by C. J. Miller
Sydney shrugged. “You’re pressing your luck. You’re Barnett’s go-to guy for this project. How long can that last?”
“Until the job is finished,” Finn said.
Sydney laughed. “This job is never finished. You must know that.”
The list of Whiteout customers was long and increasing by the day. “Do you want to sign off on the warehouse?”
Sydney took out his cell phone and snapped some pictures. “Give me a few hours. I’ll speak to Barnett.”
Finn shrugged as if he didn’t care, but Hyde knew what was on the line. They’d tried to sell Sydney on this place. If they had to find another location, it would take additional days.
Sydney left a few minutes later. The sound of his car engine roaring down the street faded.
Finn grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it. “How do you think it went? He doesn’t trust me. I don’t trust him, either, but it presents a problem if he tells Barnett this warehouse won’t work or if his distrust sways Barnett.”
Hyde wrapped her arms around Finn’s waist. “He was interested. I guess now we wait.”
“Any word from Abby about the blood work?” Finn asked.
Hyde looked at her phone. “Nothing yet.”
The West Company had confirmed the victim had an unidentified chemical in her blood, but they hadn’t matched it to other overdose victims in the area. Those samples weren’t available.
“What’s the plan for tonight?” Hyde asked. She wondered if they would do something nonmission related, like see a movie or dine out or crash on the couch and watch television.
“Have something in mind?” Finn asked.
“We could grab dinner and go dancing,” Hyde said. They had once danced in Barcelona at a club on the water. It had been exhilarating, like four hours of foreplay. A night out might rekindle some of what they had lost and forgotten about each other—the fun, the flirting and the easy affection. They had been spies first and lovers second. She wanted it the other way around.
* * *
They took Finn’s expensive car, valet-parked and strode into Dazzle, a club in South Beach.
“There have been a number of overdoses in this area,” Finn said.
Hyde’s heart fell and she looked up from her handbag. She had been searching for her lipstick until his words caught her off guard. This was a date, not another part of the mission. Finn had picked the club. She hadn’t realized he had done so because of possibly related overdoses.
“We’re not here for bodies,” Hyde said.
Finn cleared his throat. “Right. I got that. You seem tense. Everything okay?”
“I’m fine.” If tonight went well, she planned to tell Finn how she felt about him and what she wanted for their future, namely, him in it.
They entered the nightclub. Perfumes, cologne and sweat mixed, the music pulsed and colored lights made it hard to think, which worked for Hyde. No capacity for more deep thoughts.
Hyde held on to Finn’s arm. Wearing the short, tight green dress and black heels, she fit in with the women in the room. The pendant Finn had given her for her birthday hung around her neck and she wore his grandmother’s bracelet around her wrist.
Their first stop was the bar and they ordered outrageously expensive drinks.
Finn glanced at his phone, and a smile lit his face. “Sydney recommended the warehouse. They’re moving forward to purchase it.”
Hyde set her finger over Finn’s lips. “No work talk tonight.” She took a sip of her bright blue concoction. “It’s good.” Getting Finn’s train of thought off work and onto her would take some doing.
Finn sipped his top-shelf Scotch. “Same here.”
They switched glasses and took a swig from each other’s drinks. Hyde took another nip of hers and then set it on the bar. “Dance with me?”
“Absolutely,” Finn said. He took her hand and he led her onto the dance floor.
She brought her mouth close to his neck and kissed his cheek and inhaled the masculine scent. Heat singed her. They moved easily together. Finn’s leg brushed her inner thigh and she leaned closer, drawn to him, a magnetic pull that would not release her. His touch unhinged her, the friction between them electric. Spears of pleasure ignited, leaving no part of her unaffected. Finn brushed his thumbs down her back.
After several songs wrapped in his embrace, her skin was oversensitive and somehow also starving for his touch. Her thoughts were fixated on him, only Finn.
“Do you want something to drink?” Finn asked.
“Water. Water would be good.”
Their hips grazing, they moved to the bar.
The bartender glanced at Finn’s expensive, borrowed watch and then at Hyde, his gaze lingering on her cleavage. Finn stared at him—hard—and the bartender averted his eyes. Lowering her head, Hyde hid her smile. Territorial when they were together, she had missed spending time with Finn.
“Planning to rent a cabana tonight?” the bartender asked.
Hyde had no idea what he was talking about. A secret upstairs room for trysts? She played along like she understood. “I heard they were hard to come by.”
The bartender poured a few shots for a group of customers and slid them down the bar. “They are. But one has become available. Ten thousand for the night.”
Finn snapped his credit card onto the bar top. “Put it on the plastic.”
Not a part of the mission. He was dropping that money on her. She touched his hand lightly, a small thank-you.
The bartender swiped the credit card and then handed Finn a gold coin. “Double doors. Purple tent, blue entry. Have fun.”
Anticipation grabbed at her. As Finn and Hyde strolled away from the bar, Finn took Hyde’s hand. “Do you have a guess about this cabana? What is it?”
“I thought you knew,” Hyde said. She was curled against him, her body rubbing against his as they walked. She stopped him, standing in front of him, setting her leg between his, entwining their bodies. Kissing the underside of his jaw, she hugged him. Emotions swelled inside her.
“I’m guessing the cabana is offered to their elite patrons,” Finn said. His hand brushed her necklace. His eyes glittered; he was happy she had worn it.
“Or we’re suckers who got taken for ten grand.”
At the glass door, Finn slipped the gold coin into a slot. The frosted glass doors parted and they walked through. The doors closed behind them and drowned out the sounds from the club. Instead, the music being piped into the gated outdoor area was soft and melodic.
Around the perimeter was a ten-foot-high fence lined with palm trees and tropical flowers. The cabanas were situated to provide privacy to each.
“We may have paid a huge amount of money for time alone in a tent,” Hyde whispered. “Which we could have had for free at almost any national park.”
“You looked interested when the bartender mentioned it. This might be fun,” Finn said.
“That’s the idea,” Hyde said.
They walked toward the purple cabana and moving aside the blue fabric door, they entered. On the floor were large, plush, jewel-toned pillows with gold tassels. The room contained a leopard-print chair and large blue settee. Though the patterns and fabric would have clashed in another space, here, they set the mood. “Is this supposed to be like a harem?” Hyde asked. She was digging it.
“Let’s go with it,” Finn said.
“I’m assuming based on the privacy this space is made for sex,” Hyde said. The words had popped from her mouth before she could censor them. She was thinking about sex with Finn, thinking about how much she cared for him and loved being in his arms, nothing between them.
Hyde looked directly at him. Finn was into the idea. Her body heated, knowing how she affected him. Arranging the pillows on the cloth-covered ground,
she patted the cushion next to her. “Join me?”
Finn sat. “Smells like incense. Like cumin and bay leaves.”
Before they could discuss the smell or why the room was perfumed heavily, the fabric door fluttered and a man and woman filled the entryway.
Finn and Hyde rose to their feet.
The woman was wearing a nearly sheer robe and holding a large bowl in front of her, and the man was wearing a short robe that fell midthigh and carrying a wicker basket. Were they selling sex? Or was this supposed to set the stage?
The woman smiled and tossed some flower petals from her bowl onto the floor. “I’m Giselle. This is Lucas. We’re here to offer you our personalized services.”
“What services are those?” Hyde asked.
“Massage. Relaxation. Drinks. Food. Anything you need to make the night more memorable,” Giselle said. “Name it and I’ll make it happen.”
Hyde looked at Finn from under her eyelashes, trying to hide her amusement. All she needed was Finn. The pillows and decor were fun, but superfluous. Being with Finn was an aphrodisiac.
“A glass of wine for each of us,” Hyde said. “And that’s all. Thank you.”
Lucas and Giselle bowed slightly and backed out of the tent.
“Hyde, I need to ask you something,” Finn said.
Hyde’s heart was going to beat out of her chest. He may be feeling the same as her. He might want to escalate their relationship beyond lovers into a word that might cement more meaning. “You can ask me anything.” Let him know she was open to it.
“I think Giselle and Lucas could know something about Whiteout.”
Her heart fell. His mind was on the mission. She wanted it on her. “What’s the question?” Irritation grated at her.
“We can get our hands on a sample if we ask.”
Disappointment and frustration mixed inside her. Throwing a tantrum would get them nowhere. But she didn’t want to talk about Whiteout. “It’s a long shot and tonight is about us.”
Finn took her hands in his. “We’re close, Hyde. I can feel it.”
“Tonight is not about work,” Hyde said. Pressing the issue wouldn’t get her anywhere. Surrender was settling over her. If Finn was bent on hunting down Whiteout tonight, his mind would be on that and not on her. Maybe if they were lucky, he would track this lead and they could recover the rest of the night.
Giselle returned with their glasses of wine. Hyde and Finn accepted them gratefully, and Hyde tried to hide her hurt and annoyance.
Finn leaned closer to Giselle. “While you were gone, I had a thought. We haven’t been in town long, but we’ve heard about a unique experience. A new substance that will blow our minds.”
Giselle blinked at him.
“Something we can take to relax,” Finn said.
Giselle set her hand on her hip. “The experience tonight will blow your mind, and our accommodations will be all you need to relax.”
“Nothing more unique?” Finn asked.
Giselle moved her tray to her other side. “A night in our cabanas is unique.” She smiled and whirled away, leaving them alone.
Hyde hoped it was the end of the discussion. She didn’t want to talk about Whiteout. “The lead didn’t work out. But we still have this place. I don’t think a glass of wine counts for ten thousand dollars. Let’s just enjoy.”
Finn pulled her hips close to him, setting his left hand at her lower back, holding her against his body. His right hand brushed her soft hair over her ear. Instead of capitulation, she read worry in his eyes.
“I can’t forgive myself for what happened to you in Munich. You’ve been there for me. You’ve helped me keep my sanity. I’m sorry that I wasn’t there for you when you needed me,” Finn said.
Hyde threaded her arms around his neck. She had already forgiven him. If they could accept this, they could move forward together. “I don’t have the right words to explain how I felt. How I feel now. So many emotions hit me and I’m confused.”
“It’s okay to be confused,” Finn said. “I’m confused about us and what happened, too. I know it must have been terrible and I wish I could make it easier for you. When you’re ready, you’ll try again and it will work out. You’ll be a mother.”
He had said you not we. She might be putting herself through an ordeal, building her hopes, when Finn wouldn’t give or change. “It was hard to keep it a secret. If I told my sisters, they would have had too many questions about you.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Is that where we were? Was our relationship about confiding in each other?” Hyde asked, leaning away and looking up at him.
“I thought it was. Was I wrong? I thought what we had was good,” Finn said.
They were circling a conversation she wanted to have. “We hadn’t put words to it,” Hyde said.
“Did we need to?” Finn asked.
Hyde stepped away and Finn released her. The dimness of the tent, speaking in whispers, she was finally ready to let him in. She felt the words in her mouth. “Is it wrong, after giving so much of myself, to want some of my life for me? You’re the only adult relationship I’ve had with a man because there’s no way I could make it work with anyone else. He would ask too many questions or I’d be gone too much. And my family life. My parents don’t say anything to me directly, but I know they miss me at holidays and gatherings. Why can’t I have my life now? Let someone else take up the cause.”
“It’s not wrong. You can change what you want. Is what you want a house with mortgage payments and a car note? Paying bills and weekly trips to the grocery store?”
“You’re pointing out the mundane parts of living in suburban America. What about the best parts? Apple festivals and baking cookies, family and friends, parties and celebrations, movie nights and happy hour at the bar.”
“You have some of that now,” Finn said.
“I don’t. But I know that I want it. And I want you. I want you in my life. I know that’s putting a lot on you and I understand if you need time to decide on an answer.”
“In your life how?” Finn asked.
Hyde swallowed the growing lump in her throat. “Together. As a couple.”
Finn stared at her. “You’re asking me to stop being a spy?”
Was she asking that of him? Was there something in between? All or nothing felt like an ultimatum, and she hadn’t intended for it to come out that way. “No. I just want to see you.”
They sat in the quiet for a long time.
“I need some air,” Finn said. He left the tent and Hyde followed him, feeling like her heart was breaking. She had told him how she felt and he had retreated and shut her down.
* * *
They left the tent and Finn slung his arm over Hyde’s shoulders for the sake of appearances. Tension was rolling off Hyde in waves. He had upset her. But he didn’t have an answer for her. She wanted a life he couldn’t give her.
His coin was handed back to him as he exited the cabana area. He tossed the coin to a couple dancing close. If he and Hyde couldn’t use it, someone else should. The woman with orange hair caught it and smiled, calling out her thanks.
Strolling casually, they exited the club. As they stepped onto the busy street, Hyde drew away from Finn. Physically and emotionally, she wanted space. He owed her a response, a real answer, and he didn’t have it.
The sidewalk outside the nightclub was crowded and well-lit by the bars and restaurants open in the near vicinity. Expensive cars were parked along the curb, and men and women mingled in the street, talking, laughing, and some more inebriated were singing. The general merriment and excitement swirled around him and Hyde, none of it reaching them. The heaviness seemed to hang exclusively over them.
“Hey!” A voice from behind them.
Fi
nn exchanged glances with Hyde. They turned. Neither spoke, waiting for the approaching man to speak. Preparing for an ambush, he nudged Hyde behind him.
The man was wearing a pair of jeans ripped at the knees, a black ribbed tank top and a purple and black flannel shirt tied around his waist. He had his hands jammed deep in his pants pockets.
“Can I help you?” Hyde asked.
The stranger pulled his hands from his pockets. Finn tensed, watching the man’s movements.
“I have something you might want.”
Finn lifted a brow. What did this man think they wanted? “You have a name?”
“Shake.”
“Okay, Shake. What do you have?” Finn asked.
Shake jerked his head behind him. “You need to come with me.”
He could be targeting them for a theft, thinking they were easy marks leaving a club.
“We’re not going anywhere without more information,” Hyde said.
“My girl Giselle says you’re looking for Whiteout,” Shake said. He spoke the name of the drug in a hushed voice.
“No one has it,” Finn said. He wasn’t sneaking off with a drug dealer until he was more sure.
“Not true. Not true,” Shake said. “I have my hands on a stash. Fifty per. If you’re not interested, I have other buyers.”
Finn internally questioned how Shake had the drug. He could be part of Barnett’s network or work for the Shadow Crew. Once a drug hit the street, it could change hands. “How do we know you have what you say? I hear Whiteout is hard to find.”
Shake shrugged. “You have to take my word. You won’t have other offers. New product is delayed and everyone I know is tapped.”
Good information. Barnett hadn’t moved his shipment into Miami yet. A quick nod and the trio stepped into a nearby alleyway.
Reaching into his pocket, Finn withdrew two fifties folded into fourths. He pressed them into Shake’s hand as Shake slipped him two plastic bags.
Finn glanced at the bags. “You might not know who I am, but if you screw me on this, I’ll find you and I’ll make you wish you had never met me.”
