“Can it be a sparkly holster?” she asked.
“NO.”
“You’re no fun.”
“Guns aren’t accessories. They are weapons that can take or protect a life. Respect them.”
Her lower lip quivered.
“I’m not yelling at you, Stella. I’m just giving you one more thing that could hurt you, and that terrifies me. If you shoot yourself, that’s on me.”
She took the magazine from his hand.
Then, she loaded the gun without him helping her. Then she unloaded it the same way she’d seen him do it.
“Photographic memory. I learn fast. I won’t shoot myself. I promise.”
He relaxed.
“Do you have guns all over?” she asked, looking around the room.
“Not all over. Mostly in places I am. In my office, in the kitchen, or here in the living room. At home, I don’t carry. I feel safe here.”
“I do too.”
She reached out and touched his long hair. “I like being at home with you.”
Oh, he felt the same.
“Want to get naked and teach me how to hold your gun?” she asked.
It made him happy that she was back in control.
“Will I be shooting off my gun? Or are you just going to handle it? One is a lot more fun for both of us. I’m an equal opportunity pervert.”
Stella got up and pulled him to his feet.
“Oh, you’re definitely going to discharge that gun—and if I’m lucky—a few times.”
He grinned. “Well, lead the way.”
“Is there a rule about putting your gun in my mouth?” Stella asked.
He stared at her.
“There’s a sentence I never thought to hear, and oddly, I am totally okay with that. Wait, we’re talking about my dick, right?” he asked.
Stella ran up the stairs, him right behind.
Yeah, now that was a dangerous weapon she wasn’t afraid to handle.
And she proved it.
Three times.
* * * H U N T E R * * *
Chartres Street
Evening
As he was getting dressed, Rogue was helping him prepare for what was coming. Luckily for them, Rogue had some tech that he used when he was casing a joint. He would go in wearing a camera, and he would have a way to relive the walk at a later time when he broke in.
Well, this might help them.
If Chesky Jensen did show up, he might have someone with him, and that might give them a heads up who to talk to next—if he got away.
IF.
Dakota was NOT going to let the man escape.
“What do you know about this river cruise?” Dakota asked as he continued to get ready. A part of him wanted to impress Sarah. They’d never really had a date.
This was as close as they were going to get—for now.
“I know that you don’t want to fall into the water. They are teeming with alligators, snakes, and all kinds of things you don’t want to tangle with as a living being.”
“Yuck. That’s my least favorite thing about New Orleans,” Dakota stated.
“Mine is the Voodoo, Santeria, and Black Magic.”
He stared at him.
“Pardon?”
“I’m kidding,” he teased. “Although, it’s all fun and games until someone has hexed you.”
He laughed.
“I’d worry about the wildlife,” Rogue offered.
Yeah, he would.
Dakota put the info in the back of his mind as he pulled on his suit jacket. He was wired for sound, and with his glasses in place, he was now going to be able to record what he saw.
“Do I look rich?” he asked.
Rogue stood back and looked at him. He was wearing a suit, and he looked like he could pass, but he was missing something.
Taking the pocket square out of his own pocket, he tucked it into his. It was silk, a pop of color, and it classed him up. Then he grabbed his tie from the dresser.
He made the intricate rich knot for the man.
“I’ve never seen that one before,” Dakota offered. “I’m a cowboy kind of guy.”
“My mother, as I’ve mentioned, is wealthy. I went to a private school and an Ivy League college.”
“Did you?” he asked.
“Surprised?” Rogue asked.
“Not that you’re intelligent. That’s clear with how you carry yourself, or that you’ve got money. You reeked of it when I first met you. I’m just shocked you went dark side.”
He laughed, not at all offended.
“I’m wealthy. I don’t need to work. I went to college to make my mother happy. I went dark side to make me happy. There’s a challenge in stealing a twenty-million-dollar painting, or killing some asshole who thinks he’s unstoppable.”
“You are freaking Robin Hood!”
“Shut up. I’ll take it from Sarah because I like her. You…not so much.”
Dakota didn’t buy that at all.
“I have a business degree. I couldn’t picture myself sitting in an office all day.”
“What does your mother think you do?” he asked, finishing up with some cologne.
“Real estate. It’s why I have homes I rent. It’s not for more money. I could buy pretty much anything I want. It’s to make sure she’s proud of me.”
“She should be,” he offered.
That caught him off guard.
“Why do you say that? I’m a bad guy.”
Dakota shared his thoughts. “I’ve begun seeing the gray,” he stated. “You’re not all bad. You just move through the shadows. I get it now. I don’t condone stealing a twenty-million-dollar painting for shits and giggles, but I get the rest.”
“The painting belonged to a Jewish family who lost it during Hitler’s march through Poland. I stole it and gave it back to them…Jesus Christ! I am Robin Hood.”
Dakota laughed his ass off.
“What the hell was I thinking?”
Dakota hugged him.
It caught the man off guard. “You’re not a bad guy. You’re a good guy trying to hide behind being bad. I don’t buy it.”
Rogue hugged him back.
It was true.
The same could be said about all of them. He’d heard about Zayn and his jobs too.
Rogue set him free.
“Let’s finish with tonight.”
“Works for me,” Dakota stated.
“It’ll be all about the attitude as you’re on that boat. They are going to be gambling, drinking, and being boisterous. You can’t be quiet and laid back as you’re watching them. You have to play the role.”
“I know what you mean. I can play loud-mouth.”
Rogue handed him the twenty grand in large bills. Dakota tucked them into his inner suit pocket.
He couldn’t lose that money.
It would suck.
“You will be fine. Can you play poker?” he asked.
Dakota patted his pocket. “I’ve played before. I’m not a Vegas gambler, but I can throw down with some poker-loving fools.”
“Good. If you start to win, brag. Talk about how you are going to use the money to off your wife. You and your side piece want to get married.”
“Uh, and if there’s a cop there?”
He laughed.
“Yeah, that won’t happen. You were given the invite by Charlotte, right?” he asked.
“Yeah, she handed me the address of the next launch and handled everything else.”
“Well, it’s likely cop-free. She likely supplies the booze on that crooked cruise. She probably gets a huge ass take from it, and she will double check it to make sure it’s all good.”
He was surprised.
“Really?”
“Oh, I’ve done my research on all of you. Day one, and I was digging.”
“And what did you find?”
“You and Sarah are above the law on just about everything. You have friends who are cops.”
“And no
w friends who aren’t. What’s your point?”
“I researched Charlotte, and she’s definitely not the woman I once had a relationship with. She’s more dark side than any of us.”
“Why did she put us on it if she knew I was once the law?” he asked.
He laughed. “Man, you are totally a cop. You have to lose that trust. Everyone in this town is working an angle. EVERYONE who is dirty is going to have a plan. There are more hired hitmen in New Orleans than anywhere.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, most people will sell their own mothers to do a job and get an easy twenty grand. No one really polices this town. Oh, we have cops and lots of them, but after Katrina, the lawlessness kicked in. It’s why I’m here.”
“You’re not a bad guy.”
He stared at him. “Now why the hell would you insult me like that when I’m your backup?”
He laughed.
“Anyway, Charlotte has her hands in everything in New Orleans. She’s running books, she’s helping fill that cruise, and she’s even killed a few people who she’d been asked to handle.”
“Jesus.”
“Yeah, so watch your back. She may look sweet, but clearly, she’s not.”
Rogue was glad to be off that train to chaos. He didn’t want someone just like him. He wanted someone less murderous and a whole lot purer.
Like Stella.
Like Sarah.
He didn’t want to slip into the darkness forever. Even Robin Hood needed some light.
“I’ll watch my back.” Then he stopped. “What about Zayn?” he asked. “What did you find?”
“He’s honorable, he’s deadly, and he’s not one to fuck with if you want to live. His jobs are notorious. He’s a heavy hitter in New Orleans. Let’s just say he’s likely as wealthy as me, and he earned it the old-fashioned way—killing.”
“Can we trust him?”
Rogue was curious.
“If I say no?”
“I’ll call BS. He’s a decent man. I can feel it in my gut,” Dakota offered.
“Yeah, he’s one of the good guys beneath it all. I’d trust him with my life, or my woman if I had one.”
That’s when they both heard footsteps.
When Dakota looked over, there was Sarah, but she didn’t look like herself.
Her hair was red, she was wearing a sinful lipstick, and the dress was so tight he could see all her curves.
“Holy shit! What happened to you?”
Rogue hit him.
“Are you kidding me? Did no one tell you how to treat a lady?” he asked. “Try again!”
“Holy shit! Let’s go have sex! I think Lady Luck is about to land in my lap.”
She moved toward him.
“Jesus, Sarah.”
“You like?” she asked, as she turned around. The slutty little number said mistress all over it.
“I don’t know about him, but I like it,” Rogue offered. “Oh look… my ring is on your finger. I call dibs on the pretty woman,” he said to rile Dakota up.
The man needed a push into marrying the girl, and he was taking that as his personal mission. Sarah…she reminded him of a kid sister. He’d never had one.
Now he did.
Sarah laughed. “Well, since you put it that way,” she offered, going to Rogue first and against his body. “Thank you for the credit card to do this. You’re a good man, Mr. Ravenscroft.”
Dakota lifted a brow. “You paid for this?”
“I didn’t want her to get hurt. If they smell cop, she’s dead. They’ll slice her throat in a heartbeat and toss her overboard. This was about protecting her. Besides, someone needs to spend my ill-gotten gains.”
She gave him a kiss.
“You’re a sweet man, Rogue. Thank you for having my back.”
“Always, Sarah. Always. If he doesn’t marry you…” he teased.
“Uh, no. that’s my Sarah. Under that wig, she’s mine and you’re not getting her.”
“Well, here’s the bad news,” she said. “It’s not a wig.”
Dakota looked at her.
“What do you mean?” Dakota asked, moving toward that lush, gorgeous colored hair.
“I wanted a change. When in Nawlins, mix it up. If someone who was working for Chesky saw me as a blonde, I had to make sure they didn’t recognize me. I’m hoping redheads have more fun.”
Dakota moved toward her, and his hand went around her waist and the other into that sinful hair.
He found her mouth with his, and in that moment, he’d never wanted anything more than her.
This was his epiphany.
He had to have her.
As he slowly set her mouth free, he stared into her eyes.
“I don’t care what color your hair is, baby. It’s you I fell in love with, and it’s you I’ll marry.”
Her heart skipped.
“You look sexy in glasses and with your hair slicked back, Dak. You look like some Italian tough guy.”
He laughed. “You look like my best fantasies from the age of sixteen through…now.”
She winked at him. “When trying to be a hussy, you really have to play it up.”
Then she changed her voice up, so she would sound like the typical gold digging slut—or what she thought one would sound like.
“Well, Johnny, we better get going. You got moolah to make, or I’m shacking up with some other dick,” she said, in her whiny voice.
Rogue raised his hand.
“Yeah, it’ll be him. Chicks dig Natives.”
Dakota sputtered.
“I’m going to shoot you and the only digging will be your grave.”
Sarah laughed. “Speaking of which, I couldn’t find a place for a gun in this dress. I’m going in without one.”
“They’ll take any guns at the dock,” he said. “You can’t take one in. Only the organizer can carry—to protect that much money.”
They were okay with that.
“We’d better get going,” Sarah said.
He agreed.
“Come on, Trixie.”
She stopped at Rogue and gave him a hug. “Again, thank you for everything.”
“He may be a slow mover, Sarah, but he loves you. You can see it in his eyes,” Rogue whispered to her. “Have faith. You’re a beautiful soul, inside and out.”
She smiled at him.
“It takes one to know one,” she offered in her Trixie voice.
It made him laugh.
“Good luck!” he said to them, as they reached the door. “You’ve got this. I’ll be watching your backs. Don’t get hurt.”
“Why Rogue Ravenscroft! I didn’t know you cared!”
Yeah, that was the irony.
Normally, he wouldn’t, but this new job had him all tangled up.
He was going soft.
And for the first time, Rogue didn’t care.
* * * H U N T E R * * *
In the car, Dakota buckled in. He started up the engine and was excited to be on his way.
“Are you live?” she asked, pointing at his glasses.
“No, not yet. I can turn them on when we get to the docking point.”
“Good.”
“Why?” he asked.
“I’m worried I’m going to blow this,” Sarah said.
“You won’t. You can keep practicing while I drive. I’ll let you try out your hussy on me.”
“Oh, will you?”
“The voice is hot.”
“Know what’s hotter?” she asked.
“What?” Dakota asked.
“When I give you a blowjob.”
He glanced over. “What? Here? Now?” he asked, as he was driving.
Sarah licked her ruby red lips.
“Jesus, I saw it in my head,” Dakota admitted, taking a peek at her breasts. They were full, showed off, and his dick twitched at the visual.
“Johnny, I want to get you so hot and bothered that you can’t think straight,” she said, flicking open the button on
his dress pants.
“Sarah.”
“Trixie,” she corrected.
Before he could say anything else, she had him out of his pants and was stroking him.
HARD.
“Oh God!” he muttered, as she tormented him with her hand. He could see gorgeous red nails moving up and down his throbbing flesh.
He wanted her.
“So, want some head, Johnny?” she asked.
“God! Yes, baby! Yes!”
He watched Sarah go down on him, and he couldn’t think. She was blowing him while he tried to keep them on the road. The wet sound of her mouth on his dick…
It was incredible.
“Trixie,” he muttered, trying to keep his eyes open. At the stoplight, he looked down and watched her work his rock-hard erection in and out of her mouth. All he saw was ruby lips, slick dick, and her devouring him.
“Jesus, I’m going to blow.”
She stopped. “Don’t cum, Johnny. Tonight, you get to unwrap me from this dress. There are some sexy surprises beneath.”
He lifted a brow.
“How sexy?”
“I’m bare as in smooth and ready.”
He swallowed.
The light turned green.
Cars honked.
Sarah went back to blowing him.
With what she said to him, there was no way he was going to not picture it.
“Honey,” he muttered, as her head bobbed up and down on his dick. “Killing me,” he said, heading down the deserted road to the location on the paper.
“Mmmmm hmmm,” she muttered as she kept going. To add to his torment, she used her hand. When she fondled him, he nearly came.
“Sarah, God! Please! I’m going to cum!”
She set him free, licking his dick like a lollipop.
“Is that hussy enough for you?” she asked, pulling down the mirror.
Dakota was watching the road.
Watching her reapply lipstick.
Watching his dick.
“Yes, yes, that was pretty high up there on the huss-o-meter.”
She laughed.
“Uh, you’re going to leave me like this?” he asked, pointing down.
“Of course not.”
Sarah lovingly tucked him back into his boxers and zipped him up.
Atonement: The Hunter Mercenary Series (Book One) Page 36
