Emeralds Are Forever (Love on the Run Book 2)

by Jaclyn Hardy

  Ben stood there, stunned. “Oh, man. I'm so sorry. I was in such a hurry to get out of there, I forgot we never ate.”

  “Well, saving lives is important too.” Dee left the room, and Ben ran his fingers through his hair.

  Forgetting to eat during a stakeout was a normal thing for him, but he couldn't believe he'd forgotten this time. He made a call to an Italian restaurant to get some delivery, then went back to work.

  Deirdre came down humming and went to the fridge. “Unless we want eggs or baby food, I think we'll need to go shopping.”

  “I ordered some food. It should be here in about ten minutes.” Ben turned on the heat sensor and pointed it toward Carlie's apartment. There was still just the two people sitting at the table. “Hey, Deirdre? Come check this out.”

  She came over and stood next to him. Her touch was like fire to him—especially after the kiss they'd shared in the alley. He slid an arm around her to move her closer to the screen.

  “What do you see?”

  “The same two people.” She gasped. “But they're different somehow.”

  “That's what I thought.” He looked down at what she was wearing. The hot pink sweats she'd used as a disguise wasn't going to cut it. “Do you have anything dark? I'm thinking you're going to stand out if we try to break in.”

  Deirdre bit her lip. “I guess I should have thought about that when I was shopping earlier. I guess comfy isn't the way to go for now.”

  “Maybe check the closet. We'll replace it if we need to.”

  “Got it.” Deirdre left the room again, and Ben followed so he could change as well.

  He pulled out his black clothes, then checked to see if there was anything he had for Deirdre. The small room only held baby clothes, so the owners weren't much help. He had some jeans and black hoodie, which would have been better than the hot pink she was wearing.

  “Hey, Dee?” He stopped himself. He'd never called her by her nickname before and it just felt odd. “Deirdre? I have—whoa.”

  She'd opened the bedroom door wearing black yoga pants and a black surf top. Her hair was pulled back into a bun. “How's this?”

  “That's perfect.”

  “Well, apparently this lady is a yoga instructor or something because her closet was full of these pants. Thankfully, they fit.”

  “That's better than what I could have come up with. Okay, we'd better head out.” Ben threw the jeans and hoodie back onto the bed and grabbed his shoes.

  Deirdre stood in the hall holding the gun she'd been given in the car. “The only problem is where I'm going to put this.”

  “Right.” Ben grabbed a belt from his bag and looped it around her waist. He took the gun from her and slipped it into the holster and stood straight to find her face inches from his. If they were going to save Carlie, he really needed to stop standing this close to her. “And you're sure you know how to use this?”

  She shrugged. “I guess we'll see.”

  Ben hoped it wouldn't come to that. They checked the cameras again, but the figures hadn't moved at all. “We'll only have a couple of minutes before someone notices that we're in there. I'll case the apartment while you go for that table. Got it?”

  “Got it.” Her face was pale, but Ben hoped she'd be okay.

  They opened the back door to find the delivery guy standing there with bags. Ben pulled out cash and handed it to the guy.

  “Whoa, are you two cosplaying or something? You look awesome.”

  “Yeah, we're headed to Comic Con. Make sure you don't say anything. Wouldn't want to give away our identities.”

  The man held a finger up to his lips. “I won't say anything. Good luck. Maybe I'll see you there.”

  “Maybe so.” Ben waited for him to head to his car, then turned to Deirdre. “Make sure he leaves. I'll set this on the counter.”

  They traded places and Ben set the food down. The smell of the lasagna was inviting, but that could wait. He had work to do.

  “He's gone.” Deirdre set her hand on the gun. “I can't believe he actually thought we were cosplaying something.”

  “It's easier than trying to explain the fact that we're spies trying to take down a crime lord. I'm just glad he bought into the Comic Con thing. I wasn't even sure there was one this weekend.”

  Deirdre laughed. “I'm pretty sure it's not for another few weeks. Let's go.”

  Ben opened the door and they ran across the street to the van. There was no one in the front seats, so he crept to the back. The doors were locked, but he had it opened in seconds with his toolkit. Empty. Whoever had been in there was now gone, which could make getting into the house much harder.

  The gate creaked as they opened it, but there wasn't much they could do about it. Ben went first and unlocked the front door, then slowly opened it. Silence. He waved for Deirdre to head up the stairs toward the kitchen, then followed closely behind. Her movements were graceful as she moved from one room to the next. The only time she made noise was when she gasped at seeing Carlie and Braden tied to the chairs.

  Deirdre pulled the tape off of Carlie's mouth, then moved to the ropes binding her hands. Ben took Braden. They were bruised and had a few lacerations on their faces, but they were alive. The relief was mixed with an urgency to get them out of there.

  “Is there anyone else here?” Ben whispered.

  Carlie shook her head and grimaced in pain. “They left.”

  Ben raised his eyebrows and gave a thumbs-up to Deirdre and she nodded. She could take care of them and he'd check the rest of the place out. The apartment was almost identical to the one he was staying in, but it had a deserted feel to it. The rooms were bare except for two mattresses lying on the ground. Carlie's and Braden's clothes were strewn across one room as if their captors were searching for something. Which meant all the tech that Ben had given them at one time or another was probably gone.

  Once he was sure everything was clear, he packed up their things and went back to the kitchen. Carlie stood at the sink with a glass of water while Braden still sat at the table.

  “We need to get you two out of here. We have a place across the street. Any chance they left anything of value?”

  Carlie shook her head and helped Braden stand. Deirdre helped Carlie while Ben put his arm around Braden. They went through the back door and Ben made sure to lock it behind him. Braden had taken most of the abuse from the captors, and limped along, gasping with each step. Ben would have to find a doctor he could trust to check on his injuries.

  It was another twenty minutes before they were finally back in Ben's apartment. Braden had to sit on the steps and climb up that way. The smell of the food they'd had delivered filled the kitchen as Ben and Deirdre got out plates and silverware.

  “Let's eat first, then you can fill us in. We don't have much time to act.”

  Carlie took a bite of her food and sighed. “This is so good. We haven't eaten since yesterday.”

  “So, I take it AJ has something to do with this?” Ben took a bite of his food. Carlie was right. It was delicious.

  “He picked us up at the airport, pretended like he was helping us out, and then we were attacked.”

  Ben frowned. “How'd AJ know where to find you?”

  “We assumed you'd sent him to pick us up.” Braden's voice was quiet, and he grimaced when he tried to swallow. “When we got to the auction, we were ambushed. Apparently, they recognized us from Thailand.”

  Things still didn't add up. “So there had to have been someone at the exhibit that night that knew you were leaving.”

  “That's what we think too. We were so busy watching for Frank, that we didn't pay much attention to anyone else.”

  “So what's our next move?” Deirdre leaned against the sink, away from everyone else.

  Carlie glared. “Before we plan that, I want to know what you're doing here. Why aren't you in New York with Dani?”

  “They came after us there too. I tried to send her home, but she got around me and onto the pl
ane.” Ben sighed. “I'm sorry.”

  “I'm not. You were in trouble again and I wasn't going to just sit at home.”

  Carlie rubbed her forehead. “And now you're in even more danger. We need to get you out of here.”

  Braden took Carlie's hand. “No, that wouldn't do any good. I think she can help.”

  Deirdre sat down next to Carlie. “I can. I'm the one that figured out you'd been kidnapped. Ben had to work on another story, so I sat and watched the traffic feed.”

  “No, that's not what I mean.” Braden took a drink of water. “They know us. They recognized us immediately. But they don't know her. Or Ben. He's always in the shadows.”

  Carlie stared at Deirdre before shaking her head. “No. I think it's time to back out. Your leg is messed up, we're compromised. It's time to go.”

  Deirdre slammed her hand on the table. “Would you stop treating me like I'm fragile? You have no idea what I can do, because you haven't let me try. I'm here. I'm staying. You want that emerald? Let's get it.”

  “Whoa, Deirdre. I'm not sure I agree.” Ben stopped at the glare from her.

  “Look, we have one shot. Let's take it.” Deirdre's eyes flicked between the three of them, and Ben couldn't help the spark of pride he felt for her.

  Braden squeezed Carlie's hand. “Let's try it. If it's too dangerous, we pull out.”

  “Unless she's dead first.” Carlie grumbled and left the table.

  Ben grabbed his phone and pulled out the article that he'd typed up about the guy in the park from a few days before. “Read this.”

  Carlie took the phone and frowned as she read the news article. She let out a sigh and handed the phone back to Ben. “Fine. This proves she walks into danger without thinking. How does that help?”

  “Remind you of someone?” Ben lifted an eyebrow. “We weren't prepared for this and you know it. You took off before I had any intel on anything happening here. Deirdre was able to help me figure out where the auction was going to take place. She's good. Why not see what else she can do?”

  “They're right. You know that.” Braden's voice was slowly getting stronger. “We'll go over everything after we got some sleep. Do you happen to have any pain killers?”

  Deirdre grabbed her purse and sorted through it before holding out a bottle. “Take what you need. I brought it just in case.”

  Braden took it from her and limped to the cupboard to get a glass.

  Carlie sighed and gave her friend a hug. “I'm sorry. I really am happy to see you, but when you showed up at the apartment, it scared me to death.”

  “And seeing you tied up was any better?” Deirdre hugged her back. “You two go get some rest. I want to go over a few things with Ben.”

  Carlie shook her head and put her arm around Braden's waist. “It's so weird to have you call him Ben.”

  They went into the living room since Braden couldn't take the stairs. Carlie helped him onto the couch, then curled up in a blanket on the floor next to him. Ben turned to the computer and pulled up every piece of intel he could find about the London crime network. It was time to get this done and get home.

  Dee leaned back in her chair and rubbed her neck. They'd been going over information for hours now and while she loved it, she was still bored out of her mind. It had been silent since Carlie and Braden went to sleep. Neither she or Ben wanted to wake them so if they did talk, it was through texts.

  Morning had come and gone by the time Carlie walked into the kitchen, yawning. The rings under her eyes had faded. “I'm going to run up and take a shower. If Braden wakes up, can you make sure he gets more ibuprofen?”

  “Of course.” Dee smiled. “Your stuff is up in the master bedroom.”

  “Thanks.” Carlie paused at the doorway. “And Dee? I really am glad you're here.”

  Dee smiled. “Me too.”

  Ben sighed and sat back in his chair. “Okay, we have your identity set. It's possible they'll be watching extra close since you were just added to the contact list, but as long as you play your part, you should be fine.”

  “Slipping in an Australian accent with my American accent is doable. And making it believable? We'll see. But I'll do my best.” Dee wasn't convinced, but languages didn't exactly come easy for her. It was better to pretend to be a struggling actress than pretending like she was from another country. “And you have yours down?”

  “There's a reason I stay behind the camera, but I'll make it work.” He'd dropped into his Aussie accent at the drop of a hat.

  “Wow.” Dee wasn't sure Ben could have been any more attractive, but with that accent, he'd just proven her wrong. “I . . . uh . . . Oh, hey, I think I hear Carlie. I'm going to go get changed.”

  She passed Carlie on the stairs but kept going. She didn't want Carlie to see the blush creeping up on her face. Ever since that kiss, Dee had been a wreck around Ben. She'd imagined kissing him for weeks, but nothing could have prepared her for the fireworks that had gone off in her head at the touch of his lips against hers.

  The shower helped calm her nerves. Well, mostly. She was about to walk into a room full of criminals from all over the world, and she had to convince them that she was the real deal. The dress she'd picked out fit like a glove, hugging her curves. But the mop of hair on the top of her head . . . that was another problem. She opened the door. “Hey, Carlie? I could use some help.”

  Carlie came around the corner and limped up the stairs. “Wow, that dress is fantastic. Did you just get it?”

  “Yeah, Ben sent me out shopping yesterday so we'd be ready. You don't think it's too much?” Dee checked herself in the mirror again.

  “Are you kidding? It's perfect. I went over the notes from Ed—er, Ben—and this fits the role just right.” She gestured toward the bed. “Sit and I'll see if I can do something with your hair.”

  Dee handed Carlie the brush. “I can't believe you do this all the time. I feel so sick to my stomach.”

  Carlie laughed. “That never really goes away. You just have to fight through it because if you don't, you'll give yourself away.”

  “That doesn't help.” Dee sighed. “You think I can do this?”

  Carlie was silent as she went to find a blow dryer. She plugged it in and turned to Dee. “Honestly? I think you'll do great. The only reason I hesitated was because I was angry that you even have to be here.”

  She turned on the blow dryer, which paused the conversation. Dee ran through everything for that night—from the moment they get out of the car until the emerald was in hand. By the time the dryer was turned off, she was positive this wasn't going to work.

  “Hey, look at me.” Carlie moved in front of her. “You'll be fine. We're going to make sure you're set. Braden and I will be with you every step of the way. And besides, you'll have Ben next to you.” She grinned. “I can't even believe how adorable you two are together.”

  Dee ducked her head to hide the red she knew was creeping up her neck and face. “Why didn't you tell me he was so dreamy?”

  “Because I'd never actually met him before until we were at the exhibit. Everything was over the phone and internet. It was safer that way.” Carlie went back to working on Dee's hair. “When Dani called me frantic that you'd met some crazy person at a grocery store, I wondered if you'd gone off the deep end. But then to find out it was the guy I worked with every single day? Mind blowing.”

  “You're telling me.” Dee reached for the makeup sitting on the bed. She needed to be doing something so she could ignore her nerves. “He kissed me.”

  The squeal from Carlie matched the one going on in Dee's head. “Was it amazing?”

  “It was . . . perfection. But it's one of those things where I don't know if it's because we were just in the moment or if it meant something.”

  Carlie stuck a bobby pin in Dee's hair. “Believe me. I see the two of you look at each other and I can guarantee there's something there. You're in good hands with him.”

  Dee applied her lipstick before answering.
The red tint matched her dress perfectly. “I know that. I just hope he knows that.”

  “This, my friend, is why your relationships are so short. Have faith in the guy.” Carlie stepped back and picked up a small mirror. “Okay, what do you think?”

  It was like Dee had stepped back in time. Carlie had pulled it up into a twist with waves on each side. “Where'd you learn to do this?”

  “Lots of practice. I've had to do this for a couple of my other missions.” Carlie fixed a few of the bobby pins. “I'm pretty sure Ben won't be able to keep his eyes off you. Which is the point. We want him enamored with you so he's willing to give you anything—including a $3 million emerald.”

  “Ugh. Please don't tell me what it's worth.” Dee added eye shadow, eye liner, and mascara. “Okay, I think I'm ready.”

  Carlie nodded. “You are. Which is good because you two need to be heading out in the next few minutes, and we still haven't bugged you.”

  They went down to the kitchen where the guys sat at the table. They looked up when Dee and Carlie walked in. Ben's eyes grew big and his mouth dropped open.

  “Wow, you clean up well.” Braden loved to tease Dee—one reason she loved him.

  “Thanks.” Dee stood still so Carlie could weave the bug through her hair.

  Ben finally stood and fumbled with the other bug that he put in her clutch. He cleared his throat. “You look beautiful. And I have to compliment your shopping skills as well. How'd you get the size just right?”

  “Hey, don't question a girl's shopping skills.” Dee took the clutch from him and allowed him to put her shawl on her shoulders.

  “Believe me. I won't after this. Okay, you two. We should be there in about fifteen minutes. Be listening for anything out of the ordinary.”

  Carlie handed him the keys. “We know, Ben. Good luck. And make sure nothing happens to her.”

  “You have my word.” Ben put a hand on the small of Dee's back and guided her out to the limo that waited for them.

  They climbed in and Dee checked again to make sure the gun was in her clutch. Ben took her hand and caressed it with his thumb as they headed into the center of the city.