Stakeout

by Karen Raines

  With a kickass wife, I remind myself as she expertly captures everyone’s attention, even the bimbos with her incessant babbling. God, she’s good. I catch her eye as she exchanges air kisses with a woman that will never need a life preserver, smirking at the amused twinkle in her eye. She’s clearly having fun.

  “So, tell me,” Colm gestures to the swanky deck furniture and takes a seat for himself. “What line of work are you in Charlie?”

  “I’m a photographer.” I give a nod to the scantily clad server and take a cool beer from the tray as she passes. It’s refreshing and just what I need to calm the irritated nerves that are plaguing me. Why this situation is sending up red flags, I have no clue. I just know that the sooner I get some intel from this man and get Bri and I off this boat, the better I’m going to feel.

  “Anything I might have seen?”

  I take a seat and cross one leg casually over the other. “Mostly magazines.”

  “Oh my gosh, don’t be so modest Charlie baby.” Bri practically shimmies her way over and drops into my lap. “He’s amazing. He does photoshoots for stars and everything. Just last month he did that ‘Bared Soul’ shoot with Beyoncé and her backup dancers. It was incredible.”

  The girls around us gasp and creep closer, slinging questions at Bri. It would seem she picked the best part of my cover story to throw at them because Colm waggles his eyebrows and leans forward. “You lucky bastard. I saw that shoot, those bitches looked fit to be fucked.”

  “They were great to work with, very professional,” I nod.

  “Who gives a shit, as long as they spread their legs,” he chuckled, reaching for the redhead nearest him and roughly grabbing her ass. The girl winced but hid it with a giggle. “Isn’t that right?”

  “Ahh,” I laugh, dropping a hand to Bri’s naked thigh and making a show of running it up and under the flimsy cover-up. “Not for me. I’ve got everything I need right here.”

  He smiles and offers a little wink, one that tells me in no uncertain terms that he doesn’t believe any red-blooded man would turn down a free ride. The boat was just pulling away from the dock by this point and one of the girls had found the sound system and was pulling a few of the others out onto the deck to dance.

  “What about you Colm?”

  “Ah well now, I dabble in a lot of things.”

  He clicks his fingers and a couple of the servers from earlier step up from the galley with trays of fruit and platters of cheese and crackers. Our glasses are refilled and suddenly the conversation has moved onto far less invasive topics like sports. Because that’s going to help our intel.

  He is a slippery bugger, I have to give him that. He has this uncanny ability to switch up the conversation whenever I think I have the direction stacked in my favor. If I didn’t know better, I would swear the man knew I was looking for a hook. It was crazy. I can sense Bri’s getting antsy too. You can only smile like a dimwit for so long before your face starts to ache.

  “Baby, why don’t you dance for a while? I’m gonna use the john and take a tour of this sweet boat.”

  She squeals and launches an attack on my lips. I grab her ass and slip my fingers under the string that posed as a bathing suit. Her hair covers our faces while I nudge her face around. “I’m rethinking this fucking suit. If anyone touches you, make sure you drop the fucker on his ass.”

  She nibbles on her bottom lip and slides her fingers down my chest until they rest just above my very interested friend. “What if it’s one of the girls that touches me?”

  I groan. She will be the death of me. She jumps up and gives a girly holler as she joins a few of the ladies on the deck.

  “Come on, I’ll show you the rest of this boat.”

  It’s palatial for sure. He explains the layout, explaining that there are three decks hosting a full-size kitchen, dining area, four large bedrooms and servant quarters on the lower decks. It isn’t huge by Rockstar standards, but I have an inkling that’s more to do with blending in than affordability. He sweeps past his office and the main bedroom, the only two rooms that I notice have closed doors. I need to get into those rooms but without being detected.

  “I am definitely going to need to use the bathroom Colm,” I laugh, giving my stomach a pat.

  He grins and points across the hallway. “Use mine, I’m just gonna check a few things while you’re occupied.”

  The second the door is closed and locked, I pull out my phone and dial Marcus. “What can you see?”

  “Well hello to you too sugar tits. I’ve put the camera trained on the bathroom door to a continuous loop, audio too. I would think that would deserve a thank you.”

  “Nice job, you’re the best. Now, I need to get into those rooms across the hall without the sensors detecting me…”

  “Already way ahead of you. Now listen very carefully…”

  Several minutes later I leave the bathroom and stand in the hallway. “Colm, where you at man?”

  Grunting comes from the bedroom, followed by a loud moan. “In here.”

  I know this isn’t going to be pretty, Marcus has already warned me. I open the bedroom door and am treated to the spectacular sight of a nearly naked Colm lying on a bed, Bimbo number one making a meal of his cock while bimbo number two made a meal of bimbo number one.

  “Shit, sorry Colm,” I turn and nearly run from the room but just as we suspected, he stops me.

  “It’s fine. I have more than enough here to keep me occupied. If you want to borrow one, it’s all good.”

  He slaps the ass of bimbo number two who bolts from the bed at record speed.

  “She’s dumb as fuck Charlie, but she’s got a mouth like a hoover.” Colm laughs as he grabs the woman still attached to his cock and rams her head further down into his crotch.

  Bimbo number two has an unbelievable figure, one that I have no doubt she paid for. Or maybe Colm paid for it. I ponder whether he’s paid for all of these ladies’ enhancements as she slinks towards me, a coy look on her face.

  Maybe it was part of a training program, or better yet, an induction program to be on his crew? Yeah, I think as she drops to her knees in front of me and runs her hands up my thighs, higher still until she finds the mother of all flaccid dicks.

  Yup, not even a twitch. Maybe he’s broken, I wonder as she ghosts her lips over my crotch through my swim shorts. I sigh, bored with the show and knowing that it really doesn’t matter what this woman tries, she isn’t going to get a rise out of me. I back away and shoot an apologetic look at our host.

  “Man, I’m sorry. It’s tempting, but I gotta say no.”

  Bimbo two pouts at my feet and looks longingly at my huge yet soft cock (even asleep my boy has game). I offer her a hand and guide her back to the bed. Colm appraises me, a small frown on his face before he shrugs and slaps at the sheet beside him. She quickly dives back on and resumes her meal.

  “You go on back to that bombshell, I’ll be up in a few,” he winks.

  I tip my imaginary hat in the doorway and leave the room, sealing the door shut behind me. My phone pings in my pocket and I make a grab for it. “Talk to me.”

  “Are we gonna talk about the fact you just turned down a blowjob from a stacked blonde?”

  “Nope. Is it clear?”

  “Fucker, yes it’s clear. Just make sure you double back for me afterwards, so I can fix the cameras.”

  “No problem.”

  “And Colby?”

  “Yeah?”

  “We are so gonna talk about this.”

  The call drops, and I chuckle to myself imaging how frustrated he’ll be. The door to Colm’s office opens silently and inside I find the room to be everything you would expect from an aging lothario who most likely hasn’t done an honest day’s work in his life. I scope out the bookcase and walls, hoping he has his guard down enough to get sloppy. No such luck.

  His desk is grand with several locked drawers that would be easy enough to jimmy open but it all seems a little too obvious. Colm
doesn’t strike me as the obvious sort. I feel under the desk and smile when I find a latch. It pulls easily, and a hidden drawer slides open.

  There isn’t much in it, a few passports, visa cards and driving licenses in various names. On closer inspection, I notice they all have the same man on them, Colm himself. I fire off some snaps to Marcus and stow them away. There is nothing else here. It feels like a waste of our time, but my gut is telling me this guy is important.

  Before long I’m back up top, enjoying a lap dance from Bri and knocking back another ice-cold beer. Colm ventured upstairs eventually and finally, I’m beginning to relax a little. Or at least I was until my phone vibrates with a message.

  I slide it out and tap the screen, my eyes roving over the words. Disbelief is my first thought, but that’s soon replaced with a feeling of dread.

  “Oh hey, your sister is thinking of coming out to the island to spend some time with us baby.”

  “Really?” Bri’s head cocks to the side, her shrewd mind working overtime, no doubt.

  “Isn’t that a bit unfortunate? This is your honeymoon after all,” Colm laughs.

  “Ah well, we’re pretty close,” Bri shrugs.

  I let her carry the talk, not sure whether to dive over the boat with her and take our chances in the ocean or wait it out and hope to fucking god I manage to keep my cool. There isn’t much that rattles me in life, not much that would make me snap. But one thing that would do it, would be to meet the sperm donor father that beat the shit out of Briella’s mother on a daily basis and left them in debt and poverty, never to be seen again.

  And the fucker is sitting right in front of me.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Briella

  Something’s going on and I really wish this boat would head back to the dock so I can get some answers. Colby seemed fine after he went for the tour and came back to the top deck by himself. It had to have been whoever messaged his phone a short while ago. He’s been tense ever since, and he won’t let me out of his sight.

  After another dance with the girls with all the guys ogling us, I make my way back to Colby and straddle his lap. I use my hair as a shield and pretend to be macking on my sugar daddy.

  “What’s going on?”

  “We need to get ourselves off this boat as soon as possible.” His hands go to my bare ass cheeks. “Why the fuck did you take your cover-up off?”

  “Don’t worry, nobody has touched me. I’m playing the game.” He maneuvers me so I’m sitting with my back to his chest. Slowly he moves the hair off my neck and kisses the sensitive flesh that’s been revealed.

  “I don’t like anyone seeing what’s mine.”

  A shiver races up my spine at his territorial remark.

  “I can’t say a lot right now, but we’re in danger and we need to get off this boat before they realize who we are.”

  “Any ideas?” I reach my hand up and run it through his hair, we’re playing the part of happy newlyweds after all.

  “I figured my darling wife could pull her weight in this op.”

  My finger pinches his ear and I hear him growl from the pain. “Your darling wife has been shaking her money maker while disgusting men watch her. I feel like a fucking stripper, not a PI. So please, tell me how I need to pull my weight again?”

  We stay like that for a moment before an idea implants itself in my brain. I jump off Colby’s lap and make a run for the side of the boat before bending over and heaving.

  “Oh goddddddd!” I lurch again… and again… and again. “Make it stopppppp!”

  I feel a hand on my back and fabric on my bare ass. “Aw baby, are you okay?”

  “Kill me, kill me now!” Cue some more lurching and Colby’s sympathetic one-liners after he realizes I’m putting on a show.

  “Is there a problem?” A deep voice booms from behind us.

  “Sorry Colm, the missus seems to be a little sea sick.”

  I pull myself upright and make a show of wiping my mouth. Then I turn towards the now empty top deck. Guess we have a boat full of pussies that can’t stand to hear a little puke sesh.

  “I’m so sorry to hear that. Would you like me to take you back to my room, so you can lay down?” Something tells me he has more in mind than letting me take a cat nap in his bed. If Colby’s fingers painfully digging into my hip is any indication, I’d say he’s drawn the same conclusion.

  Think Bri, think.

  “That’s a nice offer Colm, but I know what’s wrong with me. This isn’t the right time to announce it but…” I look lovingly at Colby. “I’m pregnant!” My acting skills are on point. At least that’s what I keep telling myself. “We’re having a baby!”

  A moment of sheer panic flashes through Colby’s face and I lean up on the tips of my toes to kiss his cheek. Did he think I was being serious? It almost makes me bust a gut laughing.

  “No way sugar puss!” He picks me up and twirls me around before pulling me towards him and plants the whopper of all kisses on my lips.

  “Put me down.” I run for the side of the boat again and proceed to convulse as I fake puke my guts up.

  “I hate to ask, but is there any way you can take us back to shore? If she’s pregnant the boat might be setting this off for her.” I hear Colby talking to Colm.

  “Of course.” He calls someone and tells them to head back. “I’m so sorry this wasn’t a better experience for the two of you. I had high hopes of getting to know you better on this little voyage.”

  I choose that moment to release a severely dramatic war cry and hear feet scurrying away. There’s a smack to my ass that has me ready to kill but I’m only met with Colby’s smiling eyes after whirling around.

  “Did you think Colm was trying to cop a feel Shnookums?” He laughs.

  “Shut the hell up. Am I not the one who has us moments away from dry land? You should be bowing down at my feet right now.”

  “Oh Bri, I’ll be bowing down. All. Night. Long.”

  “Not now baby daddy. I’m supposed to be playing the frail pregnant woman not the horny housewife.”

  “Fuck, you’re right.” I look down and see his obvious arousal through his swim shorts. My hand has a mind of its own as it traces the impressive outline of his dick as I lick my lips.

  “You better stop that right now Bri, this isn’t the time or place. Damn, if I knew you were this insatiable we could have given this a shot a long time ago.”

  And just like that, it’s like ice cold water’s been poured on my libido. He’s still on the friends with benefits thing and I seriously need to get on board. My lady parts are without a doubt down for all the benefits. Lots of fucking benefits. But this little playing house situation is seriously messing with my brain.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “Nothing. Let’s head towards the back for a quick exit when we get to shore. I don’t want to miss our opportunity to get off. Then you can explain what the hell you found out earlier.”

  He looks at me like he’s debating something in his head. “If you’re thinking of keeping something from me Maitland think again. This is my case, you tell me everything.”

  “Okay.” He says with a nod of his head.

  Once we get off the boat, we stand waving to all the assholes leaving for the open waters.

  “Next time we get together, we’ll do it on dry land.” Colm yells with his arms around two members of the bimbo posse. His hand slips down and squeezes one of their big fake tits.

  “What a douchebag. Who the hell does that?”

  “Fuck that shit, let’s go. You have no idea how big a douchebag he is…” Colby guides me off the dock and we make our walk back to the hut.

  I have my bag tightly clutched under my arm extremely thankful I didn’t have to use my trusty Glock. We don’t say a word our whole way back and when we get to the front door I breathe a sigh of relief that everything’s okay. Now we can take our intel, call Marcus and figure out our next course of action.

  We’ve also h
ad an entire day of missed observation on Nadia. Looks like I have a night full of surveillance to go over and I swear, if she fucks one more guy while she’s here I’m going to need hearing aids before we leave this island. I’ll also be forced to suggest a gynecologist to get her shit checked for STD’s in the name of woman hood, something I’d like to avoid at all cost. Sometimes the saying less is more is spot on… especially for how many sexual partners you have in one day.

  I turn the door knob and walk through ready to start my inquisition. “Okay Colby, spill!”

  When I look over at him I find him staring off at the corner before quickly grabbing his gun from the waistband of his pants and aiming it towards the other side of the room. My eyes follow his gaze and I quickly grab my gun and aim it at the target… which is currently unknown.

  “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Colby yells.

  Finally, a dark silhouette gets up from the chair in the corner. I wish I could see his face. After getting up whoever it is slowly walks into the light.

  Fuck, it’s Calvin.

  “Explain yourself or I’ll shoot!” I yell.

  “Now why would you want to do that Briella?” Why the hell does this guy know my name? Luckily, I don’t have to wait long to find out. “Is that anyway to greet your uncle?”

  A breath expels from my lungs as the puzzle pieces work themselves together. It can’t be…

  “Uncle Keith?”

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Colby

  You could have heard a pin drop. Briella stares in shock at the intruder. The intruder stares at her with knowing eyes, and me? My head flicks back and forth between them like a cartoon character. When I had the text from Skylar dropping the bomb on me that Colm is in fact Briella’s dad, it didn’t occur to me that would mean the man we’d watch bone like a pornstar was her uncle. I hope to god she doesn’t make that connection in her head right now, I’m grossed out enough for the both of us.