Deep Cover

by Kimberly Van Meter

  Ramirez frowned. “So who are you left with?”

  “Not much,” Poppy answered. “We have a slim lead but it’s more baffling than anything else. We followed up on the Darcy Lummox murder and found out that she wasn’t in love with Angelo as her sister, Olivia, thought, but Big Jane.”

  “The club mother?” Ramirez asked, surprised. “Some May-December romance or something? Are you thinking of her as a suspect?”

  “Hard to say. On the surface she doesn’t present with a good profile, but there are enough discrepancies that we can’t discount the possibility,” Shaine said, sharing his confusion. “Big Jane doesn’t have motive or means. I don’t see how she could possibly pull something like this off.”

  Poppy agreed, saying, “I’ve been to her apartment. She’s barely making ends meet. I mean, she takes a cut of all the dancers’ tips but that’s not enough to live high off the hog. And whoever is manufacturing Bliss has money to burn.”

  “And Raquel’s not a good fit?” Ramirez asked.

  “Not that I can tell. She’s meaner than a junkyard dog but hardly a ruthless businesswoman/chemist.”

  “Go back to Brandi. Find something you can use as leverage. We need her to start talking,” Ramirez said, still sharply disappointed her hunch had been so wrong. Poppy understood that disappointment. When she’d been so off base with the Lachlan investigation, she’d nearly gotten herself killed to prove that she could salvage the operation. But the truth was...she’d known she’d been made. Poppy hadn’t been able to admit that simple truth to anyone—pride had pushed her to dangerous decisions.

  The phantom ache of her bullet wound reminded her every day that pride was an agent’s downfall.

  “I really thought we had our man,” Ramirez admitted. “Maybe too much time behind the desk has dulled my edge.”

  “It happens to the best of us,” Shaine threw in, and Poppy couldn’t help but wonder if he was also throwing her a bone, too.

  “That’s the problem when a suspect fits the profile perfectly. You get hungry, thinking you’re about to eat,” Ramirez tried joking to lighten the mood. “But that begs the question, if they’re not the ones...who the hell is pulling the strings? And why are they always one step ahead of us?”

  * * *

  That night after their shifts, Poppy and Shaine were both too wired to sleep and Poppy found herself over at Shaine’s apartment.

  “Mind if I hang out for a little bit?” she asked.

  Shaine looked up from making a sandwich. “Not at all. Everything okay?”

  Poppy smiled to herself. Shaine had always liked to eat at odd hours. “You know, eventually your metabolism is going to rebel and you won’t be able to eat a pastrami on rye at midnight.”

  “Probably. But that’s not tonight,” Shaine said, biting into the sandwich and groaning with happiness. “This is just what the doctor ordered. Are you sure you don’t want a bite?”

  “I’m good.” Poppy curled up on the sofa and Shaine joined her. The pastrami was tempting. “On second thought,” she said, opening her mouth for a bite. Shaine obliged and she took a generous chunk of sandwich, barely able to close her mouth around the mountain of meat she’d tore off.

  “You just took half my sandwich,” Shaine complained with a laugh. “Are you sure you don’t want your own?”

  Poppy shook her head, trying not to laugh with a mouthful. This felt like old times. She swallowed and watched as Shaine made short work of the rest of the sandwich.

  “Ramirez was pretty bummed about her lead falling through,” Poppy said.

  “Yeah, but you and I both had a feeling it wasn’t going to work out. Too easy. El Escorpion is sophisticated and he or she would never do something so obvious.”

  Poppy agreed, validated in the knowledge that her gut instinct had been spot-on. For Poppy, that meant something.

  “I knew I’d been made with Lachlan,” she found herself admitting quietly. She met Shaine’s gaze. “I went into that situation knowing I was taking a huge risk.”

  “Then why’d you go?” Shaine asked.

  “I was desperate to prove that I could salvage the operation. I thought that if managed to close the case in spite of my mistake...my mistake wouldn’t cost me the opportunity to go back undercover.”

  Poppy knew she was sharing something big. She’d never told anyone about the details of that night. Especially not Shaine.

  “Your pride nearly got you killed,” Shaine said.

  “I know.”

  A moment of silence passed between them. Poppy let the information sit for a minute.

  “The thing is, I always felt I was standing in your shadow, even though you never did or said anything to make me feel that way.” Poppy drew a deep breath when she realized she’d begun to shake. “It’s not easy for me to admit this.”

  In response, Shaine gently grasped her hand and held it.

  “And then after it all went down... I guess I never really thought about the ramifications. I didn’t expect to get shot.”

  “I don’t think any of us expect that to happen,” Shaine returned with a small chuckle. “It’s a risk we take, though, and something we have to be aware of.”

  “I know that. I’ve changed a lot since I was that inexperienced agent,” Poppy said.

  “I know,” Shaine said, surprising her. “I told you you’re a good agent.”

  “Did you really mean it?”

  “I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it. For what it’s worth...I should’ve...” Shaine stopped, unsure of how to continue. Poppy knew how he felt. She squeezed his hand to let him know she understood. Shaine’s mouth curved in a rueful smile as he said, “Hindsight, right?”

  Poppy nodded. “It’s a bitch.”

  Shaine leaned over and kissed her. He tasted of pastrami and happiness.

  But when he murmured, “Stay,” she knew she couldn’t, even as much as she desperately wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed beside him and forget the past.

  “I can’t,” she answered, pulling away.

  “Why not?”

  “Because I want to. And because we’ve already blurred the lines and I won’t do anything to jeopardize this case.”

  “How will staying with me tonight jeopardize anything?”

  “Because each time I stay...I fall a little bit more, and we both know that’s a dead-end street. It took me so long to get over you, Shaine. I don’t think I can go through that again.”

  “I didn’t want you to leave in the first place,” Shaine said. “That was your choice.”

  “I know.”

  “What if you’d stayed then?”

  “I couldn’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “You know why.”

  Shaine nodded, his jaw flexing as if holding back. “I guess that’s it then. Can’t change what happened.”

  “No, we can’t.”

  Poppy wanted to tell him that she’d wished a thousand times that she’d handled herself differently, that she hadn’t run like a pansy. But leaving had been good for her, even if it’d been painful.

  “I’ve made a name for myself with the DEA,” Poppy said, trying to find her footing.

  “You’ve done well,” Shaine agreed. “I’m happy for you.”

  Poppy wanted to shake him. Why did he have to be so agreeable, so understanding? Why couldn’t he yell at her so she could feel solid in her decision to break away?

  God, why was she such a coward?

  She wanted to blame him for everything so that she didn’t have to stare at the person responsible in the mirror.

  True, he hadn’t been supportive. Just like her parents.

  “I didn’t want to defend myself to the one person who should’ve had my back,” Poppy admitted, caving to the voice inside her head, berating her for taking the coward’s way out.

  “I was scared. You nearly died. I know the risk comes with the job, but seeing you in that hospital bed... I couldn’t bear the thought of losing yo
u like that.”

  Shaine’s quiet response nearly buckled her resolve.

  “But you’re right, I should’ve had your back,” he agreed. “And I didn’t.”

  So that was it. The apology that should’ve happened years ago.

  Poppy bit her lip to keep from crying.

  Now what?

  There was nothing to salvage at this point. They lived separate lives on different coasts.

  Neither were interested in switching careers.

  So that left them with...what?

  A big fat nothing.

  Except heartache.

  “I have to go,” Poppy said, needing to leave before she broke down in a sobbing mess. “Thanks for the talk.”

  Before he could stop her, Poppy was in her own apartment, locking the adjoining door between them.

  Poppy knew he would follow her if she didn’t remove the possibility.

  She couldn’t take another moment of stark honesty between them.

  Not when that conversation should’ve happened years ago when it would’ve mattered.

  Now, the knowledge just hurt.

  No, hurt wasn’t the word. The knowledge ripped and tore into places that had never truly healed, and now it was bleeding again, only this time, she had no idea how to close the wound.

  Because the reality was...Shaine Kelly had been The One and she’d run away.

  Too bad destiny didn’t give second chances.

  * * *

  Days had passed and Brandi was finally well enough to leave the hospital to go to the safe house.

  Shaine and Poppy traveled together to talk with her in the hopes of encouraging her to give up who she was protecting.

  They walked into the small, secure house, flashed their badges to the security and entered the living room where Brandi was sitting, her leg propped up on an ottoman, her facial bruising starting to heal.

  Her lip was no longer so swollen that she couldn’t speak without a lisp and her nose had been repaired but she still looked as if she’d gone a few rounds with a prizefighter and came out the loser.

  “What do you want?” Brandi asked sourly. “Come to gloat or something?”

  “And to think I made you soup,” Poppy said, sitting on the sofa across from Brandi while Shaine stood by the mantel. “I see your disposition isn’t any better.”

  “When do I get out of here?” she asked.

  “When you start talking,” Poppy answered.

  “I don’t have anything else to say.”

  “Bullshit. You’re either protecting someone or you’re afraid of someone. Which is it?” Shaine said.

  Brandi shot Shaine a dark look but remained silent.

  “Did you know that Bliss kills people?” Poppy asked, curious. “Causes their hearts to explode. Kinda nasty, if you ask me.”

  “What are you talking about? Didn’t seem to kill either of you,” Brandi quipped. “More’s the pity. Where’s Angelo? Does he know where I am?”

  Both Poppy and Shaine ignored that question and posed another.

  “Angelo didn’t beat you and neither did Raquel. Why don’t you tell me who really beat the shit out of you so we can start getting somewhere.”

  “I already told you, it was Raquel.”

  “Yes, you told us a lie. Let’s try the truth. I don’t have time for games,” Poppy said, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees. “Here’s what I think... Either you’re part of El Escorpion’s operation or you’re afraid because you know too much about the operation. Pick your poison. Either way, if you don’t start talking, the only dancing you’ll be doing will be out in the yard when you’re doing time for drug trafficking.”

  “I haven’t done anything wrong,” Brandi said, looking swiftly from one to the other. “I’m the victim here, remember?”

  “No, you were the victim until you stopped being cooperative. Now you’re just a pain-in-the-ass punk who is guilty by association,” Shaine said, shrugging. “Either start talking or your comfy stay is going to end with you behind bars.”

  Shaine could tell she was wavering. The idea of going to jail must’ve freaked her out more than the idea of holding on to whatever she was hiding.

  “If I talk...can you protect me?” she asked.

  “Of course,” Shaine said. “As long as you’re willing to testify.”

  Brandi hesitated, still unsure, but finally she said, “It was Bear who beat me up.”

  Bear? “Who the hell is Bear?” Shaine asked. “Are you just making things up to irritate me?”

  It was Poppy who spoke up. “Bear...you mean the bouncer guy at the warehouse party?”

  Brandi nodded. “He works for El Escorpion. So does DJ Raven. And Angelo. We all do. But we don’t know who he is. We just get our orders and follow them. If we do, we get bonuses. If we fail...we get punished.”

  “And Bear metes out the punishment?” Shaine asked.

  Brandi nodded again, swallowing. “Have you seen how big he is? He’s like a mountain.”

  Big enough to crush a girl’s windpipe. “Did he kill Capri?”

  Brandi didn’t answer, but the way her eyes became glassy and wide, Shaine knew it was true. “Why? What happened?” he asked.

  “Capri said Bear was a softie,” Poppy recalled, frowning with the memory. “I don’t understand. Why would Bear hurt Capri?”

  “Because he follows orders,” Brandi answered fearfully. “Capri broke the rules. Just like Darcy.”

  Bear killed both women? “What’s his real name?” Shaine asked.

  “I don’t know. All we know him by is Bear.”

  “Do you have a contact number for him?” Poppy asked.

  “In my phone,” Brandi answered. “But you confiscated my phone, remember?”

  “We know where to find it,” Poppy said. “So why did Bear beat you up?”

  “I was supposed to pick up the shipment, but I wasn’t in the right place. The shipment ended up going back to the sender and the mishap cost time and production.”

  “Did Angelo know you’d been beaten?”

  “Yes, he knew, but he couldn’t do anything about it. He works for the same boss. He couldn’t do anything to change what had happened and he certainly didn’t want the same for himself.”

  “What a gentleman,” Poppy said derisively. “Has anyone ever told you you have shitty taste in men?”

  “Yeah, actually Darcy used to tell me that all the time.”

  “Tell us about Darcy and Big Jane.”

  “What’s to tell? Darcy was into Big Jane. It’s not that big of a deal. I don’t know why in this day and age anyone would even blink an eye at that, but Darcy was always afraid of what other people would think, so she told her sister she was crazy about Angelo instead. I didn’t mind covering for her.”

  “Were they in love?”

  “I think Darcy was. Hard to say about Big Jane. She wasn’t exactly open with her feelings.”

  “How did Big Jane take Darcy’s death?”

  “I don’t know, she was upset. We were all upset. We weren’t allowed to go to the cops and we couldn’t say or do anything about it. We just had to move on unless we wanted to join her.”

  “And this whole time you have no idea who you’ve been working for?” Poppy asked, incredulous. “That seems far-fetched.”

  “No. We take the cash and we don’t ask questions. It’s safer that way.”

  Shaine remarked drily, “I don’t know why you’re so scared of jail. It sounds like you’ve already been in prison.”

  “It’s not so bad when you’re following the rules. We are taken care of for the most part. Everyone has to work for someone else, right?”

  “Yeah, but most bosses don’t kill their employees if they don’t follow the employee handbook,” Poppy said.

  Brandi looked tired and a little defeated, as if saying out loud the life she’d been living had finally got to her. “I’ve told you everything I know. You have to protect me. If they find out I’ve talked, I’
m as good as dead.”

  “How’d Bear kill Capri?” Shaine asked.

  “An overdose. He just kept pumping her full of the bad batch. The stupid kid didn’t even know what hit her until it was too late.”

  That confirmed their suspicion.

  “Are you willing to testify that Bear killed Capri and Darcy?”

  Brandi nodded but she looked scared as hell.

  “For what it’s worth, I never would’ve gotten Darcy involved if I’d known how badly it was going to end.”

  “Hindsight is a bitch,” Shaine said.

  “You have no idea,” Brandi admitted in a soft voice with a tear tracking down her cheek. “Darcy was a good person. She just wanted to be loved.”

  Poppy said, “Everyone wants to be loved...that’s how people like El Escorpion gets in. They play on basic human need and exploit it.”

  “What’s going to happen to Angelo?” Brandi asked. “He’s in danger, too.”

  Shaine couldn’t make promises. The fact was...they were going to have to use Angelo as bait to flush out the real bad guy.

  And sometimes bait didn’t make it.

  CHAPTER 26

  The vibe at Lit seemed off. An invisible tension wound itself around the neon lights and bounced off the oiled skin of the dancers as they writhed and moved in time to the music. It felt like a chemical intoxication without the benefit of the drug.

  Tonight Shaine’s mission was to get Angelo panicked so that he ran to whoever was pulling his strings. Someone within Lit was watching, using the club as a conduit to the clientele, playing to the party atmosphere and blending seamlessly.

  Shaine’s intuition said that El Escorpion sensed the heat and was going to disappear. That’s why his known associates were disappearing one by one. He was cleaning house to bail—possibly to set up shop in another city, another town where anonymity was easily found.

  Of course he had no proof of this...just his gut instinct.

  That meant if he was wrong, the whole case could collapse.

  They were taking big risks without the security of a payoff.

  Shaine found Angelo in the storeroom, leaning against the liquor boxes, looking green around the gills.