In a Bad Way

by Karin Tabke

  “I can tell Boris it ran out of battery, and that he’s going to have to be happy with what we gave him.”

  She walked past him and opened her bedroom door, then strode out to the living room where Justine and Maddox were seated. They stood in unison when she entered.

  “I think we did a good job,” she said brightly as if she made fake videos every day.

  “Take a look,” Flynn said handing it to Justin. Justin tapped the video icon and it opened.

  Justin nodded when Flynn looked like he was snorting the coke. “Very believable,” he said.

  “Shouldn’t Flynn have acted drugged?” Izzy asked Justin, suddenly remembering that detail.

  Justin shook his head. “It’s more damaging this way. If you’re questioned, shrug it off and say you tried but he didn’t drink the drink. Then push the fact that he was stone cold sober snorting coke off your body.”

  Once the video ended, Justin looked at them and said, “Great job.”

  “With your permission, Miss Fuentes, I’m going to e-mail the video to myself. Once I verify receipt and quality, I would like to delete it from your cell phone. Once back at the office I’ll make copies and edit your copy to make it look authentic. I’ll download it to a thumb drive, which you will give to Sorlov.”

  “Okay,” Izzy said.

  Justin got right to it.

  While he was doing his thing, Maddox handed her the file folder he’d been holding earlier. “I want you to memorize the names and faces of each one of these photos. I want to know when they come in, who they talk to, and how long they’re there. If any of the girls leave with any of them, document who and what time and day.”

  Izzy nodded. “Okay,” she said, setting the file folder on the coffee table.

  “Pink,” Flynn said, “any time this becomes too much for you, all you have to do is walk away. Do you understand that you are in no way obligated to do any of what they’re asking of you?”

  Biting her bottom lip, Izzy looked at Justin, who was focused on his laptop, and then at Maddox, who stood silently beside her. She nodded. “I understand.”

  Several minutes later, with the video downloaded and deleted from her phone, Maddox said, “Once you have the thumb drive, it goes into Boris’s hands only. Under no circumstances give it to Andre.”

  “Okay, but why not?”

  “Because we don’t want to chance him freelancing it himself.”

  “Okay.” Izzy nodded, her hands trembling as the gravity of what she was involved in hit her. This was it. The real deal. Life and maybe her death.

  Maddox took her shaking hands into both of his. “We’ll have eyes and ears in the club while you’re on the clock,” he said, trying to reassure her. “We’ve got a lot of manpower at our disposal. I’ll be there, and I promise I won’t let you out of my sight.”

  “Okay.”

  Justin snapped his laptop closed, and standing, he jammed it under his arm. “Then we’re done here for now.”

  Maddox squeezed Izzy’s hands and said, “Thank you for your cooperation, Miss Fuentes.”

  “Yes, thank you,” Justin said. “Lives will be saved because of your bravery.”

  “You’re welcome,” she said softly, not feeling brave at all.

  “I’ll walk you out,” Flynn said on his way to the door.

  Izzy knew from his tone and Maddox’s glare when Flynn said the words that fireworks were going to be going off on her porch. As the door closed behind the three of them, she started to shake uncontrollably.

  What happened if she screwed this up?

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Pink was being used as bait in a fish tank full of piranhas. Frustrated and angry, Flynn was on the verge of a meltdown. He felt like he was tied up in a straightjacket, watching others manipulate a situation he wanted to control. Halfway down the sidewalk, he called out to Justin and Maddox. “Is that thumb drive going to have ears?”

  Turning around to face Flynn, Maddox said, “You’re not involved, Ryker.”

  “I’m involved. Now answer me, will it have ears?”

  Justin, who had stopped and also turned around, nodded.

  “GPS?” Flynn pressed.

  “Yes,” Justin said.

  “You have a court order?” Flynn wanted every detail.

  “We will. The paperwork is in process. We’ll have one by the time she goes to the club Thursday night,” Maddox said, clearly irritated with the questioning.

  “If she gets hurt, I’m hurting you.”

  “Ryker,” Maddox, exasperated. “I get that you care about her, and because you do you’re letting that get in the way of this operation, that’s why your request to join it was denied. Your feelings aside, you know this is a golden opportunity. It’s the right thing to do.”

  Flynn swiped his hand across his face, ignoring the logic behind Maddox’s words. “Do you think for one minute Sorlov doesn’t have a bug sweep?”

  “The one we’re going to use is state of the art. Undetectable. Bad guys haven’t figured it out yet,” Justin assured him. It didn’t. “If it wasn’t, we wouldn’t take the chance with an inexperienced CI.”

  Grasping Flynn’s shoulder, Maddox said earnestly, “Look, we’re not going to let anything happen to her.”

  “Why not use an undercover officer?” Flynn asked. “Someone trained for this shit.”

  “We’ve tried,” Justin said, “a dozen different officers over the course of nine months. Couldn’t get in.”

  Flynn pondered that. “How did Fuentes get in?”

  Maddox slapped him on the back. “Have you looked at her, Ryker? None of our sworn females look like that.”

  And none of them were as motivated as Pink. Or as lucky. Until now. “Fuck this all to hell,” he muttered.

  “Just how involved are you, Ryker?” Justin asked pointedly.

  Flynn held his stare. “Enough,” he said, his meaning crystal clear.

  “I’m not as sharp as you FBI boys,” Maddox said, tapping his chin with his forefinger, “But from what I’ve observed of Miss Fuentes, she’s given you your walking papers. So if you’re involved? I’m betting you’re the only one who thinks so.”

  “Don’t get in my way, Price,” Flynn growled.

  Maddox put his hands up as if he were under arrest. “I don’t poach, brother, but when this is all over, if she says she’s not involved, I’m going to involve myself.”

  “That’s cold shit right there, man,” Justin said shaking his head.

  “Are you kidding me?” Maddox said as he looked from Justin to Flynn, who was a half a step away from punching him. “She’s a knockout. And smart, too. I loved the way she handled Jackson today.” He threw his head back and laughed. “Priceless.”

  “Stay away from her,” Flynn commanded.

  Maddox smiled that million-dollar smile women swooned over. Shaking his head, Maddox said, “All’s fair in love and war, bro.” He stalked off, leaving Justin staring at Flynn like he didn’t know him.

  “Maddox is yanking your chain, Ryker. All of that aside, I’ve never seen you like this.”

  “Like what?”

  “Scattered. Out of control. Edgy. What’s going on?”

  Flynn glared after Maddox, who strutted down the sidewalk like the cock in the henhouse. They didn’t call him Mad Dog for nothing. Dude looked for trouble just for the hell of it. He’d use Pink up so fast her head would spin.

  Turning his attention back to his friend, Flynn shook his head. “Nothing I can’t handle.”

  Justin nodded, but didn’t move. Instead he continued to stare at Flynn.

  “What?” Flynn asked defensively.

  “Price might be messing with you right now, but he wasn’t shitting you. If that girl isn’t clearly marked when this comes to an end, he’ll do the honors.”

  “She’s not a bitch, Jus,” Flynn said, looking at the house, longing for the woman behind the door.

  “There’s an old Chinese proverb I recently heard,” Just
in said. “It went something like: A man unwilling to fight for what he wants, deserves what he gets.” Justin grabbed his shoulder and squeezed it. “I don’t know why you’re hanging on the ropes, but you had better get in the ring, my friend, before there’s nothing left to fight for.”

  With those words, Justin strode to the nondescript Government Issue white four-door that he and Price had driven over in.

  Long minutes after they had driven away, Flynn stood staring at the empty space the car had occupied. An uncertainty he had never experienced in his life gripped him. He wanted Pink. In a bad way. He didn’t care about her past. In all fairness to Pink, it never did.

  Didn’t matter though, because she’d made it clear she was done with him. His ego refused to accept it. She wanted him, at least physically she did. She’d admitted as much in the bedroom. Even had she not verbalized it, her body screamed it. It had taken an enormous amount of self-control in that bedroom not to strip her down and make her his again.

  Jesus. The sex was incredible. He wanted more with her. So much more. He wanted to explore every inch of her while he pushed their boundaries. His dick swelled just thinking about her digging those nails into his back as he pushed her over the edge.

  Swiping his hand across his face again, Flynn turned and strode up the sidewalk to the porch. She wasn’t going to like his proposal, but he wasn’t going to take no for an answer, either.

  As Flynn strode through the door, Pink was coming in from the short hallway that led to her and Charlie’s bedrooms. She was dressed in a cropped Berkeley T-shirt with denim Daisy Duke shorts. Pink-tipped hair framed her fresh scrubbed face in a sexy halo. Air lodged in his chest. She looked so young and innocent. Charlie was right, Pink was pure as the driven snow. And he’d stomped all over it. He swallowed hard, not knowing how to fix it.

  Barefoot, she padded past him, her bubble gum scent wafting behind her, to the sofa where she sat down yoga style. Looking up at him, she asked, “Do you have any words of wisdom to impart before you go?”

  Her hand trembled as she reached for the manila envelope on the coffee table.

  “Are you afraid?” he quietly asked.

  “I’d be foolish if I weren’t.” Opening the folder, she asked, “Are you? Afraid for me?”

  If he told her the truth it might freak her out, and that was the last thing he wanted to do, but—he also wanted her to come home with him. “A little.” Moving around the table, he sat down on the sofa next to her. “Sorlov is a dangerous man. I’m afraid in your zeal to get the answers you want from him, you might do something that could get you hurt.”

  “I’m not going to do anything but tell Andre that I’m only going to give Boris the thumb drive. Besides, I’ve already tried to break into his office a few times, but it’s always locked up as tight as Fort Knox.”

  “Jesus, that’s the last thing you should be doing! If you got caught, you’d disappear without a trace just like your sister.”

  Her brows crinkled. “I was careful.”

  Flynn’s stomach constricted. She was going to be the death of him. “What about the party?” he asked grimly.

  “Party?”

  “The private party at Sorlov’s?”

  “Oh, I forgot to tell Maddox about that! Do you think he’ll want me to go? Maybe wire me up or something?”

  Flynn shook his head. “You’re not Mata Hari. The less involved you are in the actual maneuvers of this operation, the safer you’ll be.”

  “I can hold my own. I’ve been doing it for three months with no one having my back.”

  Flynn pursed his lips, looked down at his shoes, then over at Pink. Flecks of gold sparkled mischievously in her sea green eyes. The urge to dig his fingers into her hair and bring her mouth to his was overwhelming. When she licked her top lip, he inwardly groaned.

  Clearing his throat he said, “I think you’re smart and brave, but that’s not enough anymore. Not when you’re up against someone as deadly as Sorlov. The stakes have gone up. The blackmail video and the van assault this morning. I’ve got a bad feeling.” He raised her chin with his fingers. “I don’t like you home alone here. You’re vulnerable. Exposed. They could be watching you right now. Is there somewhere else you can stay for a few weeks?”

  Her brows scrunched along with her pert nose. “I could go to Santa Cruz with Charlie and Steven, but I wouldn’t be able to work and I need the money. So, no. I have nowhere to hide out.”

  Flynn nodded. He’d figured as much. Had hoped for it, truth be told.

  “Then I’d like you to consider coming to my place. I—”

  “No.” It was emphatic.

  “Look, I have three damn floors. We won’t have to see each other if you don’t want to. It’s safe, off the grid. I go back and forth to the city several times a week. I don’t mind dropping you off at the club or picking you up.”

  She stood, shaking her head. “Not going to happen, Flynn, so stop.”

  He didn’t stand. Keeping his cool was paramount right now. He didn’t want to fight with her. But he wasn’t going to take no for an answer either.

  “Give me one good reason?” he asked, looking up at her.

  “I don’t need to give you a bad reason. I said no, and that’s that.”

  Flynn stood, moving within inches of her. “Are you afraid of being around me?”

  “Of course not. I’m around you now.”

  “Are you afraid we’ll be intimate again?”

  “Hell no! That ship sailed,” she said, although not with the conviction she intended.

  “Do you want to be?” he asked.

  Hissing in a breath as if he’d touched her intimately between the thighs, she looked at him as if she was staring at headlights. “It doesn’t matter what I want. Remember the deal breaker? Or do I have to remind you how you treated me after our encounter with Allen Stiles, Sunday night?”

  “You knew who he was?”

  “Who doesn’t know who he is? He’s got his fingers in every tech pie in Silicon Valley.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you knew him?”

  “I don’t know him, I know who he is. Would it have changed anything? He’s just another arrogant rich white guy who thinks because he has more money than God he can throw it at anything he wants and get it.”

  Frustrated, Flynn began pacing. He wasn’t used to being disobeyed. “You’re being stubborn because of your pride,” he said. “You’re in jeopardy, Isadora. You’re being foolish for not taking appropriate measures to stay safe.”

  “Yes, I’m being stubborn,” she shouted. “Not because of my pride, but because I don’t choose to stay within the same four walls with someone who thinks their shit doesn’t stink and mine does because I’ve stripped to pay my rent and he hasn’t!” She walked to the front door and jerked it open. “Please take your judgmental self from my house and don’t ever come back.”

  Flynn stood his ground. “I don’t give a shit if half of California has seen your tits, Isa,” he shouted back. The words shocked her, judging by the stunned look on her face. He lowered his voice and slowly said, “I have a problem that you’re going back to that dump and shaking them for the other half, even if it’s taking it for team Chastain. A team that doesn’t give a fuck about you!”

  “So what?” she screamed at him. Slamming the door shut, she moved toward him, getting into his personal space. “What does it matter to you,” she demanded, poking her finger into his chest, “what I do or why I do it?”

  She was spitting mad. But so was he. He wanted to grab her and shake her and make her promise she would never let another man see what he had seen. Not for all the rent money in the world, not even for her sister. But for him, because he asked her not to. And because damn it, he—was fucking it all up.

  He had no right to ask her to stop.

  But he could protect her, not up close like he’d prefer, but from afar. He owed her that, and even if he didn’t, he would because she meant something to him. Putting his ha
nds up, he said, “It doesn’t.”

  Her jaw dropped. “I hate you,” she whispered.

  “I wish I could say the same thing about you, but it would be a lie.” He walked to the door and grabbed the knob. “Lock this. Look up OPD’s dispatch number, plug it into your phone and call it instead of nine-one-one if you have a problem. You’ll get a quicker response.” He opened the door and walked through it. Before he closed it behind him, he looked at her. His chest tightened with emotion. She stood proud and defiant, the tears sparkling in her beautiful eyes belying her stance. How did he tell her she meant something to him without giving her hope?

  How did he explain that he had no confidence in love? Once the honeymoon was over, the drudgery set in. Then the resentment followed by divorce. With the exception of Kat and Simon, who were still in the honeymoon phase, Flynn could not name one single married couple he knew where one of the two wasn’t miserable. Pink deserved a man who believed in love. He cared enough about her to admit he wasn’t that man and because he wasn’t, he shut down.

  “I’m just a phone call away.” He turned, shut the door behind him, and walked to his car feeling like he’d just tossed something precious away.

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Izzy lay staring at the ceiling, the drone of the windup alarm clock on her nightstand the only sound that penetrated her brain. The traffic outside had quieted and the unexpected rain had stopped. The cadence of the tick-tock tick-tock of the clock reverberated in her ears.

  Reminding her of time lost.

  She’d spent the last thirteen years of her life building a wall, honing her armor, and insulating herself from men exactly like her father. Her mother’s pain, she swore, she would never endure. And yet, here she was, hopelessly hung up on a guy who took what she offered with no regard to her feelings.

  Moist heat stung her eyes. Swiping away a tear, Izzy snuggled into her pillow. How had this happened? Was she so desperate for—what? Love? Acceptance? Belonging? She didn’t understand herself, much less the reasons for what she felt right now. She just knew she wanted Flynn. She was a head case for sure.