by Lia Lee
“Not sure what else to do with a degree in art history,” William said lightly.
Clary clicked her tongue. “I think we both know your education is far more extensive than that.”
Anne looked between the three of them. They continued with a superficially pleasant conversation that had so many barbed undertones that it was hard to believe no one would need stitches afterward.
“Oh, this song is beautiful,” Anne cooed.
William looked down at her with a mixture of scolding and amusement. “I suppose that’s my cue. Enjoy the gala.”
The moment their backs were turned, Anne met William’s eye. He bit his lower lip and said nothing until he’d placed one hand on her lower back and the other on her shoulder.
“Subtle, and not too aggressive. I think you charmed the she-beast over there,” William said.
“She was nice.” Anne moved with William as they circled around the dance floor. “No, really. What’s your history with her?”
“I told you. Schoolmate. Frenemy. That’s about it.”
Anne frowned. Her stomach grew fluttery as he pressed against her, and the wave of dizziness was not from the dancing. William swung her around for a low dip and grinned wickedly.
“Are you jealous?”
Anne huffed. “I have a wire, you jerk.”
“I’m sure Jeffers has heard worse. I’m sure he’s said worse.” William pulled her up and moved his face close to hers. He mouthed: “Turn your mic off.”
“No,” she replied silently.
William squeezed her close. “Fine. Let me give you a rundown of what I’ve sorted out here.”
***
Soft, jazzy crooning surrounded them as they danced, and the lights from above cast a warm glow over Anne’s face. She had been a vision all night, but right now, William couldn’t take his eyes off of her even if he tried.
William filled her in on the conversations she’d missed while making friends with the Egertons. He hadn’t gotten confirmation that Egerton was the one following him, but it was clear that Jarvis Pigg hadn’t ever worked for the man. William had asked after Pigg under the pretense that he was looking for some extra security.
“He’s definitely one of Santiago’s men. Well, was. So either Pigg double-crossed him, and Sant ordered him taken out, or someone had him killed as a message to his boss,” William told her.
“So, it could still be Egerton,” Anne said. “He’s the one who tried to have you killed before, and it’s the same mark. And you said that these guys only left a body if it was a message.”
“You’re right. Nothing says I love you like a bloody corpse.”
Anne ignored his tone. “Jeffers found quite a few cases that sported that mark. No one connected them together before because the mark looks random. We’ve been trying to connect those victims back to Egerton somehow.”
“But not all of them connect,” William surmised. At her surprise, he smiled and gave her a twirl. “This is the work of a hit man. He probably works for more than one man.”
“That makes this complicated.”
William pulled her close. “Everything’s complicated with us, love.”
“Why do you have to do that?” she whispered.
It was a fair question since he knew they couldn’t be together, and he also knew from their morning in his hotel room that she was uncomfortable being so near to him. William couldn’t help wanting her. It was at once animal and deeply personal. He could spend the day in bed with her or just talking with her, and he would be almost equally as happy.
Actually, that reminded him of the entire weekend they’d spent in bed together. They’d barely gotten up for food. He grinned as he thought about how gingerly she’d moved toward the shower that Monday morning.
“I’m glad the threat to my career makes you so happy,” she drawled.
“I was just thinking about that weekend in Napa.”
Anne’s cheeks colored. William let her go for another twirl. She came back into his arms looking flustered and angry. He should really stop teasing her.
The song ended, and she left the dance area and picked up a glass of champagne. It was her first of the night. He’d been watching, and she’d been very careful not to imbibe anything while they were working. So diligent. So responsible.
William gave her a minute before coming up to her. “Look, it’s been almost an hour. I rented us a room. Why don’t we do another lap, make sure we haven’t missed anyone, and head up so you can get a moment out of those heels?”
Anne started to frown, but then shrugged and took another sip. Good. He would work with that, even if she were so annoyed that she didn’t have it in her to scold him right now. He couldn’t help if he kept remembering what they’d had together.
They each took their tour of the room separately. Anne transforming into a bubbling idiot who made sure to stand close enough to people for her wire to pick up conversations, and William kept it light enough to prevent any former enemies from joining in the hunt for his hide. If anyone knew he was working for the police, his business would be done.
He ran into Egerton once more just as he headed back to Anne.
“Ah, Will. I wanted to have a word with you before you and your lady flitted off.” Egerton stood uncomfortably close to him. “I’ve heard that you’re looking for additional security. Wisdom would suggest that a proper alliance would give you more security than any idiot thug you could hire.”
William raised a brow. “Would it? And what would my partner get out of such an alliance?”
“A certain cut, of course. But moreover, it would be best if both parties could be certain you were going to remain at work.” Egerton put his hand on William’s shoulder. “Can’t do business behind bars, can you?”
“No, I don’t suppose I could.” William started to pull back, but Egerton tightened his grip.
“This is commonly known, and you may have heard on the other side, but it was your father who made it easy for you to get pinched to begin with. He knew some of your business and gave up information on some of your deals.”
William froze, staring at Egerton. He was caught between believing and not believing. It was entirely possible that his father had helped him to get arrested. The man had never been thrilled that William went into business on his own anyway.
“Oh, it’s true.” Egerton smiled, stretching his pale lips into a near grimace. “Just a free sample of what you could have with the right partner, son. Not everyone knows how to treat their own right.”
“And you would? Would that include another knife in my side?”
“Don’t be foolish. I’ve been keeping an eye on you lately, but I never ordered that hit.”
“Then who did?” William pressed. He was beginning to sweat and felt uncomfortable standing this close to Egerton. “That gun has definitely worked for you before.”
“It took me some time to convince this particular gun to work for me exclusively. Not unlike you.” Egerton let William go and reached over to fix William’s collar. “I was trying to entice you to work for me back then, too, if you’ll remember.”
“Of course, I do. And I said no.”
“But not quickly enough for the taste of some.” Egerton looked down at William’s hand. “What have you done with that lovely ring your mother gave you? She was one of the best, you know. Not just your father’s helpmeet, but a true right hand. Do you remember how she trained you to take care of yourself? She gave him and me similar training, and others, before she died.”
William instinctively brushed Egerton’s hands away from his suit. “I have to go meet with Anne.”
“Remember what I said, William. And if you don’t believe me, consider what you know about me. If I were truly angry with you, no one would be able to identify what was left,” Egerton said cheerfully. “I could call your father if I wanted, not leave him a bloody message. I speak for myself, not through corpses.”
Egerton left him then, and William fo
und it hard to breathe. It was entirely too possible that his father had not only been the one to clip his wings by sending him to prison, but had also ordered someone to stab him. It would explain the difference in method from the same killer, and why William was still alive at all. And it would explain why his father had been so dismissive of the injury while William was in the hospital.
He’d known all along that William would most likely get to medical help in time. He had just wanted William to be frightened away from working for someone else. But his plans had failed, and William had pulled away from his manipulations entirely to start his own business. How that must gall the old man!
Anne appeared by his side with another glass of champagne and pushed it into his hands. “What did Egerton tell you? You’re as white as milk.”
“Oh, I am not,” William snapped. “Are you ready to go upstairs, or do you fancy another go on the dance floor?”
Anne took his arm and wordlessly guided him toward the door.
Chapter Eleven
William would never admit that his hands were shaking, but Anne could tell just from being so close to him. He said nothing as they crossed the floor of the gala and nothing as they headed for the elevators. Once in the elevator, she put her hand on his chest.
“What did Egerton say?” Anne asked.
“It’s not important. It isn’t relevant to the case.” William had finished the champagne in the ballroom, and his hand looked like it was itching for another drink. “It could still be either Egerton or Santiago. The legwork is all up to the PD.”
He looked up at the ceiling and let out a heavy sigh.
“Will—”
“Not sharing, love. Not something your partners need to know.”
Anne frowned. Then she reached into the plunging V neckline of her dress and turned off the mic. “They aren’t listening now. What happened?”
William shook his head. When the doors opened, he took her hand and made a determined line into the hallway until they reached room 437. He opened it, took her inside, and flipped the deadbolt.
“Where’s the bloody bar?” William groaned. He shucked off his suit jacket and dropped it on the bed.
“There.” Anne pointed with one hand toward what looked like a large, two-door cabinet made of dark wood, as she slipped out of her heels. She hadn’t minded them as much as William had imagined. All of her boots had a significant heel. She disliked feeling small around the other officers.
William bent over the fridge and pulled out the whiskey. “Cheers, pet.” He poured several fingers, set the bottle down, and knocked the whiskey back.
“Jesus, Will.” Anne came over and took the bottle. “Is that really necessary?”
“It is. You want?” William took the bottle in hand again.
“There is not enough no in the world.” Anne reached into the bar and pulled out a bottle of wine and a Toblerone.
“Good plan,” William said, pouring himself another glass as she poured her wine.
“If you don’t tell me what happened, I’m going to beat you up and take the whiskey from you,” Anne warned him. She hopped on the bed and opened the candy.
“Love it how violent you are when you’re being supportive.” William sunk into a large leather chair and threw his legs over the side.
This time, he savored the whiskey as he recounted what he’d heard from Egerton, what he’d suspected about his father, and exactly what he’d learned from his mother before she’d died. Anne set the candy down and went to sit on the free arm of the chair.
“That’s terrible,” she said.
“Noooo.” William scoffed. “That’s par for the course between the Spencer’s and Egerton’s, right? We’re completely normal.”
“What I mean to say is, that’s completely fucked up. He threatened you even as he was offering you a partnership, and we’re going to nail him to the wall,” Anne clarified.
“There’s that lovely violence again. You must be the best mum.”
Anne stiffened. William rolled his eyes up to her.
“You think I don’t mean that? My mum taught me how to fight with knives. She taught me how to shoot. And if anyone had come at me with a blade when I was alive, she would’ve slit them from neck to navel within five seconds.”
“What, was she training you to be an assassin? I have higher aspirations for Evie.”
“She trained me to take care of myself. But she probably did train a hit man or two. I know she was involved in MI6 back in the day.” William drained his glass and let it rest in his lap for a moment. “Do you…?”
“What? What is it?”
“D’you reckon the ring you found at the scene could’ve been my mum’s? She gave me mine. And she had one that looked like it. She might’ve given it to one of her students before she died.”
Anne sat with that for a moment, carding her fingers through William’s hair while he looked at her in askance. She didn’t know. She only knew that if the intel they’d gained tonight was accurate, they might be one step closer to figuring this tangled web out.
“Maybe it was. Maybe it wasn’t. Egerton still could’ve been trying to frame you. He could’ve been using your possible arrest to make you want to join him,” Anne said.
“He doesn’t work that way.” William reached for the bottle and filled his glass once more. “Dunno why I care so bloody much that my father probably had me stabbed to teach me a lesson. It’s not exactly new information that he’s a fucking psychopath.”
Anne said nothing, just continued to pet his hair, occasionally curling it around her fingers. She kissed his forehead, and he closed his eyes. Maybe it was the evening, with all the glamor and dancing. Or maybe it was just the two glasses of champagne and the red wine she’d downed. Anne hadn’t drunk anything in more than a year. Whatever it was, her gentle kiss on the forehead somehow turned to her fingertips on his chin, tilting his head back, so that she could place a less than gentle kiss on his lips.
William returned the kiss, no doubt more intoxicated than she was, and shifted in the chair to cup the sides of her face with his strong, deft hands. Soon, she was in his lap, squeezing his thighs with her own and following every long, heated kiss with another until they were both panting and shaking.
His hands slipped under her dress and moved up her thighs, only stopping when he felt the gun. Anne laughed and moved to unfasten it.
“Speaking of protection,” Will muttered.
“I’m on the pill. I don’t need a little sister for Evie right now.”
When she set the gun on the table, she looked up, hesitating just for a moment. But then he was kissing her again, and she melted. He was with her again, pressed to her, his scent and warmth a part of her as they frantically scrambled out of their fancy clothes. She’d wanted this more than she could say, even in moments when she’d pushed him away. Especially then.
When her dress was pooling on the floor, she climbed on top of him, her chest heaving, and moved her hands down his bare torso. She paused slightly at the scar on his side and gave him a firm kiss. His hands cupped around her ass, holding her up as she gripped his shoulders.
We should stop. We should stop, her mind chanted. But her body didn’t listen. It had been starving for him for too long.
So long, in fact, that she skipped everything and rubbed her hand over his thick erection before rising up and guiding him inside of her. She was tight with disuse and let out a soft cry. William moved one hand up her back.
“You alright?”
“Yes. Just… keep going.”
Anne bowed her head forward and kissed his nose before beginning to ride. William’s hands supported her, and he gave soft grunts, thrusting up into her as she came up and down, letting his hardness push against her sensitive flesh, which was now slicker and more accepting. Her body needed him, it seemed, as much as her heart had.
It wasn’t long before she was quivering and weak, gasping with each thrust. Her thighs trembled, and William suppor
ted her with his strong arms. She would’ve fallen if he hadn’t been holding her. Her orgasm rose up in her like a tidal wave causing her to stiffen and shake and clench.
“There you go. There’s my girl,” William whispered. Her eyes were clenched shut, but she knew he was watching her. He’d always loved watching her come.
When she was finished, she gripped his shoulders, willing herself to keep moving on him until his hips jerked and he came as well. His hand gripped her right cheek so hard that she was sure there would be prints left behind and, in a stab of perversity, she found the thought amusing. Now they could be both marked. She sort of preferred hers.
With a roar, he finished. He had always been so loud. People down the hall probably knew what they’d been doing. Anne slumped into his arms and pulled her legs up. Then, resting her head on his shoulder, sated and spent, she finally let her mind question this.
We should’ve stopped. I never should’ve started. This one’s on me, it told her.
For the moment though, she didn’t care. She was where she wanted to be, and it felt right, even if it was possibly the worst thing she could have done.
***
They had made it to the bed. Eventually. As William lay curled around Anne, he considered that his brewing headache and the emotional grenade that Egerton had dropped had been more than worth a night of passion with his best girl.
Anne lay sleeping beside him. Her hair was a mess, and he brushed his fingers over it, smiling at the smear of her lipstick and the way her face looked utterly untroubled by her daily life. He could help with that. She would fight him, but he could help her make certain her babysitters were smart and trained, and wouldn’t leave her baby girl with strange men. And he hoped, sometimes, he could be the one looking after Evie. The afternoon hadn’t been completely easy, but although he wasn’t much for children in general, William had liked Evie, once the kid had started opening up to him.
Anne rolled over and yawned, snuggling into the bed. William smiled and rested his chin on her shoulder.
“Hm? Oh, God. What time is it?” she murmured.
William glanced over at the clock. “Almost 2:00 am. Who’s watching Evie?”
