compromise my ability to think straight will cripple my efforts. It’s happened plenty of times in the past, and right now, the stakes are just too high. Still, five fucking years is a long ass time. “The less she knows, the more effective she’ll be.”
She nods. “What’s the plan?”
“Conlon just invested in a new movie and the female lead is a singer. The casting director is going to recommend Scarlet. He’ll arrange for a special meeting with her at his house because that’s where he does his best work, if you know what I mean. That’s our opportunity.”
“You sound pretty confident about how this is going to work.”
My grin deepens. “I’ve been plotting for a long time, Ariana.” If that isn’t the understatement of the century. I’ve finally collected all of the pieces, now I just need to make sure they fit together. And fast.
Chapter Sixteen
JEFF
I take a deep breath, pacing the cobblestones in Central Park early the next morning. A quick glance at my watch confirms he’s late. Will he even show up? If he doesn’t, I have nobody but myself to blame. I had a chance to nurture a relationship with my son, and I blew it, just like my dad blew his chance.
The chill in the early morning air whispers through my t-shirt, but I don’t feel it. I adjust my sunglasses and sink onto a bench. Kegs is right. My head is so fucked up right now, I’m not thinking. I’m just doing.
Acting without thinking gets you fired and thrown in jail, even if your intentions are good.
Nothing comes easily, Jeff. Nothing comes without hard work. Words I’d heard more times from my father than I’d cared to count. He never acted without thinking. His only flaw was working too long and hard to provide for my mom and me. But then the axe fell, and his pension and investment accounts shriveled up like a dick in cold water, just like his dreams for retirement. All because of degenerate assholes like Conlon. Everything in my life fell apart after that. I clench my fists, allowing the toxic memories to finally surface after all this time. It still fucking hurts like hell to think about what happened, and what could have been. My mother had been sick, really sick, when it happened. My dad’s finances were drained, and he couldn’t afford the treatments she needed. When she passed away, he couldn’t handle the guilt and the loss, so he took off, leaving me on my own with nothing. I didn’t care about money, but I needed my father; he, on the other hand, just wanted to die. A year later, I got a call that the police had found his body. He’d died of a heart attack, alone, just like he’d wanted it. All because he’d worked hard for the wrong fucking people. I made it my goal to find the criminals who got rich off of people like my dad and put them behind bars. I wanted to steal their livelihoods, just like they’d stolen the livelihoods of all of their victims.
But somebody up the chain at the FBI didn’t like that I was getting too close to an assault on Conlon; somebody who was on the take. Before long, I was fired for some bullshit reason. I’d never found out who set me up for that fall.
But all the wrongs Conlon committed still needed to be made right, so I took matters into my own hands and ended up in prison. Where the fuck was the justice?
“Dad.”
My heart lurches when I hear Damon’s gruff voice. I jump to my feet, jolted from my unwelcome nightmare. The tightness in my throat barely allows for any air to escape. God, it’s been too long. I reach out and he stares at my hand, not making a single move toward a connection. His dark, brooding eyes, strong jawbone, and muscular frame match mine. He always was my carbon copy, from the time he was born.
Unfortunately, he also got my stubborn ass demeanor, which isn’t going to bode well now. “How are you?”
“Fine. I heard you got out. Glad you finally decided to return my call.” His voice drips with some combination of sarcasm and disdain. “I guess you know I’m getting married next weekend. Mom said she gave you the invitation for the shower, not that I really give a shit whether or not you come.”
I let out a deep sigh. “Damon, I’m so sorry—“
“Sorry for what, Dad?” He sneers. “Sorry for making it your own personal quest to take down the bad guys by becoming one of them yourself and landing in a concrete cell? Sorry for missing out on the last five years of my life because you couldn’t let go of the past? All in the name of making sure justice was served? I think you’ve made it pretty fucking clear I’m not important enough to rate. Maybe I should’ve been a white collar criminal. Then, I’d have warranted at least a shred of your attention.”
An icy hand clenches my heart. I’m a fucking horrible father, a horrible person, for everything I’ve done and everything I still plan to do. “Damon, I understand how you feel. I’ve done a shitty job of proving otherwise, but you have to believe I never wanted things to turn out this way. I love you more than anything.”
“Yeah, well, you have a fucked up way of showing it.” He sighs and looks away. “My life doesn’t have a revolving door. You’re either in or you’re out. I’m about to start my own family, and I’m going to do it right. I’m never going to let my wife or kids think for a second they’re not the most important things in my life.”
“You have every right to feel that way, but don’t write me off, Damon. I made so many mistakes. Let me make up for them.”
“Why should I believe you? You made Mom the same bullshit promises and look what happened there?”
“I know I haven’t given you many reasons to believe me, but I’m asking you to trust me this
time. I’m trying to start over, and I want to be a part of your life. Please give me another chance.”
“I can’t do this anymore, Dad. If you want to walk away, go. Just please don’t come back. I’m tired of crawling on the floor, ready to lick up whatever crumbs you drop for me when you find the time between arrests. I need a father, a real father, not a fucking ghost who comes back to haunt me out of guilt after he’s kicked me to the curb one too many times.”
The tortured look on his face…Christ, it slices through my insides. I’ve hurt him over and over again in order to make myself whole. And after all this time, I haven’t been able to piece anything back together. I’ve continuously failed. So, no surprise, I lose. Again.
“I want to be part of your life. I don’t expect things to turn around overnight, but I’m trying. I’ve got a job as a private investigator now. I’m not running anymore. I promise.”
Damon shakes his head. I’m not even sure he’s heard anything I just said. “You missed so much, and for what? To try to right the wrongs of the world? Because you needed closure? You know what? I’ve never gone through something like that, so maybe I’m being a self-centered ass, but I’m here! You didn’t lose me! Don’t I fucking count? And why should I welcome you back in after all this time? Because now you realize what a fucking tool you’ve been? I’m not a yo-yo. I’m your son. I’m all you have left. And if I walk away, I guarantee the door slams shut for good. Are you finally ready to let all of this go, Dad? Because if you’re not, leave me the fuck alone.”
I nod as the lie tumbles from my lips. “I’m back. For good.”
He narrows his eyes. “Okay. You’d better be.”
“I promise.” Lies! They never stop. I’ve been perpetrating them for years and years, and there’s no end in sight.
They say the truth shall set you free.
In my case, it’ll skin me alive and castrate me before I have any bit of freedom. The noose is too tight, and it’s getting tighter with each passing day.
Dirty, Dark, & Dangerous: A Contemporary Romance Boxset Page 38
