by Jo Davis
“You’ve met someone, haven’t you? Oh, Anna.”
The disappointment in her mom’s voice was crushing. “I have, Mom. I didn’t come here looking to find someone else. Hell, that was the last thing I wanted. But Joaquin is unlike any man I’ve ever come across. He’s charming, sexy, doesn’t take no for an answer. You’d like him.”
“I like Gray,” her mother said quietly. “And he’s all of those things as well.”
“But he lied to me! He played me—slept with me—to gather evidence on his case.”
“He’s sorry for that, and you know it. He was working to exonerate you so he could focus on ridding your restaurant of those rats who were using your business to sell drugs. In the end, he saved your ass.”
“I know that. But I still can’t forget how much it devastated me to find out he’d slept with me to get information—at least at first. There’s no excuse for that, and I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to let it go.”
Another pause. “Who is this man you’ve met?”
“His name is Joaquin Delacruz, and he’s a businessman. Owns some hotels and casinos.”
“The Joaquin Delacruz?” her mother practically screeched in shock. “The billionaire?”
“The same.” In for a penny, as they say. “And older brother of Manny, the rat who was running drugs through Floor Fifty-Five.”
“What in the hell are you thinking getting mixed up with that family? Are you trying to get put in prison, or worse? I—Oh, no.” Margaret paused, then her voice lowered, her tone grim. “This new man you’re so interested in is Gray’s enemy. He told me himself how he’s been after this family for years. Do you realize what this is going to do to him when he finds out?”
“Yes,” she said miserably. “I don’t want to cause him more pain, but I really like Joaquin, Mom. There’s a connection between us, a real spark. How can I just ignore that?”
“Easy. You thank him for a nice time, get on a plane, and come home!”
“What about what I want?”
“You want to get caught in the crossfire? I’m not only talking about Gray and Joaquin, I’m talking about the Delacruz family and their kind. We have nothing in common with people like them, or their crooked world. Please, baby, come home.”
“I will, but not yet. I want to see where this goes. I promise to be careful.”
A resigned sigh came from the other end of the line. “All right. But the next time I see Gray, if he asks the right questions, I’m not going to lie to him for you.”
“I would never ask you to do that. I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too. If you get in too deep, promise you’ll call me, and then Gray.”
There was no getting around it. “I promise.”
“Okay. Keep in touch or I’ll send Gray after you whether it pisses you off or not.”
“I will. Bye, Mom.”
“Bye, honey.”
Ending the call, Anna wasn’t sure whether she felt better or worse. In some ways, a little of both. Her mother was smart enough to realize that meeting Joaquin was the reason for the call, and that Anna was more than a little conflicted about being with the man. But Margaret didn’t know exactly how far their acquaintance had progressed. If she did, she’d be a lot more worried.
With a sigh, she got dressed, pulling on a pair of purple shorts and a white tank top. She’d just slid her feet into a pair of flip-flops when there was a knock on her door. Cautiously, she approached and peered out the spy hole.
Joaquin. Well, that certainly hadn’t taken long. A bit nervous, she pulled open the door and did her best not to show it.
“Hey, there. I wasn’t expecting you.”
This made him frown. “Really? We spend the night making love, and I wake up and you’re gone. No note. I had to come and find out if I did something wrong.”
“No, of course not.” Stepping aside, she gestured to the living room. “Please, come in.”
Once he was in, he faced her squarely. His expression was somewhat guarded, as though he was unsure of his reception. “If you’re not upset with me, why did you leave?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I guess I thought you’d rather not wake up with your one-night stand in your bed.”
Moving close, he gave her a sexy smile. “There are a couple of things wrong with your assumptions. First of all, if I wanted you to go, I would’ve seen you out the door last night. Second, I’m kind of over sleeping around simply to get off, and I was hoping you got that message yesterday. I want to spend more time with you.”
“I’d like that very much.”
Looking pleased, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her lips. “Fantastic. What do you say we get out of here for a while and go on an excursion?”
“You mean off the resort?”
“Why not? The scenery is gorgeous, and there’s a market not far away. There are shops if you want to pick up gifts, and some restaurants we can choose from to eat lunch.”
“You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?” she teased.
“I did my best.”
“Well, I would like to get my mother something, and lunch with a handsome man is always a great idea.”
With the awkwardness of the morning after put behind them, they set off in a car Joaquin had rented for the sole purpose of chauffeuring them around. It wasn’t fancy, nothing like a limo or even a luxury car, but the vehicle with its driver was theirs.
The burly man from this morning was riding shotgun.
“And what’s your name?” Anna inquired cheerfully as they climbed inside the car. “Rib Eye?”
“Huh?” The bodyguard squinted at her over his shoulder.
Joaquin laughed. “Anna, this is Henry. Henry, Anna.”
“Nice to meet you.”
Her smile was rewarded with a grudging greeting. “Yeah, you too.” With a grunt, he turned back around.
So much for a sense of humor. She glanced at her date, and he shrugged.
“My men are rather intense. Job hazard.”
“You don’t say?”
Anna quickly immersed herself in having fun with the man beside her. He was a good companion, entertaining her with stories of running his casinos and of all the stupid stuff people tried to get away with while gambling. Some were funny, like hearing about patrons who went through all sorts of superstitious rituals each time they sat at a machine. They’d do everything from rubbing it like a genie lamp to blessing it while holding a cross. As if any of that would do any good, because, he explained, every machine is preprogrammed far in advance to pay out certain combinations in an exact order, making it truly the luck of the draw for whomever sits down to play.
Other stories were more serious, like patrons being robbed for their winnings, though that was rare thanks to surveillance and security. For sure, Joaquin was in an interesting business with never a dull moment.
Soon they were in the quaint, pretty town a few miles outside of their resort. Their driver parked next to the market, and they got out of the car, ready to explore.
There were stands with all sorts of fruits and vegetables. Meat on a stick, fish, and sweets. Not so different from a state fair back home, with all of the smells mingling together to make one scent that was equal parts yummy and gross.
As they left the market and ventured toward some shops down the street, Anna was aware they weren’t alone. Henry wasn’t far behind. That was a comfort, too, especially when she spotted what she thought to be a familiar face in the crowd. She must’ve faltered in her step, because Joaquin squeezed her hand.
“Something wrong?”
“What? No. I thought I saw someone I recognized.”
“Who?”
“That man standing by those melons back there.” She nodded slightly in the man’s direction. “I could have sworn that man was sweeping the path outside your room this morning.”
Alarm darkened his expression. “Hang on.”
Joaquin went to Henry, and the t
wo of them spoke in hushed tones. Henry nodded, but remained behind them. “I told Henry what you said, and he agreed. He saw the groundskeeper, too, and that is the same man. He’ll look into it when we get back”
“All right. At least I know I’m not going crazy.”
“Not a chance.”
In one of the shops, Anna selected a pretty blouse and a figurine for her mother, and a gorgeous handmade glass bowl for her apartment. She arranged to have her bowl shipped and they left the shop, happy in each other’s company.
In another store, Joaquin found a new shirt and some fine tobacco. Much to her relief, the latter wasn’t for himself, but to be used as gifts for business associates. He purchased some rare liquor to be shipped home as well.
All in all the morning was a success, and they capped it by having lunch at a local restaurant that served seafood—big surprise. But it was delicious, and she ate way too much and had to decline dessert.
By midafternoon they were in their rented car and on the way back to the resort. By mutual agreement, they parted and went to their rooms to change into swimsuits. They were to meet at the beach in thirty minutes.
Anna put on her bikini, singing one of her favorite upbeat songs. She could get very, very used to this feeling. She was happy and looking forward to what this time with Joaquin would bring.
Not once since this morning, she realized, had she thought of Gray.
She shoved thoughts of him aside to deal with later. Much later.
***
In his suite, Joaquin changed into a different swimsuit than the one he had on yesterday. These were regular trunks, not quite as flashy. But they looked decent on him, and he thought Anna would like them.
Once he was ready, he paced the living area, waiting for Henry to return. He hoped he was wrong about the groundskeeper, but he had a feeling he wasn’t. His fears were confirmed when Henry knocked and then let himself in with his key card.
“Boss,” he said, eyes hard. “I showed the management a picture of that groundskeeper I snapped on my cell phone this morning. He doesn’t work here.”
“I’m not surprised. Any word on who he might be?”
“I showed his picture around, asked some of the hotel maids. Nobody remembers seeing him before.”
“Think they’re telling the truth?”
“Yeah. After that I did some digging and came up with nobody fitting his description who’s been anywhere near Agent Sloane.”
“So he doesn’t work for Gray.” That was a kick in the gut.
“Doesn’t look like it. Which leaves one very good possibility, since a man who looks a hell of a lot like him is employed by Deno Santos.”
“That asshole? Dammit! Are you sure?”
“Almost one hundred percent. The guy is an enforcer for Santos, goes by the name Petrov. He’s a mean Russian sonofabitch who’d whack his own grandma for the right amount of cash. He’s a sadist, enjoys doling out torture first, making his victims suffer.”
Pushing a hand through his hair, Joaquin growled in frustration. “Shit. That asshole Santos has been waiting forever for a good chance to get me, and this Petrov guy hanging around, being so fucking obvious, is him sending me a message—that he can get to me anytime, anywhere.”
“Watch your back. He and Santos won’t hesitate to make good on the threat when the time is right.”
“Oh, I will. And if he comes near my family, he’ll learn what it means to fuck with me.”
Santos, Joaquin’s greatest opponent and threat to going legit, would not be allowed to ruin his hopes and dreams.
If push came to shove, he’d do what he must. As he always had.
3
Gray sat slumped in his easy chair, staring at the dust motes dancing in the light streaming through the window.
He wished he could feel nothing. Be nothing. Just let it all go. The sadness was so profound, all he could do was sit near the window and stare out at his yard and the trees. He could hear and see the birds, cars on the street, children playing, though not one of those things held any meaning or importance.
He’d lost the only thing that had ever mattered.
Slowly, he retrieved a sheet of paper, creased and worn though it wasn’t old. He’d handled it so much, it was almost falling apart. As many times as he read the words, they never changed. They were still ugly and final.
He could still feel his heart break every time, thought surely the shrapnel would kill him very soon. Smoothing the paper, he read it again.
Gray,
By the time you read this, I’ll be on a plane. I need to get out of town for a while, get my head together. I know you’ll think this is an attempt to hurt you like you hurt me, but that’s not the case at all.
You were doing your job. I understand that. You had to catch the men involved in the drug ring, and I’m glad you did. In the end, you saved my business.
But it’s the rest I can’t put out of my mind. I was falling for you, hard. If I weren’t, I wouldn’t be so lost at finding out you weren’t who I thought. That I was just a suspect you needed information from, at least in the beginning. I know you fell for me, too, but you still played me. You went too far.
As for what happened in my office, seeing you kill two men frightened me. Worse, seeing you almost die—that terrified me more than anything. So much that I can’t sleep. Even if I can forgive you, even if I can give us another chance, you’re still Grayson Sloane, FBI agent. Your enemies will try to kill you.
And one day, if one of them succeeds, I wouldn’t survive losing you. Not like that. I don’t have it in me to take that chance with my heart.
Maybe I’m a coward for cutting my losses, but I can’t deal with all of this. I need time to think, and as hard as it is for me to say, I don’t expect you to wait for me. I honestly hope you find what you’re looking for.
Heal fast, please. I’m so glad you’re going to be okay.
Love,
Anna
The words blurred, and he wiped his face. No, he couldn’t let go just yet. He had to know if they were truly finished. If so, he’d take care of loose ends and then hand in his resignation. After that, he didn’t want to think too hard about how little he cared what happened next.
And the biggest loose end was Joaquin Delacruz. As much as he hated Delacruz, especially now, there was absolutely no evidence tying him to the drug ring working through Anna’s restaurant. So he was innocent of that, at least. Maybe the man really was trying to sweep the criminal element out of his businesses. If that was true, most of Joaquin’s business partners would go kicking and screaming. The others with guns blazing. Things were going to get very ugly, and fast.
And Gray was going to place himself right in the middle of it. He sort of relished the fight.
Shaking himself from his stupor, his picked up his cell and called the one person who would climb aboard the ship and bring a harpoon, no questions asked. Simon King answered the phone, failing to mask the worry in his voice with false cheer.
“Hey, partner! What’s up?”
“I need you, Simon.” Quietly spoken, that was all he had to say.
“I’ll be there in less than half an hour. Hang tight.”
With that, Gray hung up and waited. He and Simon had plans to make.
***
The subtle threat, presumably from Santos, cast a long shadow over Joaquin’s afternoon.
At least he could distract himself by playing in the sand with Anna. With her, he found it easy to let go and just be himself for a while. Funny, he wasn’t sure if he’d ever known what “being himself” meant before. There was always too much work and no fun in his life, but that was going to change.
That brought him back to the idea that had been niggling at his brain all day. Maybe it was impulsive—perhaps it was foolish, for several reasons—but the more he thought about it, the more he was determined to have his way. Now he just had to persuade Anna to accept.
After a particularly vigorous game of
beach volleyball, he grabbed her hand and dragged her back to their grass umbrella shade. Pulling her down onto the blanket, he kissed her breathless, not caring about the sand and salt covering them both. Or who might be watching, including Henry. When he broke the kiss, she laughed. It was a musical sound that went to his soul.
“You’re really good at kissing,” she said, smiling. “But I’m better at volleyball!”
“Rub it in, why don’t you?” Looking into her gorgeous, sun-kissed face, he couldn’t be grumpy, though. “I’ll get my revenge during bingo.”
“Bring it.”
Sitting close to her, he was silent for a few moments, mentally preparing himself. Taking a deep breath, he said, “Anna, something has come up that I need to discuss with you.”
Her joy deflated. Making a face, she looked away. “I figured this was too good to be true. What, you’re married with six kids? Maybe you’ll want to top that with the ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ speech?”
“Nothing like that. I have a business matter that can’t wait, and I need to get home.” He was gratified to note that she seemed instantly disappointed. “The thing is, I’m not ready to end our fun so soon. So I have a proposition.”
She visibly brightened. “Oh?”
“I’d like you to be my guest at my estate in New Jersey. I have a place just outside Atlantic City that’s huge and lonely, with so many empty bedrooms, you could take your pick and never even run into me.”
“Wouldn’t avoiding you sort of defeat the purpose of my staying?” Her grin was infectious.
“True. I’m hoping you’ll want to come and spend time with me so we can keep getting to know each other. But only if you want to and your vacation allows you the time.”
“Well, I am the boss, and I can stay gone as long as I need.” She fell silent for a moment, thinking about his invitation. “But I don’t know …”
“I promise not to press you for anything more than you’re ready to give. I just want the continued pleasure of your company. We’ll swim, ride horses, go shopping, dine out. I can take you into the city and show you my hotel and casino there. It’s the first one I ever opened, and it’s my lifeblood.”
