by Alice Ward
I just stood there, shaking my head. “Yeah. She’ll get everything, including a bullet in the head.”
But Sloane didn’t waver. She was all pumped up. Ready to go. And she had no idea of the danger she’d put herself in. So I thought I’d go another route to see if me being in danger would make her see reason. “If you’re going to be in danger then I’ll be right there with you. We’ll both be setting ourselves up for a set of cement shoes, but I won’t let you do it alone.”
She eyed me for a moment then huffed out a breath. Was there a small glimmer of satisfaction in her eyes? “Well, I do need you, Zane. They think we’re a couple. I couldn’t just drop you and expect them to keep inviting me to hang out.”
Cocking my head, I processed her change of mood. Yeah, she was using me, but it also gave me some leverage. “Ha. You need me. I’ve got you by the balls, baby. Not that you have balls, but you know what I mean. If I say no, then the answer is no. And I am saying—”
“Zane, please. You don’t understand. He’ll take her kids away if she can’t put him away. Even if she gets full custody, he’ll still have visitation rights. She’s sure he’ll run off with the kids the minute he gets them. He’ll do it just to stick it to her. He’s a terrible father. Beth told me so.”
Sloane batted her eyelashes and… were those tears pooling in her eyes? One fell. Dammit. She wasn’t fighting fair.
“Zane, I’m not doing this for the glory if that’s what you’re thinking. I want to do it for those poor, innocent children. Imagine how scared they’d be to be suddenly taken away from their mother.”
She was tugging at my heartstrings for sure.
“But it really is dangerous.” I was losing the battle, I knew I was.
Another tear fell as she looked up. “Zane, I can’t stand by and do nothing. Yes, I can give her enough evidence to get a divorce right now. And she’ll get what she wants. But those kids will be in danger of losing their mother forever. If he doesn’t take them right away, he could do it at any time.”
Fuck me.
Why did I have to go and fall for such an amazing woman?
I turned away from her so I could think. I couldn’t think rationally when I was looking at her puppy dog expression. It was impossible to tell that face no.
But I was agonizing over what she wanted to do. It was the mafia we were talking about here. Not just a cheating husband who’d be pissed if he found out it was us who fucked his world up. No. Now it was a group of heartless bastards we had to worry about.
The motherfucking mafia.
No. No way. We couldn’t do that to ourselves. Kids or no kids.
“He shot their dog, Zane.”
I spun around. “Huh?”
“Charles shot their dog.” Tears shimmered in her pretty eyes. “Once, Beth threatened to leave him because she was pretty sure he was having an affair. This was a couple years ago. He shot the dog and told her if she ever left him, she’d get what the dog got. A bullet in the brain. We can’t let him get those kids and kill their mother, Zane. We just can’t.”
Well, fuck me running.
I found myself nodding even though I thought we needed to just get the fuck off the island. I needed to take her and get as far away from that man as we possibly could.
And if we did try to get some information out of him to help his poor wife, we’d have to be around him a hell of a lot. How could I ever act naturally around the man, knowing all that I knew? How was I going to meet him for drinks and dancing knowing the man killed his fucking dog?
I wasn’t an actor. I wasn’t a great liar. I wasn’t even prepared to handle such a huge burden. But there it was anyway. Thrust on me because it had been thrust on Sloane.
Man, I must fucking be falling hard for this chick.
That was all I could think because I would’ve never done anything like that for any other female I knew. And I was going to do it. I couldn’t let her do it alone. I couldn’t leave her in such danger. I could protect her, physically. But from the mafia?
Shit. Shit. Shit.
What was I thinking?
I couldn’t protect a tadpole from them. The best I could hope for was that she and I were never found out. I had to make sure we played our cards close to the vest. I had to make sure things were handled in such a way that Charles would never suspect that we could do such a thing.
“Well, I can’t let you do this alone, Sloane. And you seem set on doing it.”
She lifted her chin and stood to face me head on. “I will do it, Zane. With or without you, I’ll make sure the man gets what he deserves, and those kids and my old friend are safe from him. So, does that mean you’ll help me?”
I gritted my teeth until they squeaked in protest. Hell, of course I was going to help her. I just wanted to make sure we did it my way. Something told me she’d fight me on that. I wasn’t some daring spy, and neither was she. But I couldn’t let her take control of this thing. It was just too dangerous.
Closing the distance between us, I ran my hands up and down her arms as I looked into those baby blues. “Sloane, I care more for you than I’ve ever cared for anyone in my entire life. I want something real with you. Something solid. I don’t want to see anyone else, and I don’t want you to either. I want us to commit to each other. I want you to be my girlfriend.”
She just stared at me, her mouth sagging open. I was on edge as I waited for her to say what she thought.
The waiting was going to kill me.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Sloane
He wanted me to be his girlfriend. I was stunned. We’d only known each other two days after all. I had every right to be stunned.
If I wasn’t on a case, I knew I would’ve already jumped in the man’s arms, kissed him, and told him yes, a thousand times yes.
But I was on a case, and I’d just told the man a shit-ton of lies. The lies were piling up so damn high, I was beginning to worry about them crashing down and obliviating me. But they were necessary for me to get my real job done.
So, I just stood there, my mouth gaping and my body shaking as he waited for my answer.
“Do you mean you want us to be exclusive while we’re here? Or do you mean for longer than that?”
“Longer than that. Hopefully, much longer. We can travel together. I don’t have anywhere I have to go, but I like to go. We can go wherever your photojournalism takes us.” His eyes danced as he waited to see what I was going to say to that.
He was too good to be true. And I was anything but true.
Suddenly, it hit me that he didn’t seem to have a job. “Zane, how do you travel all the time? Don’t you have to work?”
He shook his head. “No. I come from money.”
“How much money?”
“A lot of it. More than most people have. I’m an heir to a candy fortune.” He looked down at his feet as if the admission embarrassed him. “Does that bother you?”
“That you’re rich?”
It kind of did, but I didn’t want to appear bigoted toward wealthy men. It was just that I wasn’t used to having lots of money or expensive things. I was raised in Queens by middle-class parents. What did I know about being with a rich dude?
His expression grew worried. “Yeah.”
“I’m actually not sure. I’ll need a little time to process it all. So, do you live in a mansion, drive cool cars, and stuff like that?”
“My family has an estate. We have lots of cars, some cool, some luxurious. And there’s a private jet and a helicopter. We have a yacht too. A home in Greece, and one in London. There’s probably a few things I’m leaving out. The truth is, I don’t like to be around my parents. They expect me to act a certain way, and I don’t like to be told how to act. So, I travel more often than not.”
God, he sounded like a spoiled rich brat.
But he didn’t act like one. At least with me, he didn’t. Maybe I brought out things in him he liked. Things that were good for him. Maybe having a strong woman
around, rather than a little ditzy tramp, was good for him.
If only I wasn’t on a case and having to lie like a rabid dog, but I was. And Zane was looking at me with a nervous gaze that made my heart ache. Could I really leave the island when it was all said and done and not miss the man who made me feel better than I ever had?
Would I kick myself for letting him go? Or would he dump me when he found out the truth?
Zane was an alpha male. Those guys hated being used and lied to. In my profession, I’d seen that happen a few times. It never turned out the way the female agents hoped it would.
Chances were high that I’d end up just like them, talking about the man who rocked their world and made their job so much easier. But then the time came for honesty, and that was when the other shoe would drop, leaving them single and sad.
I guessed I could tell Zane we’d never work out, but I didn’t want to. I wanted to commit to him too. I wanted to be his girl. I wanted that more than I wanted anything.
Screw his wealth, screw my job, screw it all. I cared about Zane more with each passing moment. And I wasn’t going to be a fool. He made things happen inside of me that no one ever had. So, I gave him a nod. One small nod, and he had me wrapped up in his strong arms. “I’d love to be your girlfriend, Zane.”
“You had me scared for a minute there, Sloane. Shit.”
A knock on the door had me looking up at him. “I’m not expecting anyone. Who do you think that is?”
Letting me out of his arms, he went to get the door. “It’s lunch. I ordered it before I left my place.”
I just shook my head as I watched him let the waitstaff in with our rolling cart of food. It was really nice letting someone take care of me for once.
Would it be so bad to pretend for a while? That we were a real couple with only real couple things to deal with?
Food.
Fun.
Sex.
My body sizzled with just the thought of it. Zane had already shown me how dominating he could be. I generally didn’t like that when dealing with a man on a personal level. But in the bedroom, oh yeah, I enjoyed it very much.
Tie me up, pin me down, blindfold me, and show me who’s boss.
I was looking forward to getting to that. But first, there was work to see to. And lunch to eat.
Zane picked up a watermelon that had been sliced in half and filled with all kinds of things. Cold shrimp and crab, melon balls, cubes of various cheeses. It looked yummy and refreshing. A couple of tropical drinks were stashed inside the hollowed out cavity as well.
“Wow.”
“I know, right. I’ve seen couples order this but never had a girl I wanted to share one with. Now, I do.” He chuckled. “I have a girl. Man, my parents are going to freak.”
My gut clenched. What the hell would his parents think about me? A poor girl. Well, I wasn’t poor. By their standards, I probably was. I bet they’d think I was a gold digger. To my credit, I knew I liked Zane a hell of a lot before he told me he was rich.
I pushed the thought out of my head. I didn’t need to worry about meeting his parents. He’d dump me when he found out the truth anyway. I was sure he would.
But for now, I was having fun with the handsome, thoughtful man. No reason to think about anything else.
We went onto the deck and set up the table, then he took the seat across from me and popped a piece of melon into his mouth. “Juicy.” He crooked a finger at me, and I leaned closer, expecting him to feed me a bite. When he kissed me instead, I tasted the delicious fruit on his lips.
Wanting more, I opened my mouth. He readily accepted the invitation, his tongue moving through my lips, wrapping around mine.
I groaned when he pulled away, his eyes searching my face as he pushed my hair behind my ear. He fed me a bite, then another. That one was followed by a kiss before he fed me again.
“I might forget how to feed myself if you keep this up.”
He popped a cube of cheese in his mouth, grinning like a fool. It made him look like the little boy he once was… adorable and mischievous. He made me feel young too. I wasn’t ancient by any means at twenty-four, but my career choice had left little room for play over the past couple years. I’d forgotten how much fun it was to just say nothing and enjoy someone’s company.
No. That wasn’t true. It wasn’t that I’d forgotten. It was that I’d never experienced this ease before with another person.
Each time he kissed me, I thought he’d push the intimacy farther. I hoped he’d push the intimacy farther. But he pulled away, leaving me breathless and wanting. “We have all day,” he murmured against my lips when I practically begged him to make love to me.
He was right. And the all-day foreplay buildup was delicious.
When we’d finished eating, we curled up on the lounge chair and napped for a couple hours. I awoke refreshed and ready to face the rest of the day.
Zane took out his cell and showed me the screen. “Look, we can use this app to record Charles when he talks. It records for fifteen minutes. If you put this app on your cell too, I can record the first fifteen minutes then you can take over. I’ll make some excuse to get away from you guys for a moment to reset mine. We can go back and forth like that, and hopefully, we won’t miss anything.”
I grinned. “I’ve got an even better idea.” I went to the bedroom to retrieve the much more sophisticated recording device I’d brought with me. “I have this. Beth sent it to me before I came here.” Another lie I’d have to eat when the job was over.
He looked at me curiously. “Okay, I’ll wear it.” He reached out for it, but I held it close to my chest. I’d have to watch the man. He was already trying to take charge.
“It fits snugly under one’s boob, so unless you plan to grow a pair in the next few minutes, I’ll be wearing it.”
Moving inside, he took my hand and led me to sit in the air-conditioned living room, pulling me down on his lap. I wrapped my arms around his neck. “This is really dangerous. I want you to take every single thing we do with that man seriously. No messing around.”
This was getting annoying, but I bit back my irritation. “Remember who you’re talking to. I take everything I do seriously.”
He blew out a breath and leaned his head back against the cushion, staring at the ceiling as if it might give him wisdom. “I know that. I’m just so worried for you.”
“Don’t, Zane. You have to play the role of my boyfriend, not my protector. We have to convince them that we’re in love and are harmless. You showing such stress around them will raise their suspicions.”
He rolled his head to look at me. “Promise me one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“If anything physical happens, promise that you’ll get behind me and let me handle it. I don’t want you to get hurt.” He pressed his lips to mine. “I need you to be safe.”
My insides went gooey, but I ignored the way he was making me feel. I needed to let him think he was the alpha of our little pack or this would never work. “I promise. Although, just to ease your concerns, I have undergone quite a bit of training. I told you about Afghanistan. I’ve taken self-defense classes and took a class on firing a gun.” I winked. “I was the best in the class.”
“Oh, how adorable. My girl was the best shooter in her class.” He laughed and kissed me again, and I thought I might have teased him into easing up. Not the case. He grew serious again an instant later. “I can shoot too. In fact, I have a concealed handgun license.”
I raised my head to look at him. “Do you carry?”
He snorted. “No. Not normally. I wanted to know how to handle a gun if needed. And I wasn’t bad. Good enough that I can take care of you.”
I gritted my teeth when he patted me on the head. I wasn’t some damn dog. I pushed away and sprang to my feet, irritated beyond measure. “Look, I can take care of myself, and I’m not giving you my gun. Get over it.”
I couldn’t, even if I wanted to, but I couldn’
t tell him that.
As a matter of fact, I still needed to contact Agent Matthews with the new developments. Or maybe I’d wait until it was over, I wasn’t sure. I was of an “ask forgiveness later” mindset. After all, I was only supposed to be watching. Not only was I planning on going in deeper, I was dragging a civilian in with me.
“Get over it?” Zane was on his feet too, towering over me, which just pissed me off. I could do this. Why did the men in my life think I couldn’t? Sexist asshole penis owners. “Like it or not, I’m not about to let anything happen to you. I’m running this show. Get used to it.”
Oh, hell no.
“Zane, I don’t need you to do this job. Yes, it’ll be easier with your help, but I don’t need you.”
He turned and walked away from me. “Do it yourself then.” To my astonishment, he kept going until I heard the door open and close.
I stood there, stone-still, like an idiot. Fine. I would do it on my own. Screw him and everyone else.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Zane
With each step I took, I wondered what the hell I’d just done.
I walked out on the woman I just asked to be my girlfriend.
Who does that?
But then again, who thinks they can fuck around with someone who works for the mafia?
I went into my bungalow and fell face first onto my bed. I had no idea what to do. Would Sloane really move forward without me? Would she put herself in danger by going to dinner with Charles and Grace alone? And what would she tell them about me not being with her?
Mostly, why did I give a flying fuck?
Lying there, I tried to think like I normally did. Pre-Sloane Zane did not worry about other people. He did not invest himself in dangerous missions that would do nothing to profit him. He did not take shit from anyone.
Sloane was the strongest-willed person I’d ever known. She didn’t seem self-destructive, but trying to get a man to confess to being in the mafia was just about as destructive as one could get.
I rolled over and looked up at the ceiling, forcing my hand through my hair and groaning. I was groaning because I knew what I was about to do. I was going to go right back over there and tell that crazy woman that I was sorry for walking out like that. I’d do it because there was something about the lunatic that made me want to help her, to protect her, to cherish her crazy ass.
