by Sheila Kell
Megan leaned over the sink in the bathroom with her chest aching as she gasped for air. Fiery anger barreled through her. She dropped her head.
This can’t be happening.
Had everything been an act? Was she falling for someone who didn’t exist? Someone who only took advantage of their situation? Someone who adjusted his acting to be the person who kept her in line? Kept her from searching out Magic Shop’s bosses by herself to prevent her from taking away his arrest?
She wiped away the single tear that trickled down her cheek.
This should be pleasant news. He wasn’t a criminal. They could be together after this. They could try a relationship and see where it led.
No. She couldn’t live a life with someone who would deceive her. She’d never trust him. But she cared for the man she was on the run with, the man who had protected her and shown her great pleasure. She wanted that man, hoped it was the true AJ.
What would she do if she’d been spending time with a good actor? How different would he be? Would she continue to share his bed? Share information?
She had to face him. Another man in her life she couldn’t trust. He had a great deal of explaining to do..
Needing to give him a chance, she stiffened her back, willed her body to calm and left the bathroom.
* * * * *
Megan walked straight to the table and sat where AJ had placed a plate with an omelet for her. She didn’t look at him or speak. With the intensity she held her fork and cut through her omelet, he’d say she was still angry. He deserved that and more.
He sat but didn’t touch his fork. “Megan, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.” He didn’t know what else to say. He didn’t think anything he said could make this right.
She glared at him, her eyes smoldering with fury. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
The anger in her voice told him he had a lot of groveling to do. He needed her forgiveness and he wanted to be on her good side. They had little time left together, and he wanted to enjoy every moment of it.
Knowing his brother and Kate had been watching the hotel, he hadn’t needed to be on guard. So he’d relaxed and become his old self.
Arthur had already ripped into him about keeping her from the FBI. AJ didn’t want to hear the man once he found out AJ had been sleeping with her. That crossed a major line he’d be disciplined for. But it had been worth it.
Something about her held him captive. He couldn’t pinpoint it, but he’d never wanted to love and protect a woman more than he did Megan. Her love for life was contagious. Even the determination to find her brother’s killer hadn’t taken that light from her eyes.
Now he’d ruined it all. So goes the fucked up life of AJ Hamilton.
“I wanted to stay in my undercover persona, and I couldn’t be two different people. One for the world to see and one for you.”
She closed her eyes. “Are you different from the man I’ve been sleeping with?”
“I’m the same man you’ve been holed up with here. I’m not the man you met the first time. That’s who I was on the street, undercover.”
“Was I part of your cover?”
Pain radiated from her. God, he was such a bastard. “No. I wanted you. Still want you. That had nothing to do with any of this.”
“Then you should have shared,” she yelled.
“And let my real name slip. No way. I have a responsibility to protect this mission. Lives depend on it remaining secret.”
“Have you really killed people as an enforcer?”
This is where he could get into real trouble with Arthur, worse than bedding her, but he had to explain it to her. He wanted her to know the truth. “No.”
“How is that possible? You worked for him for months. He would’ve asked you to get rid of people.”
He sighed. “Megan, I can’t talk to you unless we’re off the record. Everything we talk about, including my identity can’t be shared.” Her jaw tightened so he quickly added, “At least for now. Later I’ll ensure you have an exclusive. I promise.”
“How is it possible you didn’t kill people for that vile man?”
“Are we off the record?”
Her short, tight nod spoke volumes of her reluctance to agree.
“The people I supposedly killed are in Wit Sec and will be testifying against Magic Shop. I made Damian think I was the best hitman he had, so they sent more people to me than anyone else. I was grateful to save lives, even criminal ones.”
Once someone learned a hit had been placed on them, they quickly offered to testify against the organization. The U.S. Marshals Service put them in protective custody and then the Witness Security Program, waiting until the task force could collect enough evidence to bring all of the leaders to trial.
“Why didn’t you stop the rest of the murders?”
She meant Kevin. “I didn’t know about them. The order went from the top to Damian to the enforcer. No one else was privy to the information. Believe me I tried to find out and take over.”
They hadn’t been able to wiretap Damian’s phone. Not being able to listen to his calls was the one thing that had disturbed AJ. That’s why his ability to jump into the enforcer role had been the best thing that happened for the task force. They’d needed someone to get close to the chief enforcer so they could keep an eye on him, in case any of them were ousted.
Hesitantly she asked, “Is my brother in witness protection?”
“No. He’s not,” he said in a regretful tone.
Her eyes misted.
“I’m sorry, Megan.” Her sadness broke something in his heart. He wished he could provide her with an answer that would please her. An answer that would take away her heartache.
Her eyes dried and slowly filled with torment. Putting her emotions aside to learn everything from him took strength.
“It’s okay. It had given me a brief flicker of hope.”
He itched to pull her onto his lap, hold her and soothe her. He was smart enough to know that now would not be the right time. His time in the dog house was far from over.
“How is it that you are so close to catching him when I’ve heard the FBI and DEA have been trying to bring him down for years?”
He had to hand it to her. She knew the right questions to ask. “We’re still off the record, right?”
She nodded.
“There is a task force that has been in place for years. When the enforcer role opened, it was too good for the FBI to pass up, but no one already undercover could gain the spot. That’s when I was pulled into the group and into that role. I’d been in that area undercover before as the ruthless AJ Sands so it stood to reason I could slip in the easiest.
“The team is ready to bust all of his advisors except one. The Magician is into more than drugs and prostitution.” He hesitated. “Megan, he also breaks convicts out of prison and gives them new lives where no one can find them. That’s why I’m involved. No one has been able to get close enough to that team or gain the information to locate the escapees.”
She gasped. “I knew there was a relationship between all of the prison breaks.”
Of course she did. The woman was damn good at her job. “It took the FBI years to link the breakouts to Magic Shop. I’m here to help pull the last piece together to help find out who the Magician is.”
She tapped her finger on her chin. “So, he sells drugs and women plus breaks convicts out of prison. I think he’s into extortion too, but neither Victoria nor I have been able to prove it.”
“I can prove extortion. Remember, I was an enforcer.”
He, unfortunately, had to tag along with Damian to impress upon store owners how important it was they pay on time. Thankfully, AJ hadn’t been asked to beat up any innocent victims.
He didn’t know how he’d have handled that order. He’d made it clear when he’d be
en hired by Damian that he was a hit-man and didn’t waste time beating up people. AJ believed in putting a bullet between the eyes. After testing him on a few hits, Damian agreed.
“I was only sent with another enforcer when they wanted the person to know what would happen to them next.”
It made his sick to the stomach to stand by when someone was being beaten. It went against his training and his morals. But this op was too important. The FBI knew when he went into the role there would be lines that would be blurred, in order for them to be successful. He’d been left to use his best judgment. What a fucking heavy weight on his shoulders.
“Add to your list money laundering. Just go with plain ole racketeering.”
Megan frowned. “So let me get this straight. You have everything on his top men, evidence and witnesses, and I can’t do a story on this.”
Self-disgust weaved its way up his spine. He’d dangled the story of her life in front of her, only to disappoint her by forcing her to put it on a shelf out of reach. “I’m sorry. A leak will drive him away. If we don’t take him down when we take his top men, he’ll just start all over somewhere else because it’s doubtful they will turn on him. And most importantly, there will still be a hit on you.”
He wanted the crime boss for that reason more than anything else. She couldn’t live in fear for the rest of her life. She deserved to live a normal life, marry and have kids. A burning sensation throbbed in his stomach and sweat covered his palms. Why did that thought create a pain in his heart? He’d never had a problem loving them and leaving them before. Sex was his escape mechanism. Escape from the pain he’d caused his family.
Besides, the two of them could never be. Their futures were slated in different directions.
Megan pushed her breakfast plate away from her and leaned forward on crossed arms. “What can I do to help you bring him down?”
“We need to go through the plan. The task force has agreed this is the best way to finally draw him out. To finally identify him. You’ll be a big part of that plan, and it’s almost time to put it into action. To get our final piece, I need to get back on the street. Which means we’ll be at risk. The FBI has wiretaps on all of the Magician’s advisors except Damian. He keeps changing burner phones, so we don’t have one on him. But we haven’t stopped trying.”
“Who are all of those men?” She pulled out her note pad and pen.
“You know who Carl and Damian are. Erin runs prostitution and the whore houses.” AJ glanced at her, knew how she was about foul language. “Sorry.”
She waved a hand.
“Paul is the head of the prison escape group, and Lawrence is in charge of money laundering.”
A frown chased her features. “How are you planning to bring them down?”
This part shouldn’t be shared, but he’d already broken every other rule. “I mentioned a task force earlier. It’s FBI, DEA and the U.S. Marshals Service. We weren’t sure how deep the Magician’s pockets were and didn’t want to risk leaks that would get anyone killed, so only the Director and Deputy Director of each group is privy to the mission. Arthur decided to out me to my new partner, Todd, when Magic Shop tried to kill me.
“The team is waiting for me. I’ve heard a new prison escape is due soon, and I know where to get the information on the escapees, but it’s not that simple.”
AJ rubbed the back of his neck. “I did participate in a prison break but, unfortunately, I had no idea what the mission was until I stepped on the plane and met the gang. It allowed me to identify the members of the team. However, I didn’t have enough time or privacy to coordinate an arrest. Plus, I’m not letting the Magician get away. He’s the mastermind behind all of this and needs to be behind bars if not six-feet under.”
She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes widened. “You broke someone out of prison?”
“Well, yeah.” He held up his hands palms out. “We had someone watching him. When given the signal he was to be arrested. Unfortunately, something happened and the rookie jumped the gun. Hank and I were blamed for Denzel’s capture.”
She drew her brows in, squinting. “So that’s why they tried to kill you?”
“Yes. They thought we had something to do with it. Damian was right, but he killed the wrong man.” He couldn’t feel bad about Hank’s death. Hank was lethal and enjoyed hurting people. If it wasn’t for AJ stepping in, he would have beaten several people to death.
“It’s a good thing you wore a bullet-proof vest.”
AJ laughed. “No vest is bullet-proof. Believe me. Mine has the hole to prove it. They help stop the bullet to keep it from hitting you. It does the job. Most of the time. Devon added one for you in our toy bag. It’s one of Kate’s so it should fit fairly well. And you are going to wear it on the street.”
“You said this was secret, but didn’t the other FBI agents notice you were missing at work?”
The way her mind cycled through this amazed him. She didn’t miss a thing. “I staged a big blowout and handed in my resignation. It never went through officially, although it appears that way in the computer systems at the bureau.”
“Hmm.” She tapped her chin with her index finger. “What’s next?”
“We’ll move close to Magic Shop’s turf. We have to find out what we can. I need that info on the next prison break. Who knows how long it will be until another one. He’s never conducted this many so close together before. We can’t count on that luck again.”
“Do you think it’s okay for us to be that close to them?”
“Not really. We shouldn’t be there. You shouldn’t be there. We’ll have to be extremely cautious and stay vigilant. Even though Kate and Jess are watching our back, our business will be accomplished swiftly so we’re on the streets as little as possible.”
Megan nodded. “I can get my sources and Victoria to meet me where it’s safe.”
AJ took a moment to decide. “We’ll use her for information, but no one knows about the prison breaks, and she doesn’t know I’m undercover.”
She huffed and snapped her arms across her chest. “We can trust her.”
“No.”
“Fine.”
“Good.” He paused. “Megan, maybe you should go with my brother. He’d keep you safe. We’ll be facing danger on the streets. Danger that could get us killed.”
She narrowed her eyes. “AJ Sands! I mean Hamilton! Quit trying to get rid of me. I know what we face, and I want to face it with you.”
He stared at her. He’d made his choice long ago even though he kept telling himself it might be the wrong one. But then again, neither could keep her completely safe. “Okay.”
“When are we moving?”
“Tomorrow.”
That meant they had tonight in this room. Tonight before all hell broke loose.
“Will you go over the people you know on the prison break side? I’d like to get a head start on an article for when I can publish it.”
“I’ll be glad to do that.”
He needed to worm his way back into her good graces, and this was easy.
* * * * *
Megan exited the bathroom dressed in flannel pajamas covered with flamingos. Not a good sign. Still AJ stood in the living room, his arms crossed over his chest, watching her. Did she want him in her bed? They’d had a good time together the rest of the afternoon.
She hadn’t forgiven him, but she hadn’t closed him out.
He held his breath as she stopped, slowly turned and looked at him. She smiled. He dropped his arms and walked toward her, never breaking eye contact. He engulfed her in his arms and lightly touched his lips to hers.
She moved her arms around his neck and leaned into him. He groaned and his heart expanded.
He pulled her tight, whispered her name softly in her ear before his tongue brushed it.
They m
ade love slow and passionately. When AJ entered her, he knew he was finally where he belonged.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“I have to leave you alone, AJ. Kate is on her way to the hospital with Jason,” Jesse said. “Stay alert and stay put until one of us is able to return.”
AJ stood at the chilled window. The sun’s direct glare turned the powdery, soft carpet of snow into blinding whiteness. Gazing up, a bright blue cloudless sky greeted him. “What’s wrong with him?” He’d been undercover when Kate and his brother adopted the teenager after his parents died while he’d been in the hospital battling Leukemia. AJ’s stomach turned over at the thought of his new nephew back in the hospital for any reason. He wanted a chance to meet him.
“It sounds like a broken arm. That’s not the point. Do not leave this hotel until Kate or I return.”
“We’re moving.”
“Dammit, AJ! Stay the fuck there!”
His brother had to know that wouldn’t happen. The time had come for him to complete this journey to regain his and Megan’s lives back. Much to his dismay, their little couple’s retreat had come to an end.
These moments were precious. Something he needed to keep from falling too far off the cliff. Memories that made him smile.
He’d taught her to play poker. After she turned around and beat him several times, he changed their game back to Blackjack. He’d laughed until his sides hurt when they’d played Slapjack. Her bottom lip should have permanent indents from her biting it so hard in her concentration on the pile of cards.
And then there were the intimate moments. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d made love to a woman as he had Megan. Maybe he never had.
“You’ll know where to find us.”
“I guess I don’t have a fucking choice. Let me just check on him, and I’ll be there. At least stay put once you get there.”
“Give the family my love.”
AJ turned to Megan. Her beauty, both inside and out, made him yearned to pull her close. His heart ached, because for her safety he’d eventually have to leave her.
He cleared his throat. “Are you ready?”
