by Serena Zane
Lucy studied her suspect. She didn’t think the informant came from Irish decent as one might guess with a name like Chuck Conner. His voice sounded too tailored.
She listened to the practiced tones carefully and tried to decipher where he might be from. A tiny shiver went down her spine again when he chuckled at something she said. Lucy felt as though she missed an important clue as she popped a piece of egg roll into her mouth.
Conner appeared to be enjoying himself, and didn’t look like he wanted the evening to end. His eyes followed her movements as finished with her meal. The only thing left on her plate was the yellow sauce from her lemon chicken. She scooped it up with her last egg roll and licked the jelled substance off the tip. Her lips slowly rounded the roll and she bit down on the end.
***
When Lucy had walked through the ornately carved double doors of the Red Dragon precisely at 7:30pm, her little black dress clung suggestively to her curves.
Kevin gritted his teeth as he had watched her scout the room for Conner. She didn’t need to look so eager. Her gaze caught Kevin’s for a moment and he shifted in his seat as he sat across the room for surveillance. The edges of her lips went down, and he knew she didn’t like him being there.
Kevin breathed a frustrated sigh when he watched as her beautiful eyes moved on. He took a moment to control himself. Lucy seemed to be all business, as if the night before never happened. He watched as her green gaze scanned the room to find Conner where he waited at a corner table.
Lucy gave the man a heart-stopping smile, and she sauntered over to sit down in the chair opposite Conner. An unexpected pang of jealousy stabbed Kevin.
She planted the information they wanted her to as though she were a normal woman talking about work. Kevin almost choked on his tea when she’d mentioned how frustrated she was at her boss. He overheard Killroy laughing as he listened into the conversation. Montgomery sure knew how to get her gibes in.
Watching her out of the corner of his eye, Kevin acknowledged that she looked great tonight. He couldn’t begin to guess where she placed her wire and communicator. Shapely legs encased in nylons were emphasized by her black heels as she crossed them under the table. It would always be a wonder to him how women walked in those things. He definitely appreciated how sexy she looked in them with her legs encased in smooth silk.
Kevin took a drink of the water as he thought of what it would feel like to run his hands up the silky contours of Lucy’s well-shaped limbs. Shocked to find himself growing hard, he said a silent thank you, suddenly glad he’d chosen to sit on the opposite side of the restaurant. Difficult to concentrate on the job with distractions like those getting in the way, he thought. Kevin continued his surveillance.
He heard Lucy clearly over the tiny bug she placed in her purse. Kevin grinned at her performance.
“I’m dreading the thought of waking up at 4:00am just to make sure that diamond is secure and resting comfortably in the museum by five. Hate getting up in the mornings, especially when I’m working late the night before -- my boss won’t let anyone else do it though, says I’m the only one he trusts for the job.” Lucy let out a sigh and rolled her big, emerald green eyes.
Kevin’s eyes narrowed as he watched Conner wipe something from the corner of her mouth and then suck it off his finger. He gritted his teeth and he felt a vein tick at the side of his jaw-line. Conner’s voice grated on Kevin’s nerves over the wiretap. He tried not to think about how Conner’s voice would sound as he begged for mercy at the end of his Berretta.
“I’ve been thinking. Since you’ve been so busy, how would you like to go and see a movie at the theatre tonight?” Conner asked as his beady eyes continued to watch her. “It will take your mind off of work. If we leave soon, we can just catch the late showing.”
“Sure, you know, that might be just what I need to relax a little.” This would give the team more time to search. They moved in on Conner’s apartment while she took him out to dinner. Killroy believed they might find some sort of evidence against Conner there. The waitress showed up with their check and Conner snatched the bill.
“My treat.”
Lucy shrugged and gave him another smile. “Always nice to meet a gentleman in this day and age, I began to think we’d run out of that rare commodity.”
Kevin slit his eyes as Conner helped Lucy slip on her coat, and he couldn’t help wishing he put his hands on her luscious hair to brush it away from her collar. He got his check as they headed out the door.
“Killroy,” Kevin spoke into his communicator, “Did you catch that? Montgomery’s bought you some time.”
“Yes, thanks Garrett.” Killroy called back, “We should be out soon. We haven’t found anything.” Kevin watched Lucy and Conner get into a cab outside, then signaled for his own transport.
“Don’t get too far ahead Montgomery,” Kevin told Lucy through the communicator. He didn’t want to lose them in the crowd. New York wasn’t exactly an easy place to keep track of a target.
***
Lucy tried not to let her exasperation show. Kevin never did trust her enough. He sounded just like he did on their first assignment together. She could remember how he wouldn’t trust her out of his sight for the first two months. He always countermanded her ideas as though she’d had no clue what she talked about.
Her whole body felt irritated, and she shifted in the cracked seat of the cab. Purposefully, she flashed a brilliant smile to Conner and started to talk with him to put her mind on something else.
“It’s such a brilliant night. Too bad we’re in the city. I’d like to see the stars.” She looked out the window at the starless, dark sky, and let out a tired sigh. Lucy did wish that she could be in the country -- in the country with her brother, spending one of their summers together as they laughed at the antics of their golden retriever, Flash. They would play catch in the fields. She thought of the rickety tree house they’d built the summer they turned sixteen, and her lips turned up in a bemused grin.
“I know what you mean,” Conner said as he leered at her.
She could only imagine that he pictured a scene much less wholesome. He reached across the seat and rubbed his hand up her silk-clad thigh. “Maybe someday you’ll get a chance to spend a lot more time gazing at the stars.”
“Not anytime soon though.” Lucy ended with an exaggerated sigh. Her hand closed over his and she turned to look at him.
I hope this gets over with soon. I don’t know how much more of this man I can take.
CHAPTER 8
Director Killroy paced back and forth beside the conference table while he tried to get Lucy to listen to reason. “No, you will not go with us this time Lucy. We cannot risk blowing your cover.” His face started to turn purple. “Why do I always get stuck with the stubborn ones?” He mumbled more to himself than the group.
"Because Killroy, you’re so good at handling us.” Kevin said from his seat at the left of the conference room, a joking smile aimed at his boss.
“Garrett, I didn’t need an answer.” Kevin shrugged his broad shoulders and the black silk shirt he wore caught Lucy’s attention as it rippled across his muscles.
Kevin laughed. His tone deep, it played on Lucy’s already fried nerves, “Don’t take your frustration out on me. You knew ahead of time this wouldn’t be an easy assignment, but you insisted on getting out from behind a desk for once. You need to calm down Killroy. Your blood pressure can’t take much more on this.” The smile never left Kevin’s face as he teased the Director.
The man gave up, shrugged, and turned his attention back to Lucy. “Montgomery, use your head. It isn’t likely your brother will be there, but if he is, then we’ll get him out. It may turn out to be something else entirely. We just don’t know. We can’t risk blowing your cover. Remember, everyone on this team wants to help get you brother out, but that’s not company policy. The mission comes first.”
Lucy looked down at her notepad and tried to control her mounting anger.
They’d found information on the raid in Conner’s apartment leading them down to a warehouse by the piers. She wanted to go. A knot settled low in her stomach and she tried to tamp down her frustration. She knew Killroy noticed her control slipping, he read them all so well. His stern gaze held hers, and his iron will made her rethink going.
“I’m ordering you to stay put Montgomery. If you go against orders I will be forced to take you off the case. I don’t want to, but I will if I need to. Do you understand?”
Lucy’s face fell. She couldn’t chance getting thrown off the case, not with her brother’s life on the line. “All right, but I’m going against my will standing back. I don’t feel good about this. Call it women’s intuition if you must, but be careful.” She caught Kevin’s eyes and tried to convey her unease in a level gaze. She wanted to reach out and take his hand. Lucy glanced back at Killroy and withheld the impulse. They couldn’t afford to lose their job over a simple attraction.
Just a simple attraction, right?
Kevin was the type of man she could actually lean on, but she feared if she let herself get too close, she would get hurt. He took too many chances. Just like Chase.
Lucy studied Kevin’s reactions from across the table. As his fingers moved along the organizer in front of him, she held her breath. She remembered how they entangled in her hair two nights ago in the apartment.
Her unease grew as she thought of all the things that might go wrong. She envisioned how easily they took Chase. They could get caught, or someone on the team might get injured, maybe even killed. She didn’t want to think about what she would do if she lost someone else close to her.
Lucy ran her palm over her neck and massaged the tight muscles. She would take a bath as she waited to hear the results. She’d stayed with the team long enough. You didn’t go against a direct order from Killroy.
Not knowing what happened, Lucy would be unable to sleep until she heard the results of the search. As she listened to Killroy explain the procedures they would follow Lucy tried to push the butterflies down in her stomach. Everything would be fine. Kevin’s calm appearance seemed to reassure her as he marked out something in his planner.
“The address we found is a warehouse down at Pier 57. Hawke--”
The pert brunette popped into action and activated the computer screen to display the warehouse.
Killroy picked up a pointer and gestured to spots on the screen. “From the outside it appears to be abandoned, but we aren’t taking any chances. We’re going in from the top. There are large windows on the roof.” He pointed to several places that appeared to be rectangle squares on the roof of the building, “We’ll enter from there. Hawke located this blueprint of the building. It’s the only one we located so let’s hope the information is correct. There are crossbeams running along the sides near the ceiling. We’ll repel down and split up. Remember communication must be kept to a minimum. If we’re heard the whole mission will be in jeopardy, and we have no idea how many guards are in the building.
“Garrett, you’ll take the west side of the warehouse. It’s a bigger space, but also more open. You must make sure you are not seen. We’re there for two objectives. First we need to discover if they’re keeping Chase anywhere in the warehouse. If he’s there, our one and only objective is to get him out as quickly and safely as possible.”
“Our second objective is to find any incriminating evidence or clues as to who is behind the covert ring, Jaguar. Our ultimate goal is to bring them down. Keep that in mind. They’ve already captured one of our agents. These people are smart. They might even have placed someone on the inside.” Lucy watched as he met each team member’s eyes making sure they understood.
Lucy could see each person glance suspiciously around. Her mind ticked off the members of the team, and couldn’t reason any of them with a motive for giving information to the enemy.
“When do you leave?” She asked. The tension in the room pressed in, almost too much for her and she wanted to be done with the meeting.
“We leave at 2:30am. Arrive at the warehouse at 3:15 and be out by 3:30 if all goes well. A quick in and out will ensure secrecy. Like I told Montgomery, having someone undercover, we cannot risk detection. The last thing we need is another disappearing agent.”
***
Kevin risked a look at Lucy. She gripped the pen in her hand so tightly her knuckles turned white. A furrow marred her elegant forehead between her delicately arched brows. Kevin had an indescribable urge to erase all her worries.
Frustration came back to the surface. Lucy wouldn’t appreciate anyone stepping on her turf, especially him. Kevin clenched his teeth he squelched the thought where it started. He had no business invading her personal life. He wanted to though, and he couldn’t pin down where the impulse came from. Kevin thought a year of separation might squash his interest in Lucy, but when he saw her again those feelings only intensified.
The first time he noticed her Kevin knew there would be something different about Lucy. Recalling the way she’d looked in her little gray suit as she had stood in that row of new recruits, there wasn’t really any other option than to choose Lucy for his assignment. She’d virtually shimmered with anticipation. Her eyes had gleamed with excitement. Those eyes made just another trainee stand apart from the others.
Four months on mission with her were the hardest in his life that he could remember. After the first week, he’d regretted choosing her. He didn’t regret it because she was a bad agent on the contrary, she’s excellent. He regretted the torture of leaning close together over their plans, having her close yet unattainable. She smelled like coconuts. His mouth watered as he thought of how much he had wanted to taste her. He almost groaned aloud as he watched her across the conference table.
She licked her dusky colored lips. Her pink tongue darted between them in a nervous action.
Kevin inhaled and remembered what those lips felt like as they molded to his own. He could still feel the heat of her tongue as their passion ignited. He began to harden.
Reprimanding himself, Kevin focused his attention on Killroy. It wouldn’t do to run around like a horny teenager. He needed more control.
The meeting concluded. Kevin, Halverson, and Killroy closed up their cases and headed for the door. Kevin the first through the entry, no way was he getting caught by Killroy for a lecture on inter-agency dating.
CHAPTER 9
Lucy and Hawke hung behind. Lucy looked at her friend of five years, and shook her head. Hawke walked up to her.
“What is it Luce?” She moved around the side of the table to where Lucy stood, “Something’s bothering you, and it’s not your brother. I saw the way you looked at Garrett across the table. I hope Killroy didn’t catch on. Your brother’s one thing-- but there’s a company policy on intra-office dating.”
“We’re not dating. In fact, I don’t even know where we are.” Lucy leaned back against the table and crossed her arms. “He came up to my apartment the other night.”
“He what?” Hawk’s face took on a look of astonishment. “After what he pulled on mission, I’m surprised you even let him enter the door. I’d close it in his face.”
“I didn’t get much of a choice.” Lucy mumbled as she shifted uneasily.
“Not much of a choice? Luce, it’s your apartment. You don’t have to let anyone in you don’t want to. Did you?” Hawke cast doubtful eyes Lucy’s direction.
“Of course I didn’t want him coming into my home, but I thought it related to the case. I’m willing to go to any length to save my brother, even if it does mean working with the Ice King. There’s just one problem.”
Hawke gave her an encouraging look to continue, and when that didn’t work she gave Lucy an impatient glare. “So, what’s the problem?”
“He’s not being the Ice King anymore.” Lucy’s voice lowered, “more like lava -- red hot.”
“Are you telling me he came on to you?” Hawke hopped up on the table and leaned forward obviously wait
ing for Lucy to confirm the facts.
“Oh yeah, he came onto me alright. He kissed me. And I’m afraid I liked it. A little too much, now I’m not sure what to do next.” Lucy pleaded with Hawke, uncertain.
For once Hawke did not respond. Lucy had previously told her all about that first mission. Cindy was aware of how much Lucy resented Kevin for his harsh treatment. Hawke patted her on the shoulder.
“There’s not much you can do Luce. Perhaps he’s changed. Maybe not, it’s up to you whether or not to give him a chance. I know you got hurt, but it might be time to put that behind you.”
Lucy tugged at her hair and nodded.
“Perhaps your right. All those things happened a long time ago. I just don’t know if I can trust him with my heart. He’s so good at stomping on it.”
“Trust me Luce. I’ve been there. I’ve got my fair share of heartbreakers. I’ve decided to leave off where men are concerned for a while. You on the other hand don’t even go on dates.” Hawke cocked her head to the side, her eyes perceptive. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you go out with a man for the entire time I’ve known you. You keep yourself too busy. Come to think of it, you and Garrett would be perfect for each other. He’s a workaholic too.” She grinned and they laughed together.
“You know me too well. I’ll give it some thought.” Lucy started to gather her things.
“Hey Luce?” Hawke interrupted.
“Yes?” Lucy swung her briefcase over her shoulder, and paused to wait for her friend to continue talking.
“How are you doing otherwise? I mean with your brother being gone?”
Lucy struggled not to cry as she read the sympathy in her friend’s troubled gaze. “I just take each day as it comes. I can’t expect more of that from myself right now. You take care this evening. I don’t want anything to happen to you.” She smiled at Hawke and left the room. She had a lot to do and only a half hour left before the team took off.
