by Jaclyn Hardy
Dee checked her phone and stopped. “Wait, how do you know my email address?”
“You really want to know?”
“Nope.” Dee smiled as she opened the email. She told herself it was because she finally got to be part of the excitement, but in truth, seeing his name in her email box made her giddy. She waved it off and read through it.
Everything was pretty straightforward. Where to go when they were separated, when to abort, what to do if the partner was killed—
“Wait, I don't like this last one.” Dee smiled apologetically at the stewardess who stood next to them.
“It happens.” Ben took her hand. “I'm not going to let it happen this time. I promise.”
Dee's breath caught in her throat as waves of excitement flowed from her hand. It was annoying how excited she was getting over the smallest things. But the feel of his hand holding hers had sent her heart thumping.
“I'm going to hold you to that.” Dee settled into her seat. It was going to be a long flight, but at least the seats were comfortable. And even better, Ben hadn't let go of her hand.
Dee slowly turned in a circle, taking in as much of the sights of London as she could in the few moments she had while Ben got their rental car. She was here. In England. Land of awesome accents, hilarious comedy, and the Beatles. She was in Heaven.
“Ready to go?” Ben jingled the keys next to her.
“Sure. Give me one more second.” Dee did a quick panoramic picture with her phone, then turned to Ben. “Let's do this.”
Ben chuckled. “There will be plenty of time to tour London later. First we have to save Carlie and Braden.”
“Right. So where do we start?”
“Their apartment. I want to see inside, try to get a feel of what might have happened.”
Dee nodded. “Good idea. And then we'll go get them?”
“Depends on what we find out at the apartment.” Ben gestured toward a sleek black car.
Traffic was crazy, and Dee couldn't get over the fact that they were driving on the opposite side of the road. It was probably good that Ben was driving. She took as many pictures as possible as they drove over the tower bridge
“Do you think she's okay?” Dee leaned over Ben to get a picture of the Tower of London while they were stopped. The more she could distract herself, the less she panicked.
“I hope so.” Ben continued down the road and stopped a few blocks later.
They pulled up in front of a building and Dee recognized it immediately from the video surveillance they'd watched. Was that just yesterday? The same van sat at the curb, but there seemed to be no activity.
Ben pulled out his laptop and typed in his password, then grabbed another device from the backseat. He hooked them up and pointed it toward the apartment. Images came up on the screen, showing four people sitting at a table.
“Whoa. How'd you get your hands on one of those?”
Ben moved the camera to point toward the upper floor. “It's amazing what you can find on the black market. Or in the classifieds.”
“You must look at different classifieds than what I've seen.” Dee leaned in. “Too bad we can't tell who it is.”
“Well, I'm pretty sure it's not Carlie or Braden. The figures are too big.” He frowned. “There are no other bodies in here. Not sure what these guys are doing here, but they're not guarding Carlie.”
Dee tapped her fingers on the car door. “So if they don't have them there, they must be waiting for Carlie to come back.”
“Probably.” Ben shook his head. “AJ was one of my guys. Frank must have gotten to him. Which means that my team is diminishing by the minute.”
“Who does Frank work for?”
“We don't know yet.” Ben set the camera in its bag and started the car.
Dee put her seat belt back on, expecting to go find a hotel, but Ben drove around the block and parked behind the apartments across the street from Carlie's apartment. “This is where we're staying?”
“It's the easiest way to watch the apartment without having to sit in our car the whole time.” Ben went to the trunk and pulled out his bags, then headed up the steps.
Dee only had her purse and the outfit she'd worn to the airport, so she just shut the car door and followed him into the apartment. It was clean and modestly furnished with a modern decor. Ben had already started setting up his surveillance equipment, so Dee took the time to check out the house. There was an upstairs with two bedrooms, and a bathroom in each of the rooms. On the way back downstairs, she paused. These were modern pictures of a family.
She went back upstairs and checked the rooms again. Toys sat in the closet of the smaller room. Dee sighed and went to find Ben.
“This wasn't a rental was it?”
“They were more than happy to let us borrow the house for a few days while they're at the French Riviera, all expenses paid.”
Dee studied the pictures on the wall in the living room. More of the family. Two kids, young. “Do you just kick people out all the time?”
“We didn't kick them out. We just offered them the vacation. They were more than happy to drop the kids off with their grandparents and head off on vacation.” Ben opened the kitchen curtains. “Now, are you going to sit there and criticize me or are you going to help?”
“What do I do?” Dee glanced out the window. The van blocked part of the view, but they could see the windows at least.
Ben opened his wallet and pulled out a credit card. “I know I'm pulling the you're-a-woman-so-you-know-how-to-shop thing, but well, that's actually the case. I need a pinstripe suit and fedora and you need something that matches the style. Think 1920s. Then make sure you have enough other clothes to last a week or so. Maybe something for Carlie if you know her size.”
Dee blinked. “You want me to shop? In England?”
“Sorry, I—”
“Are you kidding? I'm outta here. Oh, do you know your size?”
Ben shook his head. “Large? Maybe extra-large?”
Dee rolled her eyes and walked up behind him, then pulled the back of his shirt down to check the size of his dress shirt. Her finger rubbed against his neck and she felt him shiver. She laid the shirt flat. When he turned to face her, his eyes were just inches from hers. Her breath caught as she stared up at him. His eyes dropped to her lips as he leaned forward. He pulled away at the last second, clearing his throat.
Disappointment welled up inside her and she grabbed her purse and hoodie. “I'll, uh, I'll be back.”
“Wait—”
But the door slammed behind her before she heard what he was going to say. She was as angry with herself as she was with him. They were here to save Carlie, not go on some romantic getaway. But what if both of those things could happen?
Dee sighed. No use worrying about that right now. She pulled up the maps on her phone and headed for Piccadilly Circus. It didn't occur to her to ask the limit on the card until she stood in the center of one of the shops. She grabbed some dresses, shirts, and pants and went to the dressing room. She'd deal with that once she found clothes to wear.
When Dee jumped on the plane to England, this was the last thing she thought she'd be doing. She stared at the red dress she wore. It accented her curves perfectly and matched the style that Ben had been hoping for. Why they had to go with 1920s was another thing she'd neglected to ask about.
After finding some casual clothes to wear back to the apartment, she changed back into the sweats she bought in New York and searched for a suit for Ben.
Next was the shoe store where she found some killer heels that she couldn't wait to show Dani. In fact. She pulled out her phone and took a picture to send it, but it wouldn't go. Right. She was in England. The picture would have to wait until she got back to the apartment and onto Wi-Fi.
By the time Dee was done shopping, she was ready for the mission. Well, maybe not, but at least she looked the part. Now it was time to find out what the next phase was.
Ben took a drink o
f water, keeping his eyes on the apartment across the street. He could rely on the cameras, but he wanted to make sure he didn't miss anything.
Deirdre had been gone for a couple of hours now, and if she wasn't back soon, he'd need to go find her. The look on her face when he handed her the card had been priceless. It was a good thing she was excited. He hated picking out the clothes for missions because he could never get the sizes right.
The traffic was light in the area, which meant it was easy to track. So when the same car went by three times, Ben knew something was up. He took several pictures of the plates to make sure he got the number, then ran it through the computer. It wasn't too surprising to find that they weren't registered to anyone, but that made his job a little tougher.
A key rattled in the lock before someone knocked on the backdoor. Ben hurried to answer and found Deirdre standing on the step with several bags in her arms.
“Sorry, my key didn't work.” Deirdre pushed her way through the door and set the bags on the table. “Anything happen while I was gone?”
“The same car has been circling, but otherwise nothing.” Ben pulled his suit out of a bag and held it out. “Wow.”
“Awesome, right? There was this cool shop full of them.” Deirdre picked up her bags. “I'll get these put away.”
“Change into something nicer. We're actually going out. I have some contacts I want to try to talk to.” Ben took his own bag and followed her up the stairs. He took the smaller room and let her have the master suite. He'd save the pinstripe suit for the meeting with the crime boss. For now, he needed something he could run in if it came to needing a quick escape. The other suit she'd grabbed would do the trick.
He changed and straightened the tie. It was almost a perfect fit, although the legs needed to be shortened just a little. He slicked his hair back and shoved his phone, wallet, and a small gun into his pocket.
Ben knocked on Deirdre's door. “You ready? I need to get to the restaurant.”
Deirdre opened the door and Ben's eyes widened. She was dressed in a black dress suit and heels. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and her makeup accented her green eyes perfectly.
“Wow. You look . . . nice. Perfect for the meeting.” Ben checked his watch. “The car should be here, now.”
A limo sat outside the back door waiting for them. Ben made sure the door was locked and the alarm system was on, then joined Deirdre in the car. He sat next to her and waved for the limo to drive.
“These people we're meeting are friends of my dad. They were collecting intel and let my dad know they saw something today. It could be a trap. I've lost a few people to the other side already, and I don't know about these people.”
Deirdre nodded. “So be ready to run?”
“If they even give us a chance.” Ben grimaced. Carlie would kill him for this. He reached under the seat and found the small handgun he'd asked for. “Know how to shoot one of these?”
She took the gun and cocked it. “I've learned a little. After our apartment was broken into last year, I decided it was time I owned one. But then the actual buying never happened.”
“You've had training?”
“I went to the gun range a few times.” Deirdre set the gun inside her purse. “Anything else?”
“Yes, don't get hit or Carlie will have my neck.”
Deirdre laughed. “She really would.”
They pulled up in front of a restaurant and climbed out. Ben helped her out of the car and let go. He needed to keep this professional, or he'd lose it. Her smile and the way she fit into that dress suit was making him lose resolve fast.
“Hi, we're here to meet our party. The Blacks.” Ben handed the maître d' a hundred-dollar bill.
The man took the cash and walked them to a table near the back. Two men and a woman sat at the table speaking quietly. They looked up as Ben and Deirdre approached.
“Mr. Black.” Ben held out a hand. The shorter of the two men stood and shook Ben's hand.
“You must be Ed. And this is . . .?” His eyes ran up and down her suit, and Ben felt the overwhelming need to punch him. She didn't deserve the look he gave her.
“My partner. This is Samantha. It's a pleasure to meet you. My father has told me so much about you.” They didn't have to know that he'd only actually talked to his dad a few days before and never about these people.
Mr. Black studied him before nodding. “Your father is a good man. I haven't heard from him in years, so imagine my surprise when you suddenly called me out of nowhere.”
Ben leaned forward. “Look, I only recently received the list of his contacts, and I hadn't planned to contact any of you. But my friends are in danger. We believe they had business with Karl Edmunds, and they haven't been seen since the first night they were here.”
The woman gasped. “What would they want with him?”
“My friends love to collect artifacts and other priceless items. Karl is in possession of an emerald that was part of an old shipwreck. The goal was to get it back and reunite it with the rest of the items from the wreck.”
For the first time since Ben and Deirdre sat down, Mr. Black seemed to relax. “We know of this emerald. And we also know that your friends' lives are at stake if Karl got ahold of them. It may already be too late.”
Deirdre tensed next to Ben. He took her hand to comfort her. She couldn't lose it right now. Ben needed to get her out of there, but first they needed some kind of reassurance.
“Has there been any movement in the Edmunds' manor over the last few days?”
The three of them exchanged glances before Mr. Black responded. “There was a van that was seen coming and going over the last two days, but it was presumed to be a part of the preparation for the ball being held there later this week.”
“Ball?” It was Ben's turn to tense up. Something wasn't adding up, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
“Yes, it seems that they've invited all of the elite from London, as well as ambassadors from other countries. We've already checked everyone out and they are all who they say they are.”
Ben sighed. “That actually worries me more.”
“I assure you we have everything under control. We'd hate to have anything happen to the son of one of our colleagues.”
It was their way of saying stay out of it, but that wasn't about to happen. Ben nodded. “I'm sure you do. Now, if you'd excuse us, we have another appointment to keep.”
“You're not staying for dinner?” Mr. Black asked, surprised.
“Sadly, no. We are only here for a few short days, and my father had many people he wanted me to meet with. Thank you again for your time.” Ben stood and held a hand out to Deirdre.
He gave her credit for the cool expression she wore as she followed him away from the table. Now if he could just get her out of her before Mr. Black changed his mind about letting him go. When he got outside, he picked up his pace and didn't speak until they'd gotten a few blocks away.
“How good is your British accent?” He checked behind him to make sure they weren't being followed.
“Uh, it could be better. Why?”
Ben turned down an alley and pulled her up against the wall. He felt her shaking, heard her intake of breath as he closed in. He put his lips to her ear. “We have to fit in. Our American accent will give us away in seconds. If you don't feel confident, don't speak until we're back to the apartment. Got it?”
She nodded, brushing her cheek against his. Ben reached up and caressed her chin and ran his thumb along her cheekbone. He really wished he wasn't here on business. The way her mouth parted, inviting him, was too much. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. Sparks ran through him, an electric wave that he'd never felt before. A hunger. She melted into his arms as they stood in the middle of an alley in what could be enemy territory. With a groan, he pulled away from her. They had to get out of there.
“Okay, ready?”
Deirdre appeared as dazed as he felt, but she nodded
. Ben held his arm out and she slipped her arm through his. They checked the street before leaving the alley.
Three blocks later, he flagged down a taxi and gave the directions back to the apartment. Deirdre held tightly to his hand, her lips in a thin line.
“Hey, we'll be okay.” Ben squeezed her hand and watched out the window. It was a relief when they finally pulled in and climbed out.
Deirdre dropped into a chair in the kitchen and rested her head in her arms while Ben rushed over to the computer to check the cameras. Everything was the same as when they'd left.
“What made you leave so quickly?” Deirdre asked. Her closeness made Ben jump.
“They told us they hadn't heard from my dad for years. That was a straight out lie. The banquet they mentioned is tomorrow night. They wanted us off the trail. And the fact that they'd already checked all of the ambassadors just didn't feel right. Karl doesn't seem like one who would mix his business affairs with government officials. That means one of two things. Either he's planning an even better heist at his party, or those officials aren't who they say they are.”
Deirdre stared at him. “You got all of that out of the conversation?”
“Yep. It's hard to trust people in this business when you've already had a few of your guys turned.”
“What makes you think I can be trusted?”
Ben turned to her, surprised. “You're genuine, you speak your mind, and you're Carlie's best friend. If you'd wanted to turn on her, you would have.”
“True. But what if I was just biding my time?” She picked one of his cameras to inspect it.
Ben laughed. “You make a good point. But I knew I could trust you as soon as I met you. Call it a gift. I know when someone isn't who they say they are.”
Deirdre nodded. “I get it. My grandma has the same gift. Good luck getting away with stealing a cookie from her cookie jar.”
“I take it you know from experience?”
“Me? Never.” She grinned. “I'm going to go change and figure out something to eat.”
