Amani nodded in agreement. She wouldn’t fight them. It would do her no good and could end up hurting her chances for a deal. At this moment, she realized that she needed to do what was best for her children. She wouldn’t defend Adeel’s behavior just to see herself end up in prison. She could end up locked away from her children and the grandchildren that she prayed would arrive one day. Amani stood, clutching her coat closed and glanced at her husband as she left him to deal with the fallout of his choices.
He’d controlled her past. She wouldn’t let him destroy her future.
Adeel saw the hurt in Amani’s eyes. He hadn’t wanted to hurt her. He’d convinced himself that they were invincible, that they wouldn’t get caught, but he’d been wrong.
The four agents left in the room tossed their helmets onto the bed. Two of the men started to dig through Adeel’s things. A tall redhead stood by the chair his wife had just exited.
As Adeel sat at the foot of the bed, he stared at the two men hovering around him. He realized that he recognized them from Savage Security. He scoffed at his ignorant gratitude for getting to work with Hazeem on the revenge plot against the Americans for the attack in Afghanistan. The black man was Tyson Smith, and the white man with the red hair was Ryan Marks.
Ryan rolled his shoulders, crossed his arms, and took his time critiquing Adeel Shah. The middle-aged man’s dark hair was sprinkled with more salt than pepper, and the beard was a mess. Ryan didn’t know why some men thought those scraggly, long beards looked good. To him, all he saw was a man too lazy to do the basics of human grooming. And Adeel’s dark brown eyes were lightened by the dark bags that drooped from his eyes.
Tyson hovered beside Adeel, letting the man feel the heat and anger roll off him. A little fear always made an interrogation go more smoothly. He found it loosened tongues and helped keep things honest.
Ryan pulled out a chair and sat. He drummed his fingers on the table and then adjusted his body to a more comfortable position in the chair. “Mr. Shah, do you know who I am?” He took in a deep breath, letting his chest expand so that he looked bigger. If they’d been targeted by the group, then Adeel would know who they were.
Adeel’s heart thrummed and clenched. He struggled to breathe. They’d connected him to Hazeem too quickly. Perhaps he’d been spotted in the parking lot of Savage Security? But that was unlikely. He didn’t think he’d been close enough for the cameras to pick him up. The only other option was that Hazeem had talked.
Ryan saw the fear in Adeel’s eyes as he speechlessly stared at him. The man’s life as he knew it was over.
Adeel swallowed hard, the action popping his eardrums. As he opened and closed his mouth, his beard tickled his exposed skin at the top of his t-shirt. “You work for Savage Security,” he mumbled. Glancing to the side, he eyed the black man who blocked his view of the other agents as they searched his room. Should he mention Hazeem? What if by some miracle they didn’t have him? What if someone else had talked?
Ryan tilted his head up in appreciation and confirmation of Adeel’s statement. “I think you know more than that. I think you know our names.”
Adeel narrowed his eyes in anger at the red head. “You’re Ryan Marks.” Turning his head, his gaze cut to the black man beside him. “You’re Tyson Smith.”
Ryan’s lips curved up at the edges to form a small smile. “Now that we’ve exchanged niceties, why don’t you give us some more names.”
Adeel’s stomach churned. He didn’t trust these men. He’d read their dossiers. They’d do anything to save the lives of their people. Adeel felt the acid ascend his throat. He threw himself forward and emptied his stomach on the carpet at their feet.
Tyson snorted and shook his head as he looked at the chunky puddle. “Got some splatter,” he said, pointing to Ryan’s boot.
“Damn it,” Ryan hissed and glared at Adeel. He hated vomit. The stench always tickled his need to vomit too. But at least now they knew that this would be easier than they’d thought. Adeel couldn’t hold his shit together during the preliminaries. No way in hell he could withstand intimidation during an interrogation. Adeel would be hating life once things got serious.
27
9 AM
Jack eased open his office door. The little desk lamp cast a soft glow in the room. Bella slept on her side, her face towards the sofa back with her back and ass towards him. He couldn’t help but start at one end of her body and allow his eyes to travel over the dips and curves of her form. Her long hair draped over her shoulder and cascaded like a black waterfall of silk edged in pink.
Stepping into his office, he silently closed his door and took the few steps to his desk. Setting his backpack on the desktop, he unzipped the bag and placed his laptop next to it. Easing into the chair behind the desk, he moved his head back and forth to stretch his neck, and then he rolled his shoulders and let out a breath. He crossed his hands behind his head and leaned back in the chair. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Maybe she’d be weirded out if she knew he was staring at her while she slept, but hell, she was in his office. And he liked the idea of coming home to her.
They’d been lucky that none of the civilians in the apartments around them were injured when they took down Omar and his men. Even though there were deaths, it could have been a disaster. Thankfully, the death tallies landed squarely in the asshole column and not in the white knight column. Even though they’d hoped to take Omar alive so they could question him, when Omar pulled the gun, he’d sealed his fate.
Jack didn’t regret killing the man, but he did regret the loss of information. There was no telling how big the cell was and who the other members were. The ones they did take alive didn’t seem too smart. They were probably just grunts and would have ended up putting on a vest to show their commitment to the cause. Dumb fucks.
Bella felt the air shift in the room as Jack’s masculine scent surrounded her and teased her awake. Moaning as she stretched, she rolled over on the sofa and zeroed in on Jack. In the low light of the room, his hair seemed darker and his eyes more piercing. The look on his face was so primal and determined that her heart rate ticked up at the heat in his eyes.
Swinging her legs around, she eased into a sitting position and held his gaze. She was surprised when he didn’t say anything but kept his eyes locked on her. He had that same intense glare that convinced her that she’d crossed some line with him. She hoped he wasn’t putting up a wall again. Maybe something had gone wrong on the mission. Clearing her throat, she asked, “Are you okay?”
Jack didn’t want to jinx the connection he felt with her with words, but he read the concern in her eyes. Bringing his hands from behind his head to rest in his lap, he leaned forward in the chair. Smiling, he replied, “I’m good. Just tired.” And horny. He kept that knowledge to himself.
Scrubbing a hand over his face, he pushed aside the night’s activities and focused on her. He craved the positivity that she radiated, and her vulnerability tugged on his heart and activated a need to comfort her. He’d desired her from afar for too long. Now, having her in his office, on his sofa, was a new kind of torture. A torture on his heart and mind. He wasn’t sure how to proceed with her. If he went with his gut, he’d be on her already, drinking in her soft moans of pleasure as he loved her, but it was too soon. She hadn’t had time to process the mess Eric had made in her life.
Bella could see that he was tired. His typically bright eyes had a hardened edge to them, and it concerned her. “Did someone get hurt?”
‘No,” Jack shook his head. He’d answered without even realizing that it was a lie until he saw the relief in her eyes. He assumed she meant one of their guys and not a bad guy, but he didn’t clarify. She wasn’t cleared to be in ‘the know’ regarding the details of what happened on their mission. Besides, the Fed approved details would be on the news, and then they could discuss it what had been released.
Jack stood and crossed the small room to the sofa. Easing himself onto the cushion beside her, he sai
d, “I’m just tired.” He knew his body was tired. It had been way too long since he’d slept, but adrenaline still pumped through him. “Mike and I are leaving again soon. We’re gonna crash a little and then refocus.” They were giving themselves about an hour to chill, but he didn’t think he’d be able to chill with Bella in the room.
“Hmm,” Bella mumbled and stood. “That’s probably smart,” she added with a smile.
Jack grabbed her hand when she stepped away from him. “Hey, where are you going?”
She gazed down at him. The softness in his voice and the desire in his eyes nearly had her sitting beside him again, but he needed his rest. “I’m giving you the sofa. I’ve been laying around too long.” She smiled. “I need to stretch my legs.”
The softness of her voice warmed him. He stroked his thumb gently over her skin and noticed her quick glance at their hands. A hint of heat flushed her cheeks. “That doesn’t mean you have to go. I didn’t come in here to kick you out,” he replied, his voice taking on a hungry, low pitch.
The desire that laced his words raised the hairs on her arms. “I know.” She wouldn’t be able to live with herself if he got hurt on a mission because he didn’t get the rest that he needed. “You need to chill, and I’m getting sore from laying around too much. I need to move a little.” She pulled her hand out of his and motioned towards the sofa. “It’s much more comfortable than it looks.” With a smile, she picked up her laptop and went into the hallway.
Walking down the small corridor, she went into the break room. She knew that they’d had ‘company’ in the room earlier, and she was glad they were gone. She hadn’t caught a glimpse of the people even though she was curious. Cole had given her strict instructions to stay in Jack’s office until they were gone, and she’d complied. She wasn’t going to doubt their judgment. Things fell apart quickly when she did.
She set her laptop on the table and walked over to the refrigerator to get a soda. Popping the tab on the can, she brought the soda to her lips and let the sugary syrup flow over her tongue and down her throat.
“Hey,” Logan said as he walked into the break room. He paused and leaned against the counter. “Water’s better for you.” He forced his lips into a smile. He wasn’t happy, but he wanted to be strong for Bella. She’d taken a big hit because of their pasts.
Bella snorted. “So I’ve heard.” She smiled and eyed Logan. He looked tired. She’d heard fragments about what happened to him, but she didn’t want to pry. She’d seen the news report on Aditya’s suicide. Regardless of feeling betrayed, he had to be in some state of shock or feeling of betrayal, just like her. She figured he’d been informed on what had happened to her. Besides, between her bruises and her slow gait, it was obvious that she’d had a little situation too. In fact, he’d probably seen it on the video before he deleted it. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. It was humiliating to have your relationship turn violent and laid out for others to see.
“How you feeling?” he asked.
“Better,” she said. “The pain meds are working, but now I feel drugged and drowsy. Which I guess is better than feeling like a punching bag.” She leaned against the counter and held his gaze with a smile. She was tired of being tired.
“Yeah, the good shit will do that to you,” he teased with a wink. He wished there was a drug he could take to wipe the memory of Aditya killing herself from his mind. When she’d held the gun on him, a part of him didn’t think that she’d shoot him. He’d hoped that she had some feelings for him that would spare him, but he hadn’t expected her to kill herself.
Bella angled her head. “How are you?” she asked, moving her hand that held the soda can towards him in a version of a point.
Logan wasn’t one to easily bare his soul to people, but he felt a comradery with Bella in this nightmare. They’d both been taken for fools and used. “I’ll live.”
“Hmm,” Bella groaned. “That good, huh.” She slowly walked to the table and pulled out a chair and sat. Setting the can on the table, she kicked out the chair across from her and said, “Have a seat. Share a drink with me.”
“Sounds good,” he replied. He had a few minutes. He was still peeling back the layers of information on the bug and battery that had been placed in his computer. The technology was amazing, stuff he’d never seen before. The battery was only talked about in theory in the articles that he’d found on the subject. “I’m working on something that’s blowing my mind.” Thankfully it served as a great distraction from the shit storm Aditya had created in his life.
Logan grabbed a water from the fridge and sat across from Bella. “I’m sorry about Eric. That must have come as a shock.” He hadn’t liked the guy, but he hadn’t pegged him for a killer either.
Bella snorted. “Shock is just the tip of the iceberg. What’s worse is that I feel like a fool for falling for him.” She shook her head and stared at a dark swirl in the faux wood of the table. She’d been so happy about those damn flowers, but they’d just been a way to manipulate her and get into the office. “He totally played me,” she said flatly.
“Yeah, that does suck. But you can’t feel guilty. None of it was your fault. Bella,” he said her name to get her to make eye contact with him, “you weren’t trained for this. No one blames you or thinks that you’re a fool.”
She scoffed and took a swig of her drink. She hated to think what Jack thought of her. She’d been so happy with Eric, practically beaming, and to think that Jack had a crush on her while she rubbed her feelings for Eric in his face. Part of her was ashamed. She hadn’t realized how he would take her teasing when she’d gloated and preened over the flowers. Where were those things anyway? She hadn’t seen the flowers since the attack. She hoped Cole got rid of them.
“Look at me,” Logan continued with a casual shrug, “I fell for it, and I even know to be on the lookout for this shit.” He wasn’t sure he’d ever trust again. His perception of Aditya couldn’t have been more wrong.
Bella looked at him, assessing his eyes and face. Other than looking tired, there was a sadness in his eyes that gut-punched her. “It wasn’t your fault either. What happened to you,” she added, referring to his relationship with Aditya.
Logan raised his eyebrows, making his forehead crinkle. “Not so sure about that.” He took a sip of his water. His part in the attack in Afghanistan was why Aditya came after him. He wasn’t as innocent as Bella wanted to believe.
“At least she didn’t try to kill you,” Bella said. She’d confronted the hatred and rage in Eric’s face as his hands had tightened around her neck. He would have killed her if Jack hadn’t shown up. As she reached for her soda, the memory made her hands tremble. She gripped the can to stop the shaking, slightly indenting the thin aluminum.
“Not so sure about that, either,” he replied. Aditya may not have killed him, but what had been her intentions when she’d shown up at his place with the Geisha sticks in her hair? Had she worn those because she was unsure about what to do with him? Had she planned to kill him?
Bella didn’t like the heaviness in his voice. She leaned forward and stretched out her hand, resting it on his. “Logan, I don’t know what you two had. And I’m sorry for your pain. But when it came down to it, she chose to kill herself instead of you, so whatever you thought she felt for you, it must have been real on some level.”
Logan’s lip twitched as he thought that through. He’d fallen for Aditya, and it had felt real to him. Her body had quivered under his touch. Can a woman fake that? He guessed in some way she must have fallen for him. Aditya had been a ruthless killer, conning men and then gruesomely killing them and desecrating their bodies. But for whatever reason, when confronted with a choice, she’d chosen not to harm him. She’d put the bullet in herself instead of him. He wasn’t sure that made him feel any better. His heart still broke, and he’d never get the images of her head and blood spraying the walls of his office out of his head.
“I guess there’s some comfort in that,” he rep
lied.
Very little comfort.
They sat in silence as they finished their drinks. Logan dismissed himself with a head nod and a quick, “See ya,” as he went back to the lab. Bella flipped open her laptop and checked her email.
28
Mike walked into the break room and spotted Bella at the table looking at her laptop. She glanced up at him as he crossed to the refrigerator. She looked messed up, but he was glad that she’d recover without any permanent damage. She’d been lucky.
“You heading out soon?” she asked. Mike was dressed in black cargo pants and a black, long-sleeved t-shirt. She was relieved to see that whatever they were going to do wouldn’t need protective gear, although she knew they’d still carry.
Mike bobbed his head and said, “Yeah. In a few minutes.” He knew Jack would want to see her before they left. He reached into the fridge and grabbed a water. “Why are you hiding in here?” Unscrewing the bottle, he leaned against the counter and took a swig. Maybe he could prod her towards Jack.
Bella shrugged a shoulder. “I’m not hiding,” she replied defensively. “I gave Jack the sofa so he could rest.”
Mike snorted, confident that being alone on the sofa was not what Jack had wanted. “If you need to speak with him before we leave, you may want to get moving.” How the hell had he turned into a match-maker?
“Oh,” Bella drummed her fingernails on the keyboard of her laptop. She did want to see Jack, but she wasn’t sure what she’d say.
Be careful. That sounded lame.
Come back to me. That sounded desperate.
“Yeah,” she said as she logged out. “I’ll see if he needs anything.” Closing the lid on her laptop, she scooted the chair back and stood.
Mike raised his water bottle to her and nodded. “Good idea.”
Bella gave him a smile as she exited the break room. Her nerves jittered in her like frantic butterflies in her stomach. She’d always liked Jack, but she’d never thought of him as someone she’d date. Not because she didn’t respect him. She had immense respect for him. But rather, she didn’t want to mess with the awesome work environment she had at Savage Security. If they slept together, how would it affect her work? What would happen if they stopped seeing each other? How awkward would it be to see him every day? Would she be forced out to avoid the awkwardness?
Coveted Kiss (Savage Security Book 3) Page 15
