by Mia Dymond
CHAPTER NINE
Mace checked his watch one more time before he pulled open the door to Sweet Stuff. Why he agreed to meet Dara at eight-o’clock in the morning on his day off at a tea house still caused havoc in his brain. Yet, when her sweet, breathy voice had tickled his ear through the phone two hours earlier, he knew he pretty much had to accept her invitation – either that or spend the next several hours under a cold shower.
He stepped inside, fighting the urge to turn right around and leave. White, lacy tablecloths covered each table and a bouquet of pink roses decorated the centers. The only saving grace was the aroma of fresh-baked bread and cinnamon and the gorgeous brunette who occupied a corner table with her smooth tan legs tucked beneath her chair. His heart skipped a beat when she lifted a cinnamon bun to her mouth, wrapped her lips around the edge, chewed, and then swallowed. He somehow managed to distract his thoughts from the motion of her throat muscles until her tongue parted her lips and swiped the surface. And his dick stood to take notice when she lifted her finger to her mouth and licked the tip.
Now this was definitely something to get out of bed for.
He silently challenged his cock to behave and approached the table.
With a distinct sparkle in her eyes, she smiled. “Hi Mace, thanks for coming.”
“My pleasure.”
“I ordered coffee for you.” She nudged a box toward him. “The cinnamon rolls are awesome.”
He sat opposite her, lifted a roll from the box, and shoved half of it into his mouth, hoping the taste would satisfy his craving for something sweet. Right. There was only one thing – woman – who would satisfy that craving at the current moment and she happened to be sitting next to him, tempting him with cinnamon lips.
His eyes left her mouth and met her gaze when she cleared her throat and then lifted an eyebrow.
He blinked several times to clear his head and buy some time to figure out the meaning behind her quiet reprimand. Obviously, she expected an answer of some sort but since he hadn’t been concentrating on her voice, he didn’t exactly have one.
“Yes,” he said finally.
“Yes what?” she countered.
Oh. Hell. That definitely hadn’t gone as planned. Yet, maybe there was still a way out. “Sorry, I was distracted by the cinnamon on your lips.”
Those gorgeous brown eyes widened and another wave of pink colored her cheeks. “Oh, well I asked if you’d spoken to Jake.”
“Oh yeah, I talked to him.”
She stared at him several seconds and then finally rolled her eyes. Normally, he found that action rather bitchy, but she managed to make it sexy.
“So?! What happened?”
“Bri didn’t tell you?” He stuffed the remainder of his cinnamon roll into his mouth, enjoying the flirty banter between them.
“If Bri had told me, I wouldn’t ask you.”
“I realize that, but after the ordeal I experienced, you deserve a hard time.”
“What?” she drawled, “Jake threatened to shoot you?”
“No. He made me go with him to confront Bri. Damn near threw me out of the car on the way to her office.”
“Poor baby.”
His cock stretched at her sarcasm. “Seriously, he drove like a maniac. I almost went through the windshield.”
“Then I made the right choice in asking you to tell him.”
“For a woman who writes about love, you’re downright brutal.”
She simply shrugged – raised that creamy white shoulder in a definite whatever motion. “Jake discouraged her, right?”
“Affirmative. But do you really think she’s going to back off because Jake told her to?”
“Well, no. However, I hoped he could talk some sense into her and that she would listen.”
“She won’t budge. She’s planning on following through, but Jake will be right there with her.”
And he planted a tracking device to make sure she stays safe.
Mace paused at that thought, almost tempted to let her in on that secret. Only, Jake would surely shoot him in the ass.
“You are all insane! People disappear every day, even when they are careful. And we all know something will happen to her, that’s the whole idea behind this idiotic plan.” Although her voice didn’t lose its soft-spoken, siren-like tone, he suddenly felt very, very uneasy.
“I can see that neither one of you will be any help,” she continued, “so I guess it’s up to me.” A heavy breath left her lungs as she reached for her purse.
“Whoa, hang on there, Tiger.” He snatched her purse. “What does that mean?”
“Forget it.” Dara shook her head. “Give me my purse.”
“Look at me.”
“No. My purse, please.”
“You’re not going anywhere.” He lifted a hand and tucked his fingers under her chin, lifting her face to capture her gaze with his own. Flames danced in the depths; realization issued a perfect sucker punch to his solar plexus. “Stop thinking what you’re thinking.”
“You have no idea what I have on my mind.”
“The hell you say!” He didn’t bother to disguise his anger and leaned in closer. “Listen very carefully. You will not step one tiny little foot into the Glove. Do I make myself clear?”
“Don’t give me orders, Detective Turner. Nothing you say —”
“Since the rules dictate no one touches the dancers, that crowd of horny bastards wouldn’t hesitate to use you as a substitute. No, Dara. I’m going to be there every time Bri dances. No arguments, no negotiations. Period.”
Although she didn’t speak, he heard the wheels turning in her gorgeous mind. Instinct told him he wouldn’t sway her easily. Once again, he entertained the thought of telling her about the tracking device. The information would put her at ease but he knew there was no way in hell she wouldn’t tell Bri and that wasn’t good for either Jake or himself. Damn. All these secrets made his head spin.
“Promise you won’t try to interfere, Dara.”
“Okay,” she agreed, “I won’t interfere, but rest assured that if you fail to keep her safe, I’m coming after both you and Jake.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Are you threatening an officer of the law?”
“Yes.” She didn’t hesitate to answer. “Off the record, of course.”
He reached to grab another roll. “Doesn’t matter. I’m not officially on duty.”
“You’re not?”
“Not until nine-o’clock tonight.”
“What’s so special about that time of night?”
“Bri goes on as the headliner.”
“You just make sure she’s safe,” she reminded him, “or you’ll have to answer to me.”
“Don’t remind me,” he mumbled around the last bite of cinnamon roll.
“More coffee?”
“No, thanks. I need to get to the station. Jake and Agent Majors are supposed to discuss strategy.” He stood, took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze. “Promise me you’ll leave the detective work to us.”
“I promise.” He didn’t miss the twinkle in her eye.
Reluctantly, he released her hand and turned to leave, ignoring the wide-eyed stares from women at the neighboring tables. Suddenly he understood why a bull should steer clear of a china shop.
***
Jake swallowed the last of his coffee then tossed the foam cup into a nearby trash can as Mace stalked into the Primrose Police Department’s briefing room, obviously pissed off.
He glanced at the man next to him. “What time did you call him, Majors?”
“About six thirty this morning. But, he was awake when I called.”
The agent’s confession didn’t do much to explain his partner’s mood so Jake decided to go straight to the source. “What crawled up your ass, Turner?”
“I should be home – sleeping! Why the hell do we have to talk about this now?”
Majors leaned back in his chair and placed his hands behind his head. “What’s your
problem?”
Jake just smirked, propped his feet on the table, and waited for the gauntlet to drop.
Mace’s bloodshot glare bounced between both of them. “I’ve had about three hours’ sleep in the last forty eight, women are being snatched right out from under our noses, a good friend of mine is in danger, and I just had morning tea with a stubborn, way too intelligent pain in the ass who is going to be just as much trouble as Bri.”
Jake analyzed his partner’s uncharacteristic meltdown in awe. “Morning tea? You were with Dara again? Why?”
Mace took an opposite chair, braced his feet on the table, then leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “She wanted to know if you talked Bri out of her crazy plan.”
Jake snorted in unison with the other two men. Yeah, like anyone could pull off that miracle.
Majors shook his head. “Both of you are so screwed.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mace demanded.
For a brief moment, Jake wondered if his partner was going off the deep end and even tossed the idea through his brain that he should tell Majors to shut up. Then he abruptly changed his mind; Majors was on his own.
“It’s pretty clear,” Majors continued. “Everyone knows Bri belongs to you, Rawlings, so just do her already. I haven’t met this other chick, Dara, but I can see that she’s got you all tangled up, Turner, so find a way to work it out of your system. This assignment is serious business and you two need to be on your game.”
Jake dropped his feet from the table and squeezed the arms of his chair until his fingers cramped. He could’ve sworn he heard Mace growl. Majors had the decency to look a little green, as if the poor bastard realized he had just said the wrong thing.
Jake pinned him with a narrowed stare. “Do you and I have a problem?”
“No.” The agent scrubbed a hand over his jaw. “We all just need to keep a clear head.”
“Turner and I are clear. What’s the plan?”
“Turner, you take the front door. Rawlings, you work the bar and the main stage. I’ll position five agents around the interior. With the whole establishment covered, we’ll know if anything goes down. What time is the main attraction?”
“Nine o’clock p.m.,” Jake mumbled.
“I’ll see you at eight thirty.” Majors stood and exited the room without hesitation.
Jake looked at Mace. “You look like you’re going to explode.”
“You know, shooting him would have been too quick and painless. Not to mention the noise would have brought half the squad room in here. I was thinking more along the lines of beating the life out of him and finishing him off with a chokehold.”
“You’ve put some thought into this, haven’t you?” Jake grinned. “That must have been some tea. Or, have you been reading one of Dara’s novels?”
“No, and Dara is not a get-her-out-of-your-system kind of woman.”
“Really? You must’ve spent quite a lot of time on your research.”
“Nuh uh.” Mace stood. “Don’t even go there. She’s way too high maintenance. I’m just looking out for her because she’s a friend of Bri.”
Jake snickered as he stood and headed out of the room. “Yeah Turner, like I believe that’s all it is.”
“Believe me,” Mace said as they made their way out of the station and into the parking lot, “that’s all it is.”
Jake chose not to answer as he climbed into his truck and closed the door. There was no use arguing with Mace when Majors was absolutely right – they were both screwed.
Later that evening, Jake entered the Velvet Glove and headed to the bar, still wary of the whole plan. Although he supported Majors in his intent to penetrate a violent crime ring, he still couldn’t digest the thought of using Bri as bait. He took a stool not too far from the stage and signaled for the bartender.
“Cola.” He chuckled to himself. Whiskey and cola sounded a whole lot better.
He turned to look at the stage where a petite blonde shook her ass for tips. Although dollar bills decorated the waistband of her g-string, the male attention at the bar was not focused on the dancer. Instead, most men were interested in a woman who sat alone in a far corner of the club. His curiosity went on full alert. Why would a woman come alone to a gentlemen’s club? He had no sooner asked himself the question when his earpiece came alive.
“Holy hell!” Turner’s booming voice threatened to cause his ears to bleed.
Adrenaline gathered in his veins. “Turner? Do you need backup? What is it?”
“Not what, WHO! Dara’s here! Dammit, I told her to stay out of this place.”
“Welcome to my world, partner.”
Jake witnessed the animated conversation between Mace and Dara, amused when Mace hoisted her over his shoulder in a fireman’s hold and made his way back to the front door. The fallout from that move would definitely prove entertaining to watch but at least he could listen.
“How dare you manhandle me!” Dara’s high-pitched tone screeched over the wires like fingernails on a chalkboard and Jake was eternally grateful he didn’t have to deal with her.
“I need to throw you over my knee and spank your ass!” Mace spat. “I asked you to stay away and you promised.”
Jake almost felt guilty for listening in. After all, he knew wholeheartedly that Mace didn’t have a chance – Dara would chew him up and spit him out. Too bad every single FBI agent in the club could also hear.
“No,” Dara argued, “I promised not to interfere and I didn’t.”
“Your presence interferes.”
“How? I was sitting in a corner, minding my own business, drinking tea.”
Jake frowned. Had he heard correctly? Tea?
“You are causing a commotion, which distracts me,” Mace continued. “I have to keep an eye on you and can’t concentrate on my job. Besides, they don’t serve tea here. You’ve been drinking because I can smell it on your breath.”
Jake winced. A drunken female was a force to be reckoned with. Funny that no one spoke in his earpiece. Maybe they were too busy watching the stage.
“Where’s your car?” Mace still sounded severely pissed. “Or do you need a cab?”
“Let go of my arm and stop dragging me all over the parking lot!”
“If you would cooperate, I wouldn’t have to drag you. Pick up your feet, Dara.”
Jake suddenly felt sorry for his partner. Drunk was one thing, determined was another.
“Listen here, Detective Turner. First of all, I am not drunk. Yes, I was drinking but I’m over twenty one and that’s not illegal.”
“I didn’t say it was illegal.”
“Secondly,” she continued, “I was drinking tea. Long Island Iced Tea.”
Jake bit back a snicker. Dara, one; Mace, 0.
“Give me your keys,” Mace demanded.
“No! I could drive home just fine if I wanted, but I’m staying.”
“Have you heard anything I’ve said?”
“Yes. You’re just an unreasonable bully.”
A split second of silence crossed the wires before Mace spoke, this time must softer. “I am not a bully or unreasonable. You don’t belong here and if something goes down, just what do you think you’re going to do? Fight hand-to-hand combat?”
“I have a stun gun in my purse.”
“Good plan, except you have to be way too close to the bad guy to use it.”
Jake brace himself for Dara’s argument but instead, he heard Mace’s voice again.
“Listen Dara, those perverts in there can’t touch the dancers but you’re fair game. Please go home where you’re safe. We will protect Bri, I promise. Call me when you get there so I’ll know you’re tucked in for the night, okay?”
Jake almost fell off his bar stool when he heard Dara’s defeated sigh.
“Oh, alright. My car’s over there.”
“That’s my girl.”
Jake raised an eyebrow while several quiet snickers sounded in his earpiece. Big mistake. Po
or sap. Mace would never hear the end of this – he would make sure of that.
Jake heard a slamming car door before Mace’s aggravated voice graced the wires. “Damn females! If any of you say one word about this —”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” a voice answered.
“I didn’t hear anything,” another agreed, “and my earpiece is full of static.”
“I heard every single world,” Jake drawled.
“Let’s focus, gentlemen,” Majors interrupted. “Back to business.”
“Hey, Turner.” Jake just had to have the last word. “Let us know when she calls in.”
***
Five nights later at nine-o’clock on the dot, Jake scanned the interior of the dimly-lit club, mentally kicking himself in the ass for the hundredth time for allowing things to end up like they had. Activity in the club appeared normal – girls on stage and on the catwalk surrounding the bar provided a roomful of men entertainment for the evening while they drank themselves into oblivion. Still, he couldn’t ignore the incredible ache in his gut. He knew damn well this whole plan was a tragedy waiting to happen but convincing a certain red-headed vixen had proven fruitless.
He moved his gaze from left to right. Just as he’d been briefed, agents covered the area, poised for impending danger.
He glanced at the agent sitting beside him. “My earlier protest of this whole fucking operation stands, Majors.”
“Relax Detective Rawlings, we’ve got it all under control. There are agents all over this place, including one outside the dressing room.”
He raised both eyebrows. “Not inside?”
“We didn’t know quite how to explain that tactical maneuver.”
“Security breezes in and out of there all the time, Majors. These women aren’t shy.”
The other man smirked. “You want me to place an agent inside Bri’s dressing room?”
“I’ll do it.”
“No can do. Yours is a familiar face around here.”
“How the hell are you gonna make sure no one grabs her?”
