Deep Cover

by Kimberly Van Meter

  Poppy perked up, tensing imperceptibly while holding the easy smile. So DJ Raven was one of the suppliers. Capri lifted on her toes to accept a tiny package from Raven and then bounced away in time to the music.

  “C’mon,” Capri shouted above the din, pointing as she said, “Bathroom.”

  Poppy nodded and followed Capri, taking a quick sweep of the room, hoping to catch a glimpse of Shaine. But it was too dark and the writhing knot of people was too dense.

  She had no choice but to follow Capri and hope for the best.

  CHAPTER 9

  Shaine knocked on the metal door and when he was greeted by a giant, stone-faced man, he wondered if he was about to get his ass stomped into the concrete.

  “Private party.”

  “I was invited.”

  “By who?”

  Technically, he was invited by the hot chick at the bar but he used Angelo instead.

  “Angelo.”

  The man slowly stepped aside, but continued to stare Shaine down as if hoping Shaine would do something stupid just so he could wipe the floor with him.

  But Shaine wasn’t stupid. He slipped past the man and into the party, immediately assaulted by a kaleidoscope of neon colors as people walked by in glow-in-the-dark body paint illuminated by the black lights.

  Music—if you could call it that—was nearly a wall of sound that vibrated his insides, and he wondered if kids nowadays were deaf.

  He scanned the crowd and caught a glimpse of Poppy being led into the bathroom by Capri, and he headed that way. He wanted to have eyes on Poppy in this place.

  His instincts told him to stay sharp; anything could go south at any point and they had zero backup.

  But before he could get too far, he was clapped around the shoulders and spun around to face Angelo, who was wearing a big-ass grin, and Brandi draped on his arm.

  “You made it,” Angelo exclaimed. “I’d almost given up hope that you were coming.”

  “I never miss a good time,” Shaine responded with an easy smile. “Where’s the bar?”

  Angelo pointed. “That way, my friend. However,” he added with a wink, “it’s time for you to graduate to the big kid table.”

  “Yeah? Intrigued. Tell me more.”

  Angelo’s wide grin was as much an invitation as a warning. “Come. I’ll show you,” he said, pulling away from Brandi to lead the way.

  Shaine gave one final glance toward the bathroom where Poppy supposedly was, but had to trust that she could handle herself.

  They walked up a short flight of stairs to what appeared to be an old office from when the building had once been occupied, and stepped inside.

  Angelo closed the door and the prickles danced on the back of his neck when he saw Poppy standing there with Capri, waiting for them.

  “Private party?” he drawled, trying to sound casually interested when he had a bad feeling about this little get-together.

  Angelo dragged a metal chair over and straddled it, resting his forearms on the back with a grin. “We haven’t had the opportunity to properly welcome you into the Lit family and we’re about to rectify that right now.”

  “Why does this sound like a hazing about to happen?”

  “No worries,” Angelo assured him. “You’re going to like this hazing.”

  Poppy cast an uncertain look toward Capri. “What’s going on?”

  “We like you,” Capri said as if that answered all questions. “And if you go through with this...we’ll like you even more because we’ll know that we can trust you.”

  “What is this? High school. C’mon, I came for a good time, not stupid games,” Shaine retorted, hoping to put an end to whatever was about to happen. True, if he was alone, he’d go feetfirst into whatever shit was about to go down, but he could practically feel Poppy’s apprehension even though she was doing a decent job of hiding it. “This is starting to feel like a drag.”

  But Poppy surprised him by stepping forward with a shrug, saying, “Let’s do this. I came for a good time. I’m down for whatever. Just get on with it already.”

  Capri giggled. “I told you she was fun.” Then she popped from her perch on the cluttered table and disappeared for a moment, only to reappear with something clenched in her fists. “Hands out,” she instructed with an impish smile that was half adult and half kid but all sorts of messed up.

  Poppy thrust her palm out, her chin set. Shaine had no choice but to follow suit. If Poppy was going for it, he would, too.

  Capri dropped a tiny pink pill into each of their palms.

  “Bottoms up,” Angelo said with a grin.

  Poppy didn’t hesitate and threw the tiny pill back and washed it down with a swallow of beer. She looked to Shaine. “Your turn, big guy.”

  Ah, hell. He knew it was Bliss. Things were about to get sidewise.

  “Let the good times roll,” he murmured as he tossed it back.

  Capri cheered while Brandi smirked, her dark eyes watching their every move.

  She’s the one to watch out for.

  “So what was the point of all that?” Shaine asked, effecting a bored expression. “I’m no virgin to Molly.”

  “It’s not Molly.” Capri giggled. “Welcome to Bliss.”

  Confirmation.

  “It’s going to hit you fast,” Angelo said, rising to bring Shaine and Poppy close. “You’re our newest family members and we look out for our own. But we have to know you can hang. So this is your official job interview.”

  “Funny, I thought I already had the job,” Shaine quipped.

  “Naww, that was just the preliminary. This is the real deal. We’re a special group here at Lit. It takes a special kind of person to fit in.”

  Poppy teased Shaine, “Afraid you might fail the job interview?”

  “I never was one for tests,” Shaine said, but he was already starting to feel different. His mouth began to taste like the Sahara. Well, that much was similar to Molly.

  Shaine shoved his hand through his hair, impatient. “I need a beer. This shit’s going to dry me out.”

  “First...we have to seal the deal,” Capri said, looking to Poppy and Shaine with expectation.

  “There’s more?” Poppy asked.

  Brandi stood by Angelo’s side, her arms sliding around his waist. Angelo opened his arm for Capri to move in on the other side. He looked like a sheikh with his harem.

  Shaine reacted with instinct and grabbed Poppy, pulling her straight to his mouth, kissing her deeply. Poppy’s little startled moan was like sweet poison and he drank it up.

  Their tongues tangled and Shaine squeezed her behind, drawing her tight and snug against his hardening length.

  An onslaught of memories assaulted him as he fought to remain in control, but the drug was loosening his ability to think in a straight line, and he was bombarded with sensory pleasure.

  It took Herculean strength to keep from bending Poppy over the nearest surface and burying himself inside her, no matter that they were in full view of an audience.

  Hell, that made it even hotter.

  Somehow Shaine managed to get a grip and slow his sensual attack, but they were both breathless when they broke apart.

  He came to his senses to the sound of applause and squeals of laughter.

  “That was so hot,” Capri gushed, hooking her arm around Poppy’s. “Now, let’s party!”

  Capri and Poppy were gone in a flash, and Shaine didn’t have time to chase after them. It was all he could do to keep on his feet. A euphoric grin found his lips and he couldn’t quite stop it from stretching his lips.

  “This shit is legit,” Shaine admitted, shaking his head like a dog. But he remained muddled in a fairy cloud of pink rainbows and happiness. No wonder this drug was quickly climbing the party scene.

  “Brother, you have no idea,” Angelo said, laughing. “Now, let’s see if we can get you laid tonight. There’s nothing like sex on Bliss!”

  Shaine grinned as if he was down for that, but there was
only one person he wanted naked in his bed and that was Poppy.

  Poppy. All day, every day.

  And he was rapidly forgetting why that was a terrible idea.

  In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he was certain it needed to happen.

  * * *

  Poppy drifted on a cloud of sensation, moving her body in time to the beat that seemed to vibrate her bones. Everything felt amazing, everything was wonderful.

  “This drug is incredible,” she said, mostly to herself, but Capri caught it.

  “Bliss will change your life,” Capri said with great authority. “It’s the new biggest thing. Bliss is going to change the world.”

  “It’ll change the party scene, for sure,” Poppy returned with a dreamy sigh. No wonder it was so addictive. Feeling this good shouldn’t be a crime—it should be a right.

  Snap out of it, a faint voice intruded on her happy thoughts, and she actually frowned as if she were responding to someone.

  Capri tapped Poppy’s forehead. “No frowning allowed. Frowning causes wrinkles and wrinkles make you look old and no one wants to pamper an old lady.”

  Ah, Capri and her endless quest of finding that perfect sugar daddy.

  “Capri, you need bigger goals,” Poppy said. “A rich man isn’t going to solve all your problems.”

  “What problems? I love my life. But I love to shop, too.”

  “Yeah, but wouldn’t you rather be in charge of your own money, instead of having to suck up to some old guy with lots of money?”

  “Old guys with lots of money are my favorite and they’re the easiest to catch. Perverted old men love girls like me.”

  Poppy would’ve winced but she didn’t have the wherewithal to summon the effort to be worried about that telling statement. Instead, Poppy shrugged and said, “To each her own. Just make sure you use protection, kid. None of those sugar daddies are looking to be a real daddy.”

  “Ha! As if I’d ruin this moneymaker by popping out kids,” Capri scoffed as if Poppy was the one being naive. “Besides, I do have goals. And right now, my goal is to take home that cutie by the bar. Toodles.”

  And then she was gone, leaving Poppy all by herself amongst a crowd of doped up, highly primed, twentysomethings who had a hive mind-set to GET LAID.

  The worst part...she was tuned in to that message as well and she was struggling with her urge to get wild with the first person she saw or seek out Shaine.

  Either decision seemed awesome and terrible at the same time.

  As if summoned by her drug-addled secret thoughts, Shaine grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, moving those hips in a way that intensified the urge to get naked—with him.

  “This stuff is amazing,” she admitted, looping her arms around his neck as he nuzzled the soft skin where her shoulders met her collarbone. “I can understand why it’s so popular. This is better than Xanax.”

  She hadn’t meant to let that slip.

  For six months Xanax had been her saving grace after leaving the Bureau and taking the DEA job.

  Not because she’d suffered anxiety over a new job—hell, that’d been exciting.

  No, the Xanax had been to help with the pain in her heart.

  Shaine had really done a number on her.

  “You’re such an asshole,” Poppy said with a dreamy smile. “You really know how to drive a knife straight to the bone.”

  “What are you talking about?” Shaine said, drawing her closer. “You’re the one who left.”

  “You’re the one who treated me like I wasn’t good enough.”

  “Shut up,” he growled, sealing his mouth to hers. His kiss ignited a firestorm of need made ferocious due to the drug. Her skin was on fire. Her brain was melting. She wanted to be naked against Shaine and forget all the crap that was still jagged between them.

  Get a grip. It’s the drug. You’ve trained for this. Get it together!

  Poppy pulled away reluctantly, so hungry for his touch, that tiny, insistent voice becoming an irritant in her head. “Why’d they pick us?” she wondered out loud. “Do you think there’s something to that?”

  “We’re just players in their game,” Shaine answered, his arms still anchored around her waist as if he didn’t want to let go. It would be so easy to just lean into his touch and stay there. “They set us up. Now we have to see it through.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Shaine grabbed her hand and led her off the dance floor. He found Brandi and Angelo tucked into a dark corner, kissing and groping.

  “We’re taking off,” Shaine announced, still clasping Poppy’s hand.

  “Have fun,” Angelo said with a knowing smile. “I’ll let Capri know Laci is in good hands.”

  Shaine didn’t wait to chitchat and simply walked away with Poppy in tow.

  She thought of protesting, to pull away, but she didn’t want to.

  Maybe it was a better idea to let them think that they were going home together to seal the deal and that way, she and Shaine could focus on other things without suspicion.

  But that wasn’t the reason she was eagerly following Shaine.

  She wanted to feel him against her. She wanted to remember what it was like to climax in his arms.

  It hadn’t been purposeful, but since leaving Shaine, she hadn’t been with anyone else.

  She hadn’t been able to bring herself to think of getting that personal with another person.

  Each time she’d gone out on a date, Shaine had been in her head, intruding on an otherwise nice evening.

  Unfortunately, by the end of the night, Poppy had always sent them home with a peck on the cheek, placing them firmly in the friend zone.

  She told herself that it was simply her dedication to the job that’d kept her love life on the back burner, but with her hand clasped firmly in Shaine’s, it was wildly apparent that she’d been lying to herself.

  “I think this is a bad idea,” she said, managing to get the words out as they approached his car. “We have to realize it’s the drug making us feel this way.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine,” Shaine replied, though his teeth seemed gritted as he added, “But we need to get out of here.”

  The fact that he was downplaying that he was affected, too, pissed her off.

  “Why are you lying?” She shook off the hazy spiderwebs of arousal clouding her brain to focus on how much of an arrogant ass Shaine was and probably always would be. “I know you’re affected by the drug as much as I am. Stop trying to be Super Agent and just admit it.”

  “Do you ever shut up? We need to get ourselves out of this situation and you need to stop throwing those words around. You never know who is listening,” he hissed a reminder at her, and she zipped her lip, knowing he was right.

  But that pissed her off, too.

  What was it about Shaine that removed every filter, made her act in a way that wasn’t natural and seemed to strip her ability to do her job?

  She was tired of the merry-go-round of her own making.

  “Why do you do this to me?” she asked, tears blinding her. “You make me act in a way that I wouldn’t. You make me do and say things that I would never think of doing when you’re not around. I’m a good agent but somehow I regress when I’m around you.”

  Shaine shook his head as if he wasn’t about to have this conversation right now, and she couldn’t blame him. This was not the time or place. But why couldn’t she get herself to shut up?

  “Just get in the damn car,” Shaine said, climbing in. “It’s just the drug. We’ll get through this.”

  And she knew it was the drug. She was experienced enough to know that she wasn’t going to be able to think clearly with an illegal substance in her body. But somehow everything that she had been repressing, everything that she had shoved to the deepest, darkest place of her soul was bubbling up like a geyser and she couldn’t seem to stop it.

  “You didn’t have to take it with me. You could’ve walked away.”

/>   “Yeah right, like I was going to let that happen.”

  She frowned. “And why not? You think I can’t handle myself?”

  “You’re the one who keeps protesting that fact. I’ve never said anything. Get over your own insecurities or you’re going to kill this case. And possibly yourself at the same time.”

  “There you go again, bringing up the fact that I was shot in the line of duty. Let it go already.”

  “It’s hard to let something go that actually happened. You were inexperienced and you got yourself shot. End of story. How else am I supposed to frame that situation? Before you answer that, you need to start realizing that this shit is real and we could both be killed because you’re so intent on proving a point. Get it together or I’ll have you replaced.”

  “You don’t have that authority. This is a DEA case. And I’m the lead agent. So suck it, Kelly.”

  “Well, that was mature, wasn’t it?”

  “Are we seriously fighting right now? We are probably the only two people who can take a euphoric party drug and end up bickering.”

  At that he actually smiled. “Some habits die hard.”

  They rode in silence away from the party, enabling Poppy to settle down. Was she overreacting? Yeah, probably. But she did have a lot to prove. Maybe mostly to herself. This case meant a lot. It meant never having to prove that she had what it took to take on the big cases, the dangerous ones.

  She also hated that Shaine was right. She’d been careless; the drug had loosened her tongue too much.

  Poppy swore under her breath, realizing something else too late.

  They were still wired. Marcus and Victoria had probably heard everything.

  So much for hiding the fact that they had history.

  She removed her necklace and buried it in her purse to muffle the reception.

  Shaine caught her action and realized, too late, that they’d screwed up. He pulled his earring out and tossed it out the window.

  “What’d you just do?”

  “Giving us some privacy.”

  “A little late,” she grumbled, pissed that neither remembered that they were being monitored.

  “We’ll figure it out,” Shaine said, seeming unconcerned.