“Are you finished?” She moved closer, so they were practically nose-to-nose. “I have been fighting my own battles since long before you hit the scene. I don’t need you to do it for me. So back. The. Fuck. Off.” With that, she turned on her heel and started back toward the club.
Mitch cursed. “Where are you going?”
“I’m calling a cab. No way in hell am I going anywhere with you!” She walked back to the ropes and arrived at the same time as Tank. “Tank, what’s the number for a cab company?”
He looked over her head and then back at her but said nothing.
“What?” she demanded. She whirled around to find Mitch was two steps behind her. The sight of him made her want to scream in frustration. “Fine. I’ll look it up myself. She whipped out her cell phone and started typing frantically.
“A cab at this time of night will take forever.” Mitch’s voice was calm, but she could feel the anger coming off him in waves.
She ignored him and kept looking at her phone. “I’ll use Uber.”
Tank sighed. “Ma’am, listen to your man. He’s right. It will take too long to get out of here that way. Just let him drive you home. I won’t be able to relax if I don’t know you got home safe.”
She whipped her head up, ready to snarl at Tank—what the fuck did he care?—but she stopped when she saw the look on his face. He was serious. His worry took all the fight out of her. The fact that the heavens opened just then didn’t hurt either. She did not want to wait in the pouring rain for an Uber.
“Fine.” She stalked back to Mitch’s car. He easily kept up with her and had the door open by the time she arrived. The drive back to the hotel was an uncomfortably silent one. As soon as Mitch pulled up to the door of the hotel, she hopped out without a backward glance. She walked in the doors, through the lobby, and over to the waiting elevator. She got in and hit the button for her floor hard enough to break it.
She got off on the sixth floor and took out the key for the room she’d booked for the night. She’d told herself it was so Mitch couldn’t have one of his cronies follow her, and that was partially true…but if she were being honest, there was another reason. This was her “just in case” room, i.e. just in case she and Mitch decided to sleep together.
She opened the door to her room and immediately went over and flopped onto her bed. Exhaustion overwhelmed her. She’d just blown it. Big time. Now how was she going to get into the party? “Shit.” She sat up, took off her shoes, and then stalked over and got a T-shirt out of her bag.
Time to regroup and come up with another plan. Maybe Leo was right. Maybe she should wait until Drake left for Europe or wherever and get the car then. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She looked like a drowned rat, sad and deflated. No one had ever beaten her at this game. No one. Not even the Swedish police. She straightened her spine. The hell with Mitch Callahan. She would figure out another way into the party, and she’d kill this job. She was Alexandra Buchanan, and she did not fail.
Chapter Seventeen
Mitch swore as he rolled over for the thousandth time. Damn that woman. She had him all tied up in knots, and not in a good way. He needed to purge her from his brain if he was ever going to get any sleep. He could still feel her ass in his hands, her body nestled perfectly against his. If those men had come out a couple of minutes later, they would have found Mitch screwing his thief against the wall in that alley, because there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that’s where they’d been heading.
Instead, he was here by himself, tossing and turning with the worst case of blue balls he’d ever had the poor luck to experience. How was he ever going to find out what she was up to now? What the hell was he going to tell Drake?
If only he’d reined in his temper, but the thought of that guy touching her, even getting near her, had him seeing red. He’d damn near had a heart attack when she stepped out from behind him. Didn’t she know those men had intended to rape her? His stomach lurched at the thought. She could have been seriously injured or killed.
He mulled over her reaction to the situation. Obviously, she was used to taking care of herself, but she was extreme about it. Most women could take care of themselves to some degree. Lord knew, they pretty much had to with all the entitled assholes out there, but no one had ever rejected his help so forcefully. Did she really think she could have taken out six men? He grimaced as he flexed his arm. The move she’d did on him was good, but still, it was just one move. Six men was a whole other ballgame.
It didn’t make sense. None of what happened made sense. He’d completely lost control of the situation way before those men had confronted them in the alley. Somehow, he had to fix things. To decipher her plan, foil it, and protect Drake. No way could he fuck this up any more than he already had. He wasn’t going to let everyone down. He had to get it together. Focus.
He woke with a start. His phone was vibrating on the bedside table. He glanced at his watch—6:05—and let out a groan as he reached for his phone. “Callahan.”
His brother Gage’s voice came down the phone line. “Hey, bro. You sound like you’re still in bed. Did you miss your alarm?”
He rolled over onto his back and groaned. “I didn’t get much shut-eye last night. What’s up?”
Gage laughed. “I hope it was for a good reason.”
“Not so much,” Mitch mumbled.
“What? Are you losing your mojo with the ladies? Women everywhere will weep.”
“What do you want, Gage?”
“Breakfast,” was the prompt reply.
“What?” Mitch went still.
“I’m in town at something called The Sunshine Diner. You got twenty minutes before I start without you.”
Mitch hopped up off his bed and strode toward his bathroom. “Order me coffee. I’ll be there in ten,” he growled and then hung up the phone. He dropped it on the counter and turned on the shower. Stepping right into the icy spray, he swore. His body recoiled, but he forced himself to stay under. During his SEAL days, it was always cold water and three-minute showers. Maybe this would help him get his head back in the game. After last night’s mess, he needed all the help he could get.
He got out, toweled himself dry, and then got dressed in his work uniform of a black T-shirt and black cargo pants. He sat down on the bed, pulled on his boots, and then went back to the bathroom to finish getting ready. On his way out of the house, he sent a text to Jake to make sure he was up and on it. Then he headed to his car.
Finally, he had an interesting enough mystery to temporarily shift his thoughts from his thief. If his brother had driven all the way out here from New York, something was up. He frowned. The last thing he needed was more trouble. He had screwed everything up last night, and the whole Tolliver issue was still hanging over his head. He needed a win.
He pulled his car into one of the slanted spaces in front of the diner. Other than the occasional dog walker or jogger, it was way too early for most people to be up in the Hamptons. He strolled into the diner and immediately spotted his brother. Gage stood up, and they clasped hands and bumped shoulders. His brother looked good despite whatever ungodly hour he must have risen to be here this early. He was wearing his hair long again, and it flopped over his forehead.
“Mom would be yelling at you about your hair, you know.”
“It’s nice to see you too, bro.” Gage shook his head as they sat down. Two full coffee mugs were already waiting on the table.
“Thanks for the coffee.” Mitch took a sip of the black gold in his cup and immediately felt the jolt his system craved.
Gage smiled. “Feel better?”
Mitch nodded and took a quick scan of the menu.
“Good. And yeah, you’re right about the hair. Mom would hate it, but after all those years in the navy, I like wearing it long again.”
“I know what you mean.” He rubbed his jaw and felt the morning stubble scratch his palm. Even though he’d had a bit of leeway in the SEALs, he’d always been cle
an-shaven. After leaving the military, Mitch had grown a big, bushy beard. He’d enjoyed the novelty for a while, but the itchiness had compelled him to shave it off.
The waitress came by. “Ready to order?” she asked as she plucked the chewed pencil from behind her ear and licked the tip. At their nods of assent, she asked, “What can I get you?”
Gage said, “I’ll have the Iron Man with wheat toast.”
“I’ll have the same,” Mitch said, “and more coffee when you get the chance.”
Her brassy blond curls shook as she wrote down their orders. “Be right over,” she said as she grabbed their menus and walked off, her white orthotic shoes squeaking the whole way.
“So, what’s up? I assume you didn’t drive all the way out here just to see my ugly mug.”
Gage smiled again. “You’re right. Your mug is ugly, but”—his expression turned serious—“it’s damn good to see it.” He opened his mouth to say more and then stopped.
Mitch nodded. “Same.” They were both thinking the same thing. His last mission with the SEALs had been a close call, and he had the scars to prove it. He was beyond thankful to be sitting here with his brother. It had been about two months since they last saw each other, but somehow it felt much longer.
Gage smiled and held his mug out as the waitress came by with the coffee pot. He waited until she left before saying in a quiet voice, “You don’t look so good. Everything okay?”
Mitch shrugged. “Things are more complicated than I thought with this job.”
Gage nodded. “You’re not sleeping.”
“Well, I was until last night. Stayed out too late, and then I had a hard time shutting down my head.”
“What did you do last night?” Gage asked as he played with the sugar packets in the middle of the table.
“Went dancing.”
Gage threw his head back and laughed. “You went dancing last night? I have no sympathy then. Serves you right for showing off for the ladies.”
Mitch grinned. “I suppose it does, but it was a work-related matter.”
“Sure, it was. Uh huh. I believe you.” He shook his head. “Well, was it worth it? Did you at least get somewhere?”
Mitch’s brain flicked to the memory of his mouth on hers and her breasts pressed against his chest. His smile was slow. “Yeah, it was worth it.” He took another sip of coffee. “So, what brings you out here?”
Just then, the waitress came over with their food. The platters were huge. Mitch looked down at his. “Think we got enough food?”
Gage, who already had a forkful on the way to his mouth, just grunted out, “I’m hungry,” and proceeded to eat at a rapid rate. Mitch wasn’t too far behind him. The sausages were fantastic, and he had forgotten what pancakes tasted like. His usual breakfast of coffee and an egg or two paled in comparison to this feast.
Ten minutes later, with his stomach stuffed beyond capacity, Mitch said, “You started to tell me why you’re here.” He caught the waitress’s eye and pointed to his cup. She promptly arrived with hot coffee and took their empty plates.
Gage leaned back and took a swig of his coffee. “That woman you asked about, the thief. I think I might have a name for you.”
Mitch froze. A name for his thief. He wanted to know, or at least he thought he did, but now his heart was hammering in his chest.
“Uh how’d you find that out?” he asked, stalling for time. What if his brother told him something he didn’t want to hear? Like she was married or had five kids or…she’d actually hurt someone during one of her jobs. He slammed that thought down. It didn’t matter. This was business, and he needed to know as much about her as possible.
“I know a guy who knows one of the people from the list of robberies you tied together. There were some prominent names on the list. Anyway, he said that it took some digging, but he was told one of her victims had managed to discover her name is Alex. I don’t have a last name.
“When I ran that name up the flag pole, I got a hit with another friend, a guy who deals in…well, let’s just say he’s a guy who has a lot of interesting friends.”
“Does he count you among them?” At Gage’s puzzled look, Mitch clarified. “Are you one of his “interesting” friends.
Gage grinned. “You know it.”
Mitch laughed.
Gage continued. “He asked around, and apparently your girl is American and from out west, but beyond that, no one knows. He can’t even swear she’s the one you’re looking for. There’s no proof, but there are plenty of rumors, and he’s pretty sure there is some truth to them.”
He could feel Gage’s eyes on him as he raised his coffee mug.
“Do you know anything more about her?” his brother asked.
“No.”
Gage’s eyes narrowed. “It’s her, isn’t it?” he pressed.
“What?” Mitch frowned, feigning a lack of understanding.
“It’s her that you went dancing with last night. She’s the one you screwed up your sleep over.”
“I, uh, it’s complicated.” Mitch picked up the discarded sugar packets and started fiddling with them.
“What are you not telling me? What exactly is going on out here?” Gage leaned across the table. “And I want the truth. You might be able to bluff your way out of all kinds of crazy shit with other people, but I’ve known you since birth and know when you’re lying.”
Mitch grunted. He wanted to tell his brother to fuck off. To go back to New Jersey and leave him alone. Fatigue suddenly hit him like a two-by-four. But he had gotten his brothers into this mess, and it was time to be honest. “I went out dancing with her because I was hoping to find out what she was after or, at the very least, figure out if she was a real threat.”
“A threat to who?”
“Drake.”
“Why would she be a threat to Drake? I thought you had his security all set up.”
“I do, but Drake wasn’t entirely honest about his situation.”
Gage sat back. “Why don’t you fill me in from the beginning?”
Mitch leaned back, too. He stared at his brother for a moment, shrugged, and then told him the whole thing. He admitted to diving in too deep with this job and then explained to him about Tolliver and the software and finally about his thief, Alex. At least he now knew her name.
“So how do you want to play it?” Gage asked.
“What do you mean?”
Gage shrugged. “This is your show. As far as I can tell, you’ve done an excellent job so far. You’ve done everything I would have done and more. You tell me what you need to keep going, and I’ll do my best to help.”
He studied his brother’s face. Gage clearly meant every word. A huge weight lifted off Mitch’s chest. He took a deep breath and let it out. None of his problems were solved, but he was a thousand times better off now that he knew his brother had his back. Well, one brother at least. “Logan—”
“Logan may be a tight-ass about business, but he’ll be there if you need him.” At Mitch’s doubtful look, Gage said, “Remind me to tell you about Logan’s first time in court when he was in JAG.” He smiled. “You’re not the only one who leaps before you look on occasion. Anyway, tell me what you want me to do. What comes next?”
“I’m not sure. I guess I need to know more about the software, and I should confirm whether Alex is after that or something else.” Her name rolled off his tongue. It felt a little too good to know her real name. He tamped down that thought.
“Once I talk to Drake, I’ll need some help tracking down Tolliver’s interested buyer. Jake has helped me eliminate some people as possibilities, but we’re stuck now. We’ve got no leads on who it could be.”
“On it,” his brother said as he stood up. “I’m sticking you with the bill since I drove all the way out here, little brother.”
Mitch stood up. “Thanks for the information and for coming out.” He offered his hand to his brother. Gage brushed it off and wrapped him up in a real bear hug. �
�I know we saw each other at the office a couple of months ago, but it’s damn good to see you, Mitch.”
“Likewise.” He knew what his brother meant. They’d spent time together setting up the office and discussing the changes they wanted to make in the business, but not much of it was quality time. It was just nice to sit down and eat together. Made him feel like they were kids again.
Gage stepped back, but there was a serious look on his face that told Mitch he wasn’t done. “Don’t ever hesitate to tell me everything again. Even if I think you’re an idiot, I will always have your six.”
Mitch’s chest got tight, but he managed to nod. “Same here.”
Gage nodded and clapped him on the back on his way out the door. Mitch sat back down to catch his breath. Gage’s support meant everything to him. Ever since they were kids, Mitch had always felt like the odd man out because his brothers were closer in age. The two of them had been as tight-knit as twins, and he’d always felt the need to prove himself. Gage’s support—and his promise that Logan would support him, too—made him feel like a million bucks. Now all he had to do was not let his brother down.
Easier said than done.
Chapter Eighteen
Alex swore as the knife slipped and cut her finger. Served her right for screwing up so royally last night. She dropped the knife on the counter next to the apple she had been slicing.
“Stupid!” she yelled as she grabbed a paper towel and wrapped it around her finger. She sighed heavily. It was impossible to concentrate this morning. She had gotten little to no sleep last night, so she’d left the hotel before sunrise and driven around for a while to make sure she wasn’t being tailed. Now she just wanted some breakfast and a cup of hot coffee. “Damn.”
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