There were murmured comments, generally of approval.
“I’m going to hand over to Agent Murray to update on the women,” Cabe said.
Amy looked up at him, as if surprised by the chance to lead the update. It was only fair she got the opportunity to lead a part of the meeting.
“With regards to the missing women. We have reason to believe there is an offshore gaming ring that the women are trafficked through,” she said, her voice clear and confident. “First, we have the search history of the latest victim. In all these cases, the victims’ apartments were made to look as though the victim had moved on, taking her most significant possessions. None of these women lived in places with CCTV, so we haven’t found any footage of them leaving. But in this latest case, the victim had left her laptop with a tech friend to remove a virus. We found that she’d been researching international waters gaming rules and methods to combat seasickness. And it appears Woods is grooming the candidates. With me, he’s always made it seem as though what he is setting up is doing me a favor, helping me with my career. That he sees potential in me and wants to help me get ahead.”
Cabe shuddered at the assessment.
“Do you have any idea where this offshore gaming is happening?” Cunningham asked.
“Not yet,” Amy answered. “But I found an invoice at Sokolov’s home for a marina.”
“I’ve not had a chance to update Agent Murray, but we connected some of the dots this morning. The invoice she found was in the name of Ekaterina Petrov, which is Sokolov’s mother’s maiden name.”
Amy barely moved, but her eyes met his and positively fucking sparkled. A look that he wanted to put on her face every day if he could. But they hadn’t had conversations that ran that way yet.
Six coughed loudly next to him, snapping his gaze away from Amy.
“We are going in tonight to put surveillance on their boat. Amy’s belief is that the casino chips and cash from the private party at Sokolov’s will now be rotated through the casino by Woods, but we’re awaiting confirmation of that too. Amy and my team have been watching for that. It hasn’t happened through the front of the house, so it can only be happening behind the scenes, which would support our working theory that Woods is more than simply complicit. He’s an active participant in the money laundering. We’re running histories of Woods and Sokolov again to see if we can’t get our arms around the relationship between these two. Something is niggling me about it. How did it start? Who initiated it? What is the power dynamic?”
“We got enough to go now,” one of the agents focused on the enforcement of RICO said. “We have video footage of smurfing, enough to get a warrant and go in and search. Why are we waiting for this?”
“Because,” Amy said, her tone deadly, “there are missing women involved, and if we move on the laundering before we understand where these women are, we’ll never get our leads on them.” She turned to Cunningham. “Let’s follow up on the marina, follow the leads that make us think there is offshore gambling. These two cases are so inextricably linked that we can’t move on one until we are fully ready to move on the other. And we are still a week or two away from what we think will be the next roundup of women. The evidence we have won’t go away, and we have eyes on all the key players. Unless they get spooked, they aren’t going anywhere.”
Cunningham looked at the agent who had spoken and then at Aitken. “I agree with Agent Murray. Patience will be the only thing that gets us all the answers.”
“For what it’s worth,” Cabe said, “Agent Murray has our support on that too. She has done a fantastic job at ingratiating herself into Woods’s and Sokolov’s company. If there is an illegal offshore gaming ring that could possibly be linked to the missing women, we need her to get on the boat.”
Tapping his fingers on the table, Cunningham studied Amy, and she held his gaze.
As if satisfied with what he saw there, Cunningham nodded. “Agreed. Two more weeks, but if anything changes during that time, we reconvene and review. Nobody does anything without my authorization.”
There were a few more discussions before the meeting wrapped up and the room emptied. “We should go,” said Six, looking between Cabe and Amy.
“I just need to talk to Amy real quick. I’ll see you at your truck in five.”
Six nodded and left the two of them to the low hum of the air-conditioning.
“You found the boat?” Amy asked as soon as Six left.
Cabe smiled at her across the table and wondered if he’d always feel the pull to stand next to her, to touch her, to just be with her. “No. You found the boat. I just followed up on your lead. And I need to say something to you that has been festering. Well, two things. As your colleague, it was a ballsy move to go into the office, and it paid off, but it could have gone to shit. Next time, for all of our sakes, let’s talk through all the scenarios ahead of time so we can have your back in a way that’s planned, not on the fly.”
“Fair point and understood,” she said.
“No disagreement?”
Amy shook her head. “You were right. It was reckless. I was only thinking about people who could find me inside the house. I didn’t think of security being able to see in the window, so yes, it was stupid. It could have ruined what we’ve been trying to do.”
Shit. If he wasn’t falling in love with her before, he was now. She hadn’t made any excuses and had stepped up to accept a mistake.
“What was the second?” she asked.
“As your boyfriend, please don’t give me a fucking heart attack like that. I’m growing attached to that pretty face of yours, and I really don’t want it to get damaged. Are we clear? Because next time I’m coming in after you, Ames. Neither hell nor high water will be able to stop me.”
This time she grinned. “Are we going steady, Captain Moss?” she whispered, checking outside the conference room windows for anybody lingering in the hallway.
It turned him on that she’d used his former title, even though he no longer did. “You’d be shocked if you knew my thoughts about you, Agent Murray. Hopefully it won’t be too much longer before I can show you.”
“I look forward to the day we are as simple as that. I just … I hate to say we need to keep us a secret. It feels so juvenile. But we do. Just know I’m thinking about you too.”
He knew her other concerns still existed about people finding out about the two of them, and he would do just about anything to protect her from that. So, for now, he’d give her the secrecy she needed.
And he’d wait for the day it was no longer needed.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Amy could smell the mouthwatering scent of apples and cinnamon and vanilla and some other delicious baking smells that she couldn’t quite put her finger on from the street. But what else had she expected from the woman who was to make Six and Louisa’s wedding cake?
When Cabe had invited her to join them for a family barbecue, she’d jumped at the chance. The opportunity to experience him off duty, around friends and family, was the closest she’d come to going on a date with him since their non-date dinner in Vegas. Their previous attempt, the overnight at Beacon’s Beach, had been a dud after her phone call from Woods. But this, hanging out with him in his childhood home, was perfect.
And discreet.
Not wanting to blow their cover, they’d driven out of the city separately, Cabe’s truck shadowing her car along the highway. When she’d looked in her rearview mirror and caught a glance of him, she hadn’t been able to stop smiling. He’d looked so capable driving, his dark hair blowing around thanks to the open windows, his aviator shades glinting occasionally in the sun.
She parked behind him and waited as Cabe got out of the truck and walked over to her, opening her door like the gentleman he was.
“Did I tell you how pretty you look today?” he asked, taking his hand in hers. The light breeze tousled the ends of his hair.
“Not since this morning when I got dressed,” she replied,
unable to contain her grin.
She was about to rise on her toes to kiss him when a cop she recognized from the SDPD walked from the side of the house to a car farther down the street. Cabe followed the direction she was looking. “I guess my brother invited some of his friends.”
Amy sighed, the realization that today wouldn’t be the day they got to be themselves throbbed like a bad tooth. “Is it wrong that I just wanted to be … you know … us … for the afternoon?”
Cabe squeezed her hand then released it. “No,” he replied. “I completely know what you mean. I wanted the chance to introduce you to my family quietly. They are used to me being … well … Jess was a part of the family for them too. I wanted to give them time to adjust to the idea of us.”
She wanted to reach for him, to hold him, to tell him that she understood. But as she did so, the cop raised his hand in their direction and they both stepped away and waved back.
“Discreet it is then,” Amy said.
“We’ll get our time, Ames. I promise you.” Cabe led them up the porch and through the front door.
“Cabe, is that you?” a voice shouted from the kitchen.
“Yeah, Mom,” Cabe replied from over Amy’s shoulder. “I brought a guest.”
Amy turned quickly. “You didn’t tell her I was coming?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t want to turn it into a big deal,” he whispered as his mother came into view. She was the same height as Amy, with dark hair like her son’s clipped back from her face and a welcoming smile. But it was hard to miss the questioning look in her eyes. “Mom, this is Agent Amy Murray. We work together. Amy, this is my mom, Deandra, but everyone calls her Dee.”
“Agent Murray.” Not “girlfriend.” He was giving her exactly what they’d discussed only moments before on the curb, wasn’t he? He wasn’t touching her. In fact, the gap between them had grown since his mom had entered the room. But the distance felt like an ocean. And for a fleeting moment, she felt a whisper of jealousy. That another woman had stood where Amy was standing right now, and she wondered if Cabe was feeling a little displaced like she was.
Amy offered his mom her hand, ingrained manners and poker face kicking in to mask the sinking feeling in her stomach. “Pleased to meet you, Dee.”
Cabe’s mom took her hand and pulled her into a hug. “I’m very pleased to meet you, Amy,” she said. “Come out back. Everyone is out on the deck.” Dee took Amy’s hand and led them outside. “Hey, everybody, Cabe brought a friend. This is Amy.”
The silence didn’t quite descend to the point where tumbleweed blew across the deck, but it was pretty damn close. A man she immediately identified as Cabe’s father stood. They had the same muscular build and dark eyes. Mac seemed surprised to see her. Six didn’t … at all. In fact, he turned and murmured something to the woman she assumed was Louisa, who abruptly looked up from beneath long bangs.
“Leave her alone, Mom,” Cabe said, stepping out onto the deck behind her. “You know Mac.” His breath brushed the back of her neck as he spoke. “That’s his girlfriend, Delaney, sitting next to him. In the corner is Six’s fiancée, Louisa. Both women deserve medals for putting up with the two of them.”
Delaney waved, and Louisa smiled.
“Over by the pool are Mac’s and Six’s parents. And in it is my brother Noah and two of his friends from SDPD, Mike Purchall and you already saw Ermano Rivera.” Cabe grabbed two beers from the cooler and offered one in her direction. Amy nodded and he opened it before handing it to her, at which point he jogged down the steps to talk to his brother.
“Are you with the FBI?” Dee asked. “The agent title kind of gave it away.”
Amy nodded, returning her attention to his mom. “I am. You have a beautiful yard,” she said, attempting to ignore the fact that Cabe had just slid his shirt over his head. The muscles in his back flexed as he gestured something to Noah.
Dee looked in the direction of Amy’s gaze and smiled. “Thank you. It’s been a work in progress for years. How long have you known Cabe?”
It irked Amy that Cabe had just abandoned her to his mom, who hadn’t even known to expect her. It wasn’t like she was the clingy girlfriend who needed to be glued to his side. But a couple more minutes of running interference and making sure she was cool before he headed off might have been helpful. “Oh, only five weeks or so. We’re working together at the moment. Whatever you have baking in there smells delicious. Do you need a hand?”
“You can come help me frost some cupcakes if you like.”
Amy smiled. “I’d love that.” Her mom had loved to bake. Pies, cakes, bread. Their Vegas home had always smelled amazing on a Sunday afternoon. One of her favorite memories was dipping her fingers into the bowl of lemon drizzle or the cream cheese frosting for her mom’s secret-recipe carrot cake.
Nearly two hours later, Amy had iced cupcakes; helped Dee bring the food out to the patio for the barbecue; discussed the validity of digital currency with Mac’s father; and gotten to know Delaney, who was hilarious and irreverent, and Louisa, who was as shy as she’d been billed, but smarter than just about anybody she knew. What she hadn’t done was talk to Cabe. Or sit with Cabe. Or swim with Cabe.
Despite the fact that she was overwhelmed by how friendly everybody was being, she got the distinct feeling she wasn’t supposed to be there … or even worse, that Cabe was regretting bringing her. He’d barely looked her way that afternoon beyond a single heated stare when she’d removed her T-shirt to reveal her favorite aqua-and-white-striped bikini.
And she was being petty. Being completely ridiculous.
We’ll get our time, Ames. I promise you.
She knew he’d meant those words. But something had changed in the time she’d spent with Cabe’s family. They were good, honest people. And she felt like a fraud, sitting on the deck pretending she and Cabe weren’t something … more. It felt deceptive. And though it was the right thing to do, she was beginning to feel uncomfortable. It felt like an undercover role that didn’t fit.
She sat and finished her burger and fries, which were beyond good, and made plans to leave. Six took a seat on the deck steps next to her, holding his bottle of beer by the neck between his fingers. “You doing okay, Amy?”
“Mmm,” she answered, chewing the last mouthful of her burger. “It’s been great. Nice to do something not work related for a change. But on that note, I think I’m going to head out before it gets dark and do some work.”
Six looked up at the sky and laughed. “You know it’s not getting dark for another two hours, right?”
Amy smiled. “Yes, I do, but…”
He raised an eyebrow. “But what?”
She couldn’t explain to Six what she was feeling. How once she’d gotten here and Cabe had left her to her own devices as they’d discussed, she hadn’t felt quite so certain of herself—which as a card-carrying feminist irked her something chronic. She didn’t need a man to know her place or value, but …
Damn. There was that “but” again. She wiped her hands on her napkin and stood to take her plate to the garbage.
“Hey, Cabe,” Six shouted across the yard to the pool. “You better come say goodbye. Your woman’s going home because you ignored her for the last few hours, you douchebag.”
Amy’s head spun as she took in the shock on everyone’s faces. Mac came barreling down the stairs so that he stood between Six and Cabe. She could hear Dee’s gasp behind her.
Her face was flaming red, she was sure of it. There was no other reason for her cheeks to feel so hot. And the dizziness she was feeling wasn’t from spending too much time in the sun.
Cabe looked absolutely furious as he drew himself up out of the pool using just his arms. He was menacing as he walked toward Six without sparing her a glance. Mac stepped up to Cabe and braced his hands on Cabe’s chest. “You know he runs his mouth off.”
Six was grinning as he raised his hands in surrender. “Don’t know why you’re getting pissed with me, big guy,” he s
aid. “Tell me what I said that isn’t true. You said you were leaving, right, Amy?”
No matter how badly she didn’t want to be drawn into this, she had no choice. “I did,” she said.
“And you did ignore her for the last few hours, right?” Six continued. “We all saw it.”
Cabe’s chest heaved as he breathed deeply, in and out. “You don’t understand. Amy has reasons she doesn’t want this broadcast everywhere.”
Six took a step closer, a risky move given the mood Cabe appeared to be in. “But she is your woman, right?”
The words stopped Cabe in his tracks. He looked to her before knocking Mac’s hands away as if they were nothing. Instead of approaching Six, he headed for her, walking up the steps of the deck until they were face-to-face.
“Is he right?” Cabe asked, quietly. “Because we talked about this.”
“Now isn’t the time,” Amy replied, attempting to put a smile on her face, to diffuse the situation Six had created.
“Now is as good a time as any,” Cabe said, and she was grateful that even though people could see them, they couldn’t hear them.
“It’s stupid of me to be upset by something I asked for. But being this close to you, yet not feeling like I belong here, or that you even want me here, really hurts. Even though … I hope … it’s an act.”
“You know it’s an act. You have no idea how hard it’s been to stay away from you.”
Everyone was watching, the scene as public as it could get. “What do we do?” she whispered.
“Can I touch you? Because I really need to, Ames.”
Amy nodded, knowing the move would remove any shred of uncertainty about the status of their relationship.
Cabe took another step up and placed his hands on her hips. “Ames. I come with baggage. And so do you. You told me that nobody could know about us. So I didn’t tell them, although it appears that dick over there figured it out,” he said, tilting his head in the direction of Six, who was now slipping his arm around Louisa. “I didn’t tell my mom that I’d met a woman because I knew she’d make a bigger deal out of it than you’d be comfortable with, even though it’s a really big fucking deal for me—and for my family. They’ve seen how I’ve been the last two years. They’ve urged me to move on. It’s been painful to stay away from you all day … but I don’t think I can be next to you and not do this, anymore.”
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