“Which is all well and good, but not enough to hold him for very long,” Rhonda pointed out.
“It will be if we let that heroin shipment come in first,” Shawn said. “We get surveillance on him, photograph everything, and then he shows up to off you. That, along with the original abduction of a cop, should put him away. Especially when his guys start to sing like canaries with all the deals that will be flying their way.”
Rhonda thought about it, but she still needed to talk with her boss. “Okay, I’m good with it, but I need to clear it with my captain. He may not like where we’re going with this. Vincent, you’ve been very quiet, scary quiet.”
His blue eyes met hers and held. “I’m not happy with this plan, but I know that you know what you’re doing. Just know that I will be there. I don’t fucking care what your captain, or the entire SFPD thinks, I’m going to be there to watch out for you.”
“Good,” she said. Her knees felt weak with relief so she tightened her hold on him. Burying her nose in his neck, she breathed him in. “I want you there. I need you to be there, Vincent.”
“Well then, we’d better arrange for the captain to come and collect Yancy, I guess,” Shawn said. “I think we should meet him over in C&M though, not here. We’re a little close to Moreau’s buildings for the cops to show up. At least at our place, it won’t be unduly suspicious.”
Rhonda didn’t care where they met. Her mind was already moving ahead, working out the angles and how to ensure her ass didn’t end up as shark bait.
Chapter Fourteen
After the call to Rhonda’s captain, everything moved fast. Yancy had been placed under arrest, read his rights, and taken off to get his statement officially on record. With a little friendly warning from their masked C&M man to tell it straight or Yancy would end up with a lot more than just broken bones. Which was about the time Yancy wet himself. That had been disgusting.
Ro’s captain had agreed to the plan, reluctantly, Vincent had been glad to note. But he’d agreed. So the drug shipment was allowed through, with full surveillance and lots of video and photos taken of Moreau accepting the shipment, and paying off the driver. Basically, lots of evidence for the cops to do their thing once Moreau was arrested.
C&M handled all the surveillance, at the behest of the SFPD. Subcontracting at its best, mainly to keep the legalities flexible, but also because of the mole that may, or may not be in the police department. Since getting back to San Francisco they really hadn’t heard much about any leak. If there even was one. Vincent understood. The captain was playing everything close to the vest, likely in the hopes of making the mole complacent, and maybe revealing themselves.
Which only left the part Vincent was not happy about. Putting Rhonda in the same room with Moreau. Again.
He’d wanted to talk her out of it, over and over, but he’d resisted. She wouldn’t appreciate his overprotective urges. She was an independent woman after all, a trained officer of the law. But all that really didn’t matter when he was scared to death for her. He cared about her, and if he was going to be completely honest, he loved her.
Yeah, there was a kick to the gut. He loved Rhonda Delacour. Vincent hadn’t told her, couldn’t, not yet. She had to have her head in the game, to be aware and not distracted. So he kept it all to himself. Or so he thought.
“What the hell is going on, Vincent?”
Turning at the question, he saw Tamara standing in the doorway to his office.
“Nothing, what’s going on with you?” he asked. Okay, he was attempting a deflection, but damn it, he wasn’t ready for any deep and meaningful conversations. Least of all with Rhonda’s best friend.
With a snort the tall blonde who’d stolen his boss’s heart wandered closer. “That’s a lie. Dish, before I go and tell Rhonda some fib to get her in here with her gun drawn.”
She’d do it too. Narrowing his eyes, he huffed out a breath and went to shut the door. “All right, I’ll tell you, but you fucking can’t say a word until after the operation. If she knows ahead of time... Fuck, I need her to come out of this alive, Tamara.”
“Holy shit! You’re in love with her,” she whispered.
He was that easy to read, seriously? “How the hell did you guess that?”
“It’s all over your face. It explains why you’ve been twitchy, nervous and yet haven’t said no to anything she’s planned. Holy shit,” she said again. Then she grinned and threw her arms around his neck, squeezing tight. “You lucky bastard, you have yourself the second best woman out there as your own.”
Grunting, he hugged her back. “I’m guessing you’re the first on that list.”
“Of course.” Stepping back, Tamara flipped her hair over her shoulder and shot him a demure look for all of two seconds before dissolving into laughter. “You absolutely have to tell her though.”
“No, I can’t. Not until she’s done. I don’t want her thinking about it until after. Besides, hell, I barely convinced her to go out with me. If I drop this on her, she could damn well head for the hills.”
“Good point.” Tamara paced, tapping a finger to her chin. Spinning back around, she pinned him with a look, tilting her head slightly. Vincent suddenly had an understanding of what a bug might feel like under a microscope. “You need to take her somewhere classy, yet relaxed. Somewhere that has really good food, is more on the pricey end, but not too snobby. Somewhere you know the chef for example.”
Frowning, he shook his head. Then it hit him. “Carmelo’s,” he said. The restaurant that Mallory Trent’s fiancée, was head chef at. It was upscale and yet had a very homey feel to the place. The owner, David Carmichael, was actually a friend of his and Shawn’s, ever since they’d helped Mallory out of the jam she’d been in.
“Precisely.” Tamara clapped her hands and grinned. “She can dress comfortably, yet with a bit of pizzazz, and you both can eat what you like. I know she’s been there a couple of times, just because Mallory bribed her with chocolate, so she likes the place. Call Mal and let her know when you plan on bringing Ro in, have her do up a special menu of both of your favorite foods.”
Favorite foods. That was a nice touch. “Okay, I can do that.” He knew most everything there was to know about Rhonda. Well, most things. Not everything. Hell, he likely never would know everything about the woman. He wouldn’t mind trying though.
Then he had a thought. “Why are you being so helpful?”
Smiling, Tamara stepped in and put a hand on his chest, over his heart. “You love my best friend. I’ve thought so for a while now, but wasn’t really sure until just now. I know she’s got her own baggage, as I’m sure you do too. I also know that you are good for her. She smiles more with you around, relaxes more, seems more satisfied with life. But, and I only say this because she’s my best friend—” Tamara shot him a dark, deadly look, surprising the shit out of him. “You hurt her and I will make sure you suffer immeasurable amounts of agony for the rest of your life. Okay?”
“Okay,” he breathed. Holy mother of God, she could be downright scary.
Patting his chest, she turned for the door. “Oh, and Shawn needs to see you to finalize some things.”
“Right.” Swallowing hard, Vincent followed on her heels. He had to wonder though, did Shawn know about Tamara’s sadistic little streak? He’d have to ask. Later, much later, after many drinks.
Vincent shook his head. Apparently you never really knew about some people.
In Shawn’s office, he found Shawn, Ro, and Trent. With them was Adam, the guy they had in Moreau’s operation acting as a bounty hunter, and who would be the one to “catch” Ro. As well, there were two other C&M bodyguards, both ex-military, Michael and Sheila. Michael looked the personification of hardened warrior, big, strong, and without an expression on his face. Sheila, though, was the opposite. She looked more like a college student, always a bit rushed in appearance. Then again, appearances could be so very deceiving. Sheila used the assumptions people made based on her appearanc
e to her purposes, and did it well.
Shawn smiled at Tamara as she stepped close to him, pressing a kiss to her lips. His friend, and boss, said something to her that made her laugh and nod. A quick kiss of her own to his lips, and Tamara turned to leave the room. Not before throwing Vincent a warning look.
Fucking women were scary.
Once the door shut behind Tamara, Shawn got down to business. “All right, so with the approval of Rhonda’s captain we will be in control of this op. We have been authorized to hold anyone involved. Once they are detained, we call in the SFPD. Because of things going on in the department right now, it’s best we do it this way to avoid any potential issues.”
In other words, the captain still didn’t know the leak. Not good. Not good at all.
With a sigh, Vincent stood next to Ro’s chair, his hip bumping her shoulder lightly as he settled in. She glanced up with a smile before resting her head against his side.
“Rhonda is our bait,” Shawn said. “Plain and simple. She is also our one and only concern during this op. She will be armed, but because of how we need to set up appearances, she’ll be less than quick on the draw if it comes to that. Michael, I want you behind the scope. Vincent and Trent will be on the ground, close, but back far enough that there’s a time gap to worry about. Sheila, you and Trent will be playing parts in the open with Adam front and centre. Sorry, sweetie, but we need you to get your hooker on.”
Sheila let out a sigh. “Damn it, those stockings fucking itch, Shawn.”
“I know, but no one else can fit into that skirt and still make it look good,” he said.
Everyone chuckled at that, and the middle finger Sheila threw up in the air.
“Adam is primary, since he will be the closest to Rhonda. We’ll all be wired for sound, but nobody moves without the signal from either Adam or Rhonda. Nobody.”
Shawn was staring hard at him so Vincent gave a nod of understanding. He was in on the op because neither he nor Ro would have it any other way. But he was on a leash, and Shawn had just reminded him that they needed to get anything, and everything they could in order to nail Moreau to the proverbial stake.
“Okay folks, let’s get this insanity on the road. Adam, how long before you’re next check in?”
Adam pulled his sleeve back to reveal his watch, and said, “Fifteen minutes. He knows I’m on her trail, but he doesn’t know where, or how close I am.”
“Good,” Shawn said. “Call him in sixteen minutes. Not one second sooner, it’ll be good to start throwing him off balance now, even in this little way.”
Adam nodded and headed for the door. The others started out, talking low about this and that, anything but what was about to go down. Vincent and Ro stayed right where they were. Neither spoke. Neither moved. They just soaked in a moment of peace, together. Vincent knew Rhonda prayed for the same thing he did. That this wouldn’t be their last moment together.
Chapter Fifteen
Tied to a chair in the middle of the room, her head down, was the bitch that had escaped. Moreau didn’t know how, yet, but he would find that out as well. Looking to the man who had finally brought the bitch to heel, he gave an approving nod.
“I may have more work for you in the future. You have proven to be most competent, and I like that in my employees.”
“Always happy to help,” Adam said. “For a fee.”
Smiling tightly, Gabriel Moreau tipped his head in acknowledgement. Holding out his hand, he snapped his fingers, the weight of a bag soon on his arm. “Your bounty, as promised.”
Adam took the bag, hefted it, peered inside and then set it aside.
“You’re not going to count it?”
“It’s all there,” Adam said. “If it’s not...” He gave a lazy shrug that didn’t hide the lethal promise behind the words.
“Quite right,” Moreau laughed. “Yes, yes, I think you would be a fine addition to my business interests.”
“One thing at a time, Mr. Moreau,” Adam pointed out.
“You are absolutely correct.” Turning, he looked at the drooping head, the slouched form, and felt a quiver in his gut. Anticipation, of finally putting the bitch where she belonged. In the ground.
Normally, he wouldn’t sully his hands with such a thing. Deniability was a precious commodity in his world. For this one though, he would make an exception. She slipped away once because he wasn’t diligent. She wouldn’t slip away again, because he would ensure that he ended her life permanently. With his own two hands.
“Is she conscious?” he asked.
“Not at the moment.” Adam looked at his watch, tipping his head slightly. “She’s likely starting to come around. She was a little hellcat when I caught her, had to drug her or risk losing the family jewels.”
A laugh escaped Moreau, unexpected, and yet he didn’t mind. While he preferred being in complete control of everything around him, his emotions, his employees, and everything, a bit of spontaneity didn’t upset him. Especially amusement. “Tried to unman you, did she?”
“To say the least. That bitch has claws on her. I was expecting she’d fight, just didn’t know she’d fight so dirty. She decked me with that damned cast.”
Seeing Adam rub at his jaw, he narrowed his eyes, and caught the hint of bruising. She’d clipped him there obviously. “Well, fear not Adam, she will be duly reprimanded before I take my own annoyances out on her.”
“Whatever. I’m good with anything as long as she gets what she’s got coming.”
So he wasn’t squeamish about killing a woman. Interesting. “Out of curiosity’s sake, and for my own peace of mind, had I ordered you to remove her permanently, would you have? Hypothetically speaking, of course.”
“Of course,” Adam said. With a shrug he slid his thumbs into his front pockets. “Hypothetically speaking? Sure. It would have cost you more since, there would have been a bit more work involved after the fact.”
“True enough, and you are right. For something like that the fee would have been appropriately negotiated for adequate compensation. Hypothetically speaking,” he said.
A low moan of pain brought his attention to the bound woman.
“Sounds like she’s finally coming around,” Adam muttered. “I had to take into account she might be on pain meds, but without knowing what, it was still a crap shoot.”
“You did well, Adam. A man who handles the pressure of immediate decisions like that is a man I like having on my side.” Turning to his bodyguard, he told him to wait by the door and keep watch. His driver and other bodyguard outside would do the same for the approaches and egresses of the location. His man hesitated a moment, his eyes raking over Adam, before he gave a nod and moved off.
A good man that one, always looking out for his interests and safety, and yet still always aware of who paid him.
Rubbing his palms together for a moment, Gabriel Moreau watched as the woman, Rhonda according to one of his many informants, tried to lift her head. She didn’t get far, likely still too affected by the drugs. Undoing the buttons on his suit jacket, he carefully slid it off and folded it up. With a glance around, he found a clean spot, the chair that Adam had likely occupied while he waited, to hang the jacket over. Next off was his tie before he removed his cufflinks to roll up his sleeves.
He wouldn’t admit it to anyone he knew currently, but he quite missed being hands on. In his early days, fighting his way to a position of power, he’d been one who quite liked to hurt people. He’d been an enforcer, and an interrogator when necessary back in the day. He’d missed it.
Oh, he still got off watching others attend to the dirty work, but really there wasn’t anything more satisfying than feeling skin split under his own knuckles, or bones breaking for him. It was something that very few truly enjoyed enough to make their lives work. Too many went for the quick kill, a bullet to the head.
Truth be told, in some cases such things were needed. In other cases a full work over before snapping a neck with your own bare hand
s was required. More for a personal sense of fulfillment than anything else.
In Rhonda’s case, Gabriel was more than willing to lower himself back to that place he’d vaulted so far from over the years, just one more time. Cracking his knuckles, he eyed his rings. Wouldn’t do to have her DNA trapped in the little crevices. They would be beneficial in harming her, but he still needed to be mindful of getting caught by his own stupidity.
Humming under his breath, he slipped off the rings and stashed them in an inner pocket of his jacket. With a flick of his fingers, he loosened the top two buttons on his shirt as she let out a longer, heartier moan.
Time to get his party on the road. He would be reasonable, he would allow her time to come out of the drugged state more before demanding answers to his questions. If, or rather when, she failed to give him what he wanted, then he’d allow himself the pleasure of striking her.
A quick glance at Adam showed he lounged back against a crate, relaxed and yet vigilant. Definitely a man Gabriel wanted to keep around. Making a mental note to set up a meeting early next week, he turned his focus back to Rhonda.
She was struggling to raise her head. A curse slipped from her lips before her head fell again. Bored with all of it, Gabriel grabbed a large handful of hair and jerked her head back. She screeched, then let out a moan, her eyes squeezed tight.
“I’ve been looking everywhere for you, my dear. So nice to see you again.”
With a squinty look she peeked at him, then her eyes went wide, even as they watered in the dim lighting surrounding them. Her lips were moving, but no sound came out.
“Ah, we should get you a bit of water, I think. We do need you to be able to speak, and I’m guessing your mouth is full of cotton right now. Adam, do we have any water?” he asked.
“Of course, sir.” A bit of shuffling behind him before a water bottle, no cap, came into view.
Dangerous Lines Page 8
