by Katie Reus
He jerked back as if Selene had slapped him. She regretted the effect her words had but gauged his reaction.
Jaw tight, his mouth pinched, he didn’t respond one way or another.
And even though she knew it might be a mistake, she continued, “I’m . . . sorry about what happened to her. I know words are meaningless from a stranger, but I truly am. She was a good woman,” Selene whispered. “I didn’t really know her, but she guided me on a couple of really tough missions early in my career.” God, it had been only a little over three years ago though it seemed longer. “She had an easy way with people.” She’d saved Selene’s life once because of a last-minute find and Selene would never, ever, forget that. She’d been stuck in the field, young and alone, with no backup and Meghan had been the voice on the other end of her comm, keeping Selene sane.
He seemed frozen, staring at her as if he didn’t know how to respond. He didn’t drop his hand from the back of her neck but he let out a ragged breath, keeping his gaze pinned to hers. “I haven’t talked about her with anyone in years.”
In that moment the stark loneliness in his dark eyes clawed at Selene like razor wire. He looked completely adrift for just a fraction of a moment before that hard expression returned. And so did the pressure around the back of her neck.
“Why are you at this party?” he asked.
She shook her head. “You know how this works. I don’t have the authority to tell you that. And unless you plan on . . .” Shit, where was her head? She couldn’t say “unless you plan on torturing the information out of me” all casually. What the hell was wrong with her? “You know I can’t tell you,” she murmured.
“Now I call bullshit. You have situational discretion. You here to meet the German?”
She didn’t respond but he must have read the increase in her heart rate. Damn it, that’s why he was holding on to her neck; he was reading her. It was difficult to do and wasn’t exactly scientific, but she had no doubt he was gauging the changes in her pulse. She could attempt to get out of his grip, but wasn’t sure it would be worth it. Part of her mission concerned Levi, and making an enemy of him wasn’t something she or the NSA wanted. “So what if I am?”
“Concerning what?” Levi bit out.
“You expect me to just tell you this as if you still have the clearance, as if you didn’t go off the reservation, and as if you haven’t crossed too many lines to count?” She didn’t actually blame him for going rogue, but she needed his hand off her and she needed some space. He was wreaking havoc on her senses, making it difficult for her to think straight. She was trained in weapons and had been hacking pretty much since she was old enough to use a computer—which was why Wesley had brought her into the fold to begin with—but with men, she had a terrible track record. She pretty much had no experience or training. Especially not enough against a man like Levi Lazaro. He exuded so much raw sexual appeal and danger it was practically pouring off him in waves and it was having a strange effect on her. She wished she’d been at least a little prepared for this attraction, but it was taking her completely by storm.
That grip tightened again but this time he started rubbing his first two fingers against her neck in a soft little rhythm. The action was almost erotic. Or maybe that was just the effect he was having on her. She could feel his gentle stroking all the way to the pulsing point between her legs. Maybe she had mental issues that this man was turning her on.
He leaned closer, skimming his mouth against her jawline and she froze. Just completely, utterly froze. “Are you meeting Tasev?” he whispered.
She’d told herself to be prepared for this question, to keep her reaction under wraps, but he came to his own conclusion if his savage curse was anything to go by. Damn it, Wesley was going to be pissed at her, but Levi had been right. She had operational latitude right now and she needed to keep Levi close. They needed to know what he knew and what he was planning. Trying to shut him out now, when he was at the party specifically to meet the German, would be stupid. Levi had stayed off their radar for two years because he was good. Of course Wesley hadn’t exactly sent out a worldwide manhunt for him either. About a year ago he’d decided to more or less let him go.
Now . . . “I met with the German earlier tonight. He squeezed me in before some of his other meetings.”
Levi snorted, his gaze dipping to her lips once more, that hungry look in place again. It was so raw and in her face it was hard to ignore that kind of desire and what it was doing to her. “I can understand why.”
Even though Levi didn’t ask she decided to use the latitude she had and bring him in on this. They had similar goals. She needed to bring Tasev down and rescue a very important scientist—if he was even the man who’d sent out an emergency message to Meghan/Wesley—but that didn’t mean she couldn’t let Levi have Tasev once she’d gotten what she needed. “I’m meeting with Tasev tomorrow night.”
At her words every muscle in Levi’s lean, fit body stilled.
Before he could respond, she continued, “I’ll make you a deal. You can come with me to the meeting—if we can work out an agreeable plan—but you don’t kill him until I get what I want. I have less than a week. Can you live with that time line?” She was allowed to bring one person with her to the meeting, so it would be Levi—if he could be a professional and if Wesley went for it. And of course, if Tasev did. They had a lot to discuss before she was on board one hundred percent, but bringing along a seasoned agent—former agent—like Levi could be beneficial.
Levi watched her carefully again, his gaze roaming over her face, as if he was trying to see into her mind. “You’re not lying. Why are you doing this?”
“Because if I try to shut you out you’ll cause me more problems than I want to deal with. And I don’t want to kill you.”
Those dark eyes narrowed a fraction with just a hint of amusement—as if he knew she couldn’t take him on physically. “And?”
“And . . . I owe you.” Selene didn’t explain because she knew he’d think she was referring to when Meghan saved her life. That was fine with her. Telling him exactly how she owed him would strip her open too bare and she wasn’t willing to let anyone see that vulnerable side of her.
“Telling the truth again.” He frowned now, true confusion in his gaze. Whether from her words or the fact that she was letting him in on this op. “You plan to try to bring me in after the op?”
“No.” That was actually the truth. Wesley, however, was a different story. But she refused to let her mind go there, knowing Levi would pick up on it.
Levi started to respond when a burst of gunfire from the pool area made them both turn at the noise. Selene automatically moved off the bench, crouching down behind it and to her surprise Levi moved in front of her, blocking her even though they were too far away to be in any danger from what she could hear.
“This is what happens when you get a bunch of criminals under the same roof,” he muttered.
She snorted in agreement. “I’m leaving using the beach. You’re free to join me.” There hadn’t been any more gunfire so likely the guards had the situation under control but she wasn’t heading back up there. She’d already had her meeting so she had no reason to return.
Now he snorted as he turned to face her, still crouching low. He slid his long, callused hands down her bare arms. This time she couldn’t hide the shiver. “Oh, I’m joining you,” he murmured, a seductive note in his voice.
But the timing was all wrong. For once she wished she understood the opposite sex more. What was he doing? She’d already told him he could come on the op with her. Her nipples tightened and her body hummed with a strange anticipation as he lightly held her wrists in both hands, his thumbs rubbing her inner wrist in small circles. She started to pull back and he let go of one of her wrists. As she pushed out a sigh of relief, the feel of cold steel skimmed her skin just as the soft snick of handcuffs clicked into place.
If it had been flex cuffs she would have gone into panic mode, but she retained
her cool as she looked down at her hands. While she internally cursed herself for letting her guard down, she could get out of these whenever she wanted. “Really? I already said you can come with me. And what kind of pervert carries handcuffs around?”
“If you think I trust you, you’re out of your damn mind. You’re coming with me and I’m not letting you out of my sight until we meet with Tasev. For all I know you’re going to call Wesley.” He grabbed her forearm, surprisingly gently, and tugged so that she had to stand with him.
In the distance she could see and hear people still at the party. Apparently a little gunfire was no big deal to this crowd. “Of course I’m going to call him, but not about you.”
Levi just grunted and motioned toward the beach. Since she could get out of the cuffs anytime she wanted, she let him think he had the upper hand and allowed him to lead her. If anything, her compliance might lull him into feeling secure around her. The NSA knew Levi was in Miami since he’d helped them locate a nasty group of terrorists just a couple of weeks ago but they had no idea where he was staying.
As they reached the beach she tugged against his grip. “Unless you want me stumbling every few feet, let me take my shoes off,” she demanded.
He turned to look at her, his expression unreadable. “Try to take me out and you’ll regret it.” There was a dark note in his voice that should have scared her but instead did strange things to her insides.
He bent down in front of her, the moonlight playing off his inky hair. She lifted one foot and again, to her utter surprise, he was incredibly gentle as he took her ankle. Her silver shoes were strappy and delicate with a small buckle on her inner ankle. Even after he’d unstrapped it, his fingers lingered as he rubbed that same soft pattern over the top of her foot as he’d done to her wrist.
It was weird and erotic at the same time. She felt his touch all the way to her core. Just as quickly as he started he jerked to a stop, shaking his head slightly. When he took off her other shoe he did it in seconds, barely grazing her skin. For some strange reason she was disappointed. Selene shouldn’t care whether this man touched her or not but she couldn’t help the new burst of desire that had erupted inside her.
She was so good at compartmentalizing her emotions. It was something she’d been doing since she was a teenager. She’d had to in order to survive and it was part of the reason she was such a valuable asset to the NSA. Unfortunately just being in Levi’s presence was jeopardizing everything she’d worked for.
• • •
Wesley looked through the glass pane of his temporary office in the NSA’s covert Miami location at his team of agents and analysts busy working their asses off as he waited for Jack Stone to pick up his damn phone. The former Black Death 9 agent was one of the best Wesley had ever trained. It was a tie between Levi and Jack for who’d been the most lethally efficient. And they’d been tight, closer than any other agents Wesley had known.
Until Levi left the fold.
Jack picked up on the third ring with a quiet, “Hey.”
Wesley could hear a rustling in the background. “Bad time?”
“Nah, just give me a sec.” Jack said something Wesley couldn’t make out, as if he’d covered his phone. A few seconds later he was back on the line. “What’s up? Everything all right?”
“Yeah. How’s everything with you and Sophie?” The woman Jack had left the NSA to marry. His childhood sweetheart and one of the nicest people Wesley had ever known. He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to ease the growing tension there.
“Good, but that’s not why you’re calling. You just dragged me from bed with my beautiful wife so come on, what’s going on?”
“You think any more about my offer?” he asked, still not ready to tell Jack what he needed to.
A long pause. “Yeah, Soph and I talked about it and I’m interested.”
After the Westwood bombing a couple of weeks ago Wesley had used Jack in a very unofficial capacity to guard a witness. When shit had gone haywire Jack had stepped up and helped save the witness alongside a team of highly trained men. Wesley had used him as a contractor of sorts and after the op he’d seen that gleam in Jack’s eyes that said he’d missed the adrenaline rush of his old job. Not enough to work for Wesley full-time but he’d offered Jack the option of taking contract work for jobs in the Southeast. The man owned a successful boat and Jet Ski rental business in Key West but Wesley had figured it couldn’t hurt to ask. “Good. That’s good.”
“Shit, whatever this is must be bad for you to stall. Just tell me. Is there a hit out on me or something?” he asked, only half joking.
“No.” After he pressed one of the buttons on the wall, the window frosted over as he turned from it. “Is your line secure?”
Jack just snorted in response. As in, Wesley was stupid for even asking.
“I got an emergency message from one of Meghan Lazaro’s old e-mail accounts.” He’d had all her accounts forwarded to him after she was killed. “I haven’t received anything in over a year and a half and this one . . . Hell, I don’t even know if it’s true but my gut says it is. Dr. Claus Schmidt says he’s being forced to work for the infamous Tasev.”
“I thought Tasev was dead.”
“So did I. Maybe he still is. Supposedly he’s been working on a vicious new antibiotic-resistant toxin for the last couple of years. He doesn’t know what Tasev’s endgame is but he knows that the man wants to infiltrate various water supplies all over the United States. Then he can blackmail the government into paying for the antibiotic that only he has. Without being able to isolate the toxin it’ll be damn near impossible to develop an antibiotic in enough time to save people so we would have no choice but to comply. This isn’t one of those cases where we wouldn’t negotiate with terrorists.” The man would have them over a barrel and they’d have no choice—which would set a really bad precedent. “Schmidt is working on it but as soon as he gives it to Tasev, he’s a dead man. He says his daughter—and I didn’t even know he had one until his message—is being held with him at an undisclosed location in Miami.”
“Schmidt’s name is vaguely familiar.”
“He was a small-time asset for Bachman. Remember him?”
“Shit, yeah. He’s dead, right?”
“Yep. Heart attack.” Which hadn’t been a surprise considering the man’s diet. “Schmidt occasionally passed Bachman information he overheard at medical conferences if he thought it’d be of any use to us, but his relationship with Meghan wasn’t professional. They were good friends. And he fell off the radar around the same time she was killed.”
“That doesn’t sound like a coincidence. Is Tasev or Schmidt somehow connected to her death?”
“I think so. Tasev at least.”
“Not Schmidt?”
“My gut says no.” The CIA had helped get some of Schmidt’s family out of East Berlin back in the eighties, for one. And it didn’t fit his profile.
“So just Tasev.”
And Wesley wanted to rip Tasev apart limb from limb if that was the case. He’d never gotten over what had been done to Meghan. Those in the know about her death had been horrified and it took a lot to rattle the people he worked with.
Jack was quiet a moment. “Levi know?”
“I don’t know. But he’s in town, somewhere, and I think he’s close to discovering the connection.” His sources told him that Levi had been ready to meet with Paul Hill before that fucker had been arrested. And according to Schmidt, Hill had been providing him with live test subjects. So Levi was close.
“What are you gonna do?”
Wesley rubbed a hand over his face. “I don’t know.” Levi deserved his revenge and Wesley wanted him brought in, but not to arrest him. If this terrorist threat was real he might have to make an impossible decision and bring Levi down. Because if he had to choose the safety of the country and countless innocent lives, and Levi decided to get in the way—there might not be another choice. Some days he hated his job.
&n
bsp; Chapter 6
Operational latitude: on a mission an agent has a broad scope of flexibility when making mission decisions.
“If you think you’re going to put a hood over my head you’re out of your freaking mind,” Selene said quietly¸ her stance defensive as they stood next to Levi’s SUV.
The majority of the partygoers had decided to stay so most of the vehicles at Shah’s place were still there. He and Selene had avoided the guards as they used the beach, then a neighbor’s property, to make their way to the parked cars.
Before he could respond, she continued, her stilettos held tightly in her cuffed hands. “You’d better be prepared to fight me to the death, because you’re not putting that thing on me.”
In that moment Levi felt like the monster he knew he was slowly turning into every passing day. The blackness spreading across his insides was like a cancer and even though he knew it, he couldn’t stop it. It ate away at him day in and day out until he could barely look in the mirror. And he didn’t like the way Selene was looking at him now.
A person could bottle up rage and hate only so long before it started to kill him. Normally he shoved all that shit back down, but as Selene warily watched him, he felt a glimmer of the man he’d once been start to surface and guilt washed over him.
He needed her hooded so she wouldn’t see where he was staying, but more than anger, there was a stark kind of fear in her pale blue eyes. It fled quickly but it had been unmistakable. For some reason the thought of making her feel vulnerable made him feel like shit. He had no idea how trained she was—though he knew she had to be a decent fighter to work for Wesley—and a fight with her wouldn’t be worth it, even if he did win in the end. He’d lose all semblance of trust between them. Not that he was even sure that they had any, but starting things that way after she’d agreed to take him to meet Tasev would be monumentally stupid—and guarantee that Wesley would come after him hard. Jaw tight, he yanked open the passenger door. “Get in,” he ordered.
“Only because you asked so nicely.” Her voice was saccharine sweet and her expression deadly as she slid in. When her long dress shifted, the right side splitting and revealing one of her long, toned, tan legs his entire body reacted, his cock flaring to life at just a peek of her damn skin.
