by ANDREA SMITH
I was embarrassed that he’d called me out like some starry-eyed teenager. Everything he said sounded logical to me, except for the fact that I didn’t see Kyzer as being a villain in any of this.
I did think that Taz was a bit out of sorts that we wouldn’t be sleeping together anymore. I knew about the male ego. At this point, the fact that I was working on developing a relationship with Kyzer would ultimately lead to it being a sexual one.
I felt that Taz was struggling with that, not because he was emotionally invested, but because it was a matter of male dominance. I’d learned all about it in my Psych classes.
We’d reached the building where my first class was scheduled. I marveled that Taz had known exactly where it was located without me giving directions or him having been here before. Then I remembered that Taz had done his homework as far as my schedule and the location of my classes. He was taking this seriously and I needed to respect that.
“Thanks for the lift. I’ll take your advice regarding Kyzer and anyone else for that matter. I apologize for doubting your motives.”
I turned and opened the passenger side door to exit his truck. Just as I’d jumped down to the pavement from his truck, Taz informed me he would see me between classes.
“Okay, then I’ll see you in about ninety minutes.”
“Lindsey,” he said, as I started to shut the door of his truck. I looked over at him. “Aren’t you going to give me a kiss goodbye?” he asked, tapping the side of his cheek with a finger.
I shook my head in exasperation and shut the door, turning to walk up towards the entrance to the building. I heard his sexy laughter as he pulled away.
chapter 23
~ TAZ ~
I watched Lindsey walk into the building where her first class was scheduled. I enjoyed watching her perky little cupcake ass wiggle just a tad in those tight jeans she was wearing. My mind pictured what that ass looked like naked. Shit! It was perfect and why the hell was I fucking torturing myself with it?
I pulled away and cruised through the lot, looking for the Benz that Kyzer Stanfield drove. I found it in the lot across from Simmons Hall. Black sedan, Florida license plate 787 Tango, Bravo, Delta. Yeah. T.B.D. as in “To Be Determined.”
I parked the truck down from the lot, shutting it off. I slipped from my truck, reaching in the back seat I opened my laptop, going into the Intel files that had been gathered so far.
Kyzer Michael Stanfield, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 10, 1992 to Thomas and Lila Stanfield. He was their only child, born to Lila when she was 42 years old.
Lila died as a result of a cerebral hemorrhage on October 6, 1996. The death certificate listed the cause as natural, resulting from acute hypertension. She stroked out at the age of 46.
Thomas Stanfield, born on February 7, 1945, in New York City. Graduated magna cum laude from Columbia University in 1967.
He married the younger Lila Mae Evans in June of 1980, after already starting Stanfield Industries, currently known as The Stanfield Group.
The Stanfield Group is a privately owned business having three segments of operation: Stanfield Industries, the flagship entity located in Philadelphia, is a manufacturing facility specializing in plastic injection molded parts of all sizes and configurations, serving the transportation industry.
Stanfield Trading Company located in Miami, Florida, imports chemicals, powdered coatings, raw materials, machine tools and other miscellaneous industrial products.
The newest addition to the Stanfield portfolio is Stanfield Research, located in Atlanta, Georgia. That business segment was established by Thomas Stanfield in early 2010. It’s listed as a research and development facility for organic dietary supplements, boasting their own brand name of “Orga-Blend.”
At sixty-eight years of age, Thomas Stanfield is no longer physically able to run the operations of the group. His current wife, Sue Ellen Beasley-Stanfield, is acting CEO of the group. Both Mr. and Mrs. Stanfield currently reside in Naples, Florida.
None of the family had any criminal records. In fact, Kyzer was what we referred to as being squeaky clean, meaning our background check couldn’t cough up so much as a parking ticket. That kind of shit typically made me suspicious.
The stepmother was clean as well. Sue Ellen Beasley was thirty-five years old. She went to work for the Stanfield Group in 2008, eventually becoming old man Stanfield’s executive assistant. The two of them tied the knot on New Year’s Day in 2009.
There was nothing in particular that stood out in any of the information or bios, yet instinctually, something seemed not quite right. Younger women marry older, wealthy men all the time. There was certainly nothing there that connected Jack Dennison with the Stanfields.
I still planned to keep a close watch on Kyzer. His deepening interest in Lindsey and desire to take care of her and see to her safety didn’t sit well with me for a couple of reasons. It wasn’t simply my knowing that he wanted in her panties, although the thought of him being inside of her seriously made me want to shoot his preppy dick off. It was more than that.
It seemed too coincidental with the timing of events. Why in the hell was he attending the University of Virginia, anyway?
Hell, his old man was a graduate of Columbia. They certainly had the money to send him to a university of that caliber. It wasn’t close to home either.
I pulled up my cell phone and called Kim back at the division.
“Hey, sweet thing,” I crooned to her when she answered.
“What do you want from me now, Taz?” she asked, trying to sound irritated. I knew she wasn’t. She liked the way I flirted with her.
“I just need one little thing, darlin’.”
“Which is?’
“I need the transcripts for Kyzer M. Stanfield, DOB: 1-10-92 from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.”
“Uh huh,” she said. “Who signed the warrant?”
“Come on baby, don’t be like that. If I had a warrant I wouldn’t be on the phone listening to your sweet voice, now would I?”
“You’re going to get me fired.”
“No one is going to catch you, baby, because you’re the best. You’ll be in and out of their mainframe before anyone is the wiser.”
“Ohhh,” she said, totally frustrated with me. “I’ll have it to you in five, but I swear to God, this is the last flippin’ time, okay?”
“You’re my girl, Kim.”
I could feel her smile from the other end. As much as she bitched about my hacking requests, she’d yet to turn me down.
“Yeah, I feel the love.”
True to her word, five minutes later I was pulling up the transcripts she’d hijacked for me.
Bingo! Kyzer Stanfield had enrolled just last fall at the University of Virginia. He hadn’t even declared a major. He’d previously attended Hodges University in Naples, Florida. He’d been enrolled in the B.S. degree program for Business Administration.
How fucking coincidental was this? He’d enrolled in U of V starting the same semester as Lindsey. I wondered if Lindsey was aware he was a transfer student.
The courses he was taking presently made no sense. There were the two classes he had with Lindsey, the rest were all science classes: Organic Chemistry, Botanical Science, Agricultural Science. What the fuck was with this Poindexter?
My thoughts were interrupted when I got a text from the lab in Quantico. They had concluded the forensic analysis on the black roses. The report would be forwarded to me electronically before the end of the day.
I glanced at my watch. I had a few minutes before Lindsey would be getting out of her first class. I reached into my glove compartment and pulled out the government-issued universal remote. I pointed it towards Kyzer’s Benz and hit the “unlock” button. Bingo!
I got out of my truck and opened the back door, pulling the GPS Fleet Tracker device and the wiring harness out of the box. The other one was going on Lindsey’s
car.
Within five minutes, Kyzer’s Benz was officially on my radar, activated for the U.S. and Canada. These new systems were superior to any of the ping-based products. Having it hardwired to the battery allowed for no interruption of tracking. The location tracking automatically updated every ten seconds real time. It was compatible with my smart phone and lap-top.
Lindsey’s class was over by this time so I swung my truck back over to that side of the campus and waited to take her to the next class. This was the Physics II class she had with Kyzer.
I felt a level of comfort knowing that I could track his movements in his vehicle. I was hoping that things would come to light soon.
chapter 24
Going through an entire day of having Taz there every time I turned around was disarming. It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate the fact that he was following orders in an effort to keep me safe. I knew that both he and Slate were attempting to find out who or what was behind my car being broken into, along with the ominous roses I received. It just felt like I was under a microscope.
Keeping an eye out was one thing, but what Taz was doing was clearly something else. After Kyzer and I had lunch in the student union, Taz’s truck was, once again, waiting outside so that he could run me to the other side of the campus for my English Composition class. This was one of the classes that Kyzer and I had together. Taz knew that.
I told Kyzer to follow me out to the truck and we would ride over together. I knew Kyzer wasn’t that comfortable around Taz, but it would have been rude of me not to offer. Kyzer’s car was in the lot clear over on the other side of the campus.
As soon as I piled into the front seat of Taz’s truck, I mentioned that Kyzer was in the same class and was riding over with us. Taz instructed me to shut the door of the truck.
I motioned for Kyzer to get into the back seat of the dual cab at the very same second Taz hit the power locks and pulled out, leaving Kyzer standing there looking dumbfounded in the middle of the road.
“What the hell? That was rude!”
Taz started chuckling, looking back at Kyzer in his rear-view mirror. “There he stands, looking real dumb,” he laughed.
“Now who the hell’s acting sophomoric?” I lashed out at him.
I watched as Taz’s expression morphed into pure pissed. “You didn’t listen to a fucking word I said to you this morning, did you?”
He was fuming mad. What was I supposed to do?
“I did listen to what you said. You told me to pay attention to the types of information he tried to get from me, right? Well guess what? He hasn’t tried to get any information from me. We talked briefly after class and for about thirty minutes at lunch. Shall I give you a rundown of the conversation, Agent Matthews?”
Taz was glaring at me now.
“Let’s see. We discussed our writing assignment, and what topics we planned to use for our argumentative essays due next week. We talked about one of the science projects he’s been working on and how much time it is—”
“Hold it there,” he interrupted. “What’s his science project subject?”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes, I am. Do you remember?”
To be honest, I found science topics to be extremely boring. Thirty seconds into a discussion and my eyes were glazing over. At the moment, I was racking my brain, trying to recall what Kyzer had told me.
“See there!” he yelled, causing me to jump. “I tell you that I don’t trust dude’s motives and most people would be a little bit on their game, which means they’d be paying attention to things that are said in case they’re relevant. Not you, though. Hell no. You were probably nodding that pretty little head of yours up and down like you were listening, all the while trying to figure out when you could squeeze in your next appointment for a bikini wax.”
Now it was my turn to be livid. How dare he say those kinds of things to me? Was everything that came out of Kyzer’s mouth supposed to be tied to me or my father or whatever the hell it was Taz thought he was a part of?
“His science project involves ketone oxygen atoms and the bio physiological conversion that occurs when an organic element undergoes de-potentiation. Are you satisfied?”
I turned away from him and stared out the window of his truck, still fuming, my arms crossed tightly in front of me. We pulled up to Ward Hall and I pulled on the handle of the door, realizing I needed to release the power lock. I fumbled around for it. He pressed it from his side and I got the door open.
I felt Taz’s hand on my arm as I started scooting out of the truck. I turned immediately to face him.
“Lindsey,” he said, “I’m sorry I said that just now.”
“Fuck you, Taz.”
I got out of the truck, slamming the door behind me and hurrying up the walkway towards the building. This was not going to work out. I couldn’t live this way. If something was going to happen, I just wished that it would happen already.
By the time classes were over for the day, I was more than ready to get back to the apartment and study quietly in my room. I apologized to Kyzer for Taz’s rude behavior. He had told me it wasn’t necessary. He was curious about why Taz didn’t like him.
“It’s not that he doesn’t like you,” I’d lied, “he just takes his assignment very seriously. He was told to look after me, so that’s what he’s doing.”
“Doesn’t he understand that you and I are friends?”
“I’ve explained that to him, Kyzer,” I replied with a shrug.
“It’s as if he doesn’t trust me with you or something. I mean, he obviously feels that you’re in danger. Does he think I pose a threat to you in some way?”
The question had caught me totally off-guard. Was Kyzer that perceptive, or was it something else?
“Of course not. Don’t be silly.” I managed a weak smile, hoping that would be the end of it. It wasn’t.
“Perhaps he’s jealous of me spending time with you.”
I couldn’t control the blush that appeared on my face.
“That’s it, isn’t it Lindsey? Taz is interested in you as something more than simply someone he’s supposed to be protecting.”
“Kyzer,” I said, sincerely wanting to be as honest with him as possible, “Taz is my stepfather’s best friend. My stepfather is his superior, so you understand that I’ve known Taz for a while. I can honestly tell you that he has never once tried to cultivate any type of romantic relationship with me. For goodness sakes, he’s like nine or ten years older than me. So, will you please not jump to conclusions like that?”
“I’m sorry, but I guess before our relationship goes any further, I’d just like to know where I stand with you.”
“Nothing has changed. We’re getting to know each other, right? I enjoy spending time with you.”
“I enjoy spending time with you, as well. I’m sorry that I jumped to that crazy conclusion. I guess having some agent around makes me a bit uncomfortable. I feel like I’m under some microscope.”
“Trust me. I feel the same way.”
Taz and I rode back to my apartment in total silence. I went immediately to my room, tossing the backpack full of books onto my bed.
Darcy had been home and left again. I could tell when I poked my head into her bedroom and saw the pile of books on the floor, along with the clothes she’d left in this morning right beside them. She had to have skipped a class to beat me home by that much. I smiled and shook my head.
I went to the kitchen to check the magnet on the fridge where we always left notes for one another. She’d left one for me.
Lindsey,
Jill got back. We went to hit some sports bars. She needs cheering up. Gabe is joining us. You and Taz come on out. We are at Piccadilly’s. Hit us up.
Yeah, right, I thought, rolling my eyes.
Mr. G-man acts like he doesn’t know how to have fun anymore, now that he’s on assignment watching my ass.
I turned a
round to head out and there he was. I jumped in surprise.
“I’m sorry, baby girl,” he said, softly.
His eyes looked almost sad. His hand reached up and brushed my hair back from my forehead. His fingers gently cupped my chin, tilting my face up to look at him. Our eyes searched one another’s faces, trying to make sense of whatever this feeling was between us.
He lowered his mouth to mine and immediately my arms wrapped around his neck, feeling like that’s where they belonged and always would. His mouth was gentle on mine…his lips, spreading butterfly kisses softly, his tongue gently tracing my bottom lip. I parted my lips and we kissed deeply now, his arms wrapped around my lower back, pulling my ass in so that I could feel the hardness that was his.
All rational thoughts and any residual anger or hurt I’d felt earlier was gone. It had fled as soon as he touched me, touched what was his and we both knew it, though neither one of us would ever admit it. My hands massaged his ass, feeling the flexing of his muscles as his groin pressed up against me.
“Mmm,” I moaned against his lips, “I want you inside of me, Taz.”
He lifted me as if I was weightless and carried me to my room, kicking the door shut behind us. We tore our clothes off like starving animals, hungry for each other.
I saw him toss a condom packet taken from the pocket of his jeans onto my nightstand. I couldn’t suppress a smile as I discarded the last of the clothes from my body.
“Pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you, Agent Matthews?”
He looked over at me, his eyes smoldering as he gazed at my nakedness. “I’ve never been as unsure of myself as I am around you,” he replied, coming to stand before me.
“What are we doing, Lindsey?”
“Exactly what you and I were meant to do.”
