by Mia Dymond
It was Liv’s turn to shrug. “Somewhere in this sea of black suits.”
“Has he seen you?”
“I’m sure,” Liv drawled. “The man never seems to let me out of his sight. Why?”
“Oh, Liv.” Carley giggled. “You look absolutely stunning. If Thunder saw you, he wouldn’t leave your side all evening.”
Liv pressed a kiss to her cheek and then gave her shoulder a squeeze. “You’re sweet – and in love. Captain Raines is in soldier mode. We’ll be lucky if he even acknowledges us tonight.”
Liv’s observation didn’t surprise her. In fact, she probably had love written in big, bold, capital letters right across her forehead. Sergeant Ace Moore held her heart in the palm of his hand and it felt really, really good. Still, she wasn’t too blind to see that Thunder and Liv had some pretty potent chemistry between them. Especially since he currently marched toward them with a very determined stare.
“Speak of the devil,” she mumbled.
Liv simply laughed. “He’s obviously on a mission.”
Thunder came to an abrupt stop beside Liv. After an obvious five-second pause and an attempt not to glue his gaze to Liv, he finally spoke.
“Remington’s here. Make sure neither of you end up alone with him.”
Carley quickly agreed. “I won’t. I’ve got too many other things to keep me busy.”
“Don’t worry, Thunder.” Liv smirked. “He avoids me like the plague.”
Carley stole a quick glance at a nearby food table and then squeezed Liv’s forearm. “It looks like we need some more serving spoons. I’m going to the kitchen. You two have fun.”
Carley quickly made her way to the kitchen, secretly hoping she might accidently run into Ace somewhere along the way. The last time she saw him, he stood in the doorway of the ballroom while his body taunted her with its delectable physique. Dressed to the nines in a black tuxedo, he epitomized the suave, debonair gentleman. But she also knew from personal experience it had absolutely nothing to do with the clothing. No, even dressed in jeans and a simple black t-shirt he represented all things sinful – ooey, gooey, chocolatey delightful.
With a self-satisfying grin she pushed open the double doors that led to the kitchen, both shocked and pleased to see Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Decadent standing just inside. Braced on one hip against a long counter, he stood with his arms crossed across his wide chest while a sexy smirk split his lips.
“Where’s the fire?”
She bit her tongue to keep from admitting that since running into him her whole body was currently a raging inferno.
“No fire. I’m just making my rounds.”
“Chef Arturio is in rare form. I attempted to sample a chocolate-covered strawberry and he just about took my finger off with a cleaver.”
“He’s very territorial.” She giggled. “You’re better off out front with me.”
He pulled her back against him, wrapped both hands around her waist, and then leaned down to rest his chin on top of her head. “Let’s go back to the closet.”
“That didn’t exactly work out so well last time.”
His low chuckle caused a delightful quiver in her stomach. “No rats here. I guarantee it.”
“Although your idea sounds enticing, I need to make sure this party goes as planned.”
“It will. We’ve got security all over the place.”
“Thunder warned me that Christopher is here.”
His fingers pressed tighter against the muscles at her waist. “Do you have your phone?”
“Always.”
He released his hold and then turned her to face him. “Where?”
“Want to play hide and seek?”
“We’re in public,” he groaned. “Promise you have it?”
“Promise.”
She glanced down the front of her dress where the small, flat object lay squeezed by an inside strap attached to the tight bodice and then smirked as she looked back up at him.
“My uniform has been modified.”
“Your uniform is extremely sexy.”
“Glad you approve.”
“You have my definite seal of approval.” He leaned forward and placed a brief, soft kiss against her lips. “I’ll check back with you in an hour or so.”
Her hormones threw a major temper tantrum when he released her and strolled out of the kitchen and she fought herself from going after him to take him up on his let’s-go-to-the-closet offer. His touch alone muddled her brain; taking a short break probably wouldn’t upset her routine enough to make much of a difference. Yet, the thought of spoons seemed to push her spontaneity back into its hiding place. She released a hard sigh and headed for the pantry. Maybe she and Ace could play later, after the main course.
“Everything looks amazing, Chef,” she said as she passed the food preparation area.
He gave her a quick nod as he spewed orders over steaming vegetables. Much to her relief, the man was an artist in the kitchen and a pro at multitasking. He commanded his kitchen like a trained army and she attributed much of her success to his talent.
Around the corner and away from the hustle and bustle of the kitchen, she reached for the knob, opened a closet-sized pantry, flipped on the light switch, and stepped inside. Just as she reached for a set of gold serving spoons on a shelf not too far out of her reach, she nearly jumped out of her skin when something touched the small of her back and a voice whispered in her ear.
“Hey, Carley. Great party.”
She spun around to find Christopher standing behind her. “Christopher! You scared me to death. What are you doing back here?”
“Looking for you. I asked one of your waiters and he said he saw you head this way.”
How odd.
Uneasiness caused her stomach to dip. “Why are you looking for me?”
“I wanted to discuss the vote.”
“Now? I’m really busy. Can we discuss it later?”
“You’ve avoided me all evening. It won’t take long, I promise.”
“Fine,” she relented. “Talk fast.”
“I think I know who’s behind your sabotage.”
His admission stopped her dead in her tracks. “What are you talking about?”
“The finger, the scorpions, the rats. I think I know who planted them.”
“Who?”
Focused on Christopher’s facial expression, she waited impatiently to hear what Ace had most likely told her all along. Yet, when the response was issued Christopher’s lips did not move.
“I am responsible.”
She frowned at the voice that spoke over her shoulder and quickly turned to see who stood there. And, once she laid eyes on the man she still had no idea who had just confessed to causing her a major headache. He stood tall – everyone was tall by her standards – probably over six feet, with a naturally dark tint to his skin. Dressed in a dark grey suit that she guessed was Italian, and matching leather shoes, the man obviously held himself to high standards. Yet, she didn’t recognize him. In fact, her next question was spoken out of courtesy.
“Excuse me for asking, but do I know you?”
“No.”
He suddenly invaded her personal space and her skin crawled as he placed his hand on the bare skin of her back. She attempted to step away from his touch but he quickly closed his free hand around her wrist.
“Do not make any noise or bring attention to us. All three of us are going to quietly walk out the back door and disappear just like we were never here.”
“You’re crazy. I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“Wait!”
At the sound of Christopher’s outburst she moved her gaze to Christopher, glad that he finally found his tongue.
“What are you doing?” he insisted.
“It would be in your best interest to simply follow instructions,” the man replied, both answering and ignoring Christopher. “And if you don’t, I’ll begin to eliminate witnesses one by one. I can start with the kitchen staff and
then move on to guests in the dining room.”
“I demand an explanation!” Christopher’s face reddened and she wasn’t so sure he wouldn’t pass out from a heart attack in the next few seconds.
“You will not demand anything, Mr. Remington.”
The icy cold chill in the man’s voice caused goosebumps to gather on her skin. Although she certainly didn’t feel it, Carley forced her boldness. “You’re willing to risk your life? With all the security in this place, you’ll never make it out alive.”
“Possibly.” The man shrugged as if bored with the whole explanation. “But before they stop me, someone you love will die. Can you live with yourself after causing a death?”
Carley relented. Of course she couldn’t live with that. She would do whatever he wanted to keep her family, friends, and staff safe. She released a hard breath, totally livid that she had to give in, shoved Christopher with one hand, and then headed for the back door.
***
Ace discreetly shifted his mother of all hard-ons before he headed back through the dining area, more than ready to ditch this party and take Carley home. Although he definitely appreciated how her dress squeezed her body like a python, granting him a lip-licking view of her breasts in the process, having her stark naked while she writhed beneath him in the throes of hot, heavy, sweaty sex sounded much more appetizing. Well, stark naked except for those sexy black heels that wrapped her feet. A wide smile split his lips. He might have possibly found a spontaneous activity she would agree to.
He left the ballroom and ventured into the hallway, satisfied when assigned security guards nodded from the entrance to the building. Much to his relief, the evening had proceeded as planned without uninvited guests or reported interruptions - the less time he spent on trouble, the more time he could spend on Carley.
He stepped next to one of the gatekeepers and extended a hand. “Do you have Christopher Remington on the guest list?”
“Yes.” The other man returned his handshake. “He arrived approximately forty-five minutes ago. Captain Raines said he would alert Miss Kensworth.”
Ace nodded. “We’ll keep an eye on him.”
Convinced everything was in place, he turned and walked back into the ballroom. Another unintentional smirk moved his mouth as he joined his teammates and Carley’s friends in front of the champagne fountain.
Liv gave him a smile that insinuated she knew exactly what he’d been thinking. “Where’s Carley?”
“In the kitchen.”
“Are you sure?” Liv turned toward the kitchen and then back at the group. “She only went after spoons.”
Kat nodded. “It’s not like her to stay away from the guests.” She smirked. “Unless she’s occupied.”
The hair stood on the back of his neck while a chill froze his nerves. He scanned the entire room. She was nowhere in sight.
“We were only in there together five minutes tops.”
Sophie cleared her throat. “There must be a problem.”
Desperation caused him to hold hope. “Someone check the ladies room.”
“We’ll all go.” Liv squeezed his shoulder. “Let’s not panic yet.”
As soon as the women left the area Thunder spewed his analysis, obviously ignoring Liv’s advice. “There are only two quick exits out of this place. Chaos, check the door in the hallway. Rebel, secure every inch of this room. Ace and I will take the kitchen.”
Acid burnt his gut as Ace triple-timed it back to the kitchen and chastised himself the whole way. He never should have left her; he should have kept her within eyeshot at all times. Left hand up, right hand ready to grab his weapon, and pissed off to no end, he shoved open the double doors. The place buzzed like an angry beehive. Cooks slung pots and pans, assistants placed dishes onto trays, and the serving staff practically ran toward the dining room with platters full of food. There was just one thing wrong with this picture; Carley was absent.
Ace stopped the first server he saw. “Where’s Carley?”
“I don’t know, Sir.” The other man shrugged. “She was here about thirty minutes ago. I’ve been in and out since then.”
“Was she still in the kitchen when you left the area?”
“Yes.” He nodded several times in succession to emphasize his point. “We ran out of serving spoons. She was in the pantry looking for more.”
“Did you see her leave?”
“No, Sir.”
“Was she alone?”
“Yes.” The other man frowned. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. Just checking. Let me know if you remember anything else.”
Ace continued to scan the kitchen and even though his gut told him she was gone, his heart wouldn’t accept it. He pulled out his cell from his pocket, his hand shaking as he called hers. He fought the urge to punch something when her voicemail answered. She never turned off her phone and he was convinced she wouldn’t have willingly left without him. He looked once again at the back door, equipped with an alarm designed to scream when opened. Unless they missed her exit from the dining room, how did she escape the alarm? He approached the door and pulled the knob toward him to assure it was secure. Then, ignoring the possibility that the alarm would wake the dead, he pushed open the door.
No screaming sirens or warning of any kind; a deafening silence filled the atmosphere.
Dammittohell.
He glanced at a gray box screwed to the wall just outside the door. Jagged, multi-colored wires swayed in the gentle evening wind.
“Captain,” he said over one shoulder, “the trip wires were cut.”
Thunder stepped around him and outside the building. “Man down.”
Ace peered through the open doorway where the captain now squatted next to a bodyguard lying in a pile on the cement. “Is he alive?”
“Yeah,” Thunder grunted, “but out like a light.”
He turned his gaze back to the kitchen staff, now quiet and seemingly frozen by Thunder’s revelation. Rebel burst through the double doors. He didn’t even have to ask; Rebel hadn’t found her either. And, he knew the answer to his next question before it fell from his mouth.
“Is Remington AWOL?”
Rebel nodded.
“They’re together.”
“Call for back-up.” Thunder stood. “This guy needs a medic.”
Rebel left the kitchen and seconds later, two suits rushed to the scene. Thunder gestured with his head at the dining room and Ace turned and led the way.
Once they arrived back at the champagne fountain where all three women stood – still minus Carley – he knew his conclusion had been correct. Carley was not inside this building.
Thunder spoke low and moved his gaze over each of their group. “Do not alert anyone or we’ll have a helluva riot. Very quietly, leave the table one by one and meet me in the hallway.”
Ace practiced great self-discipline to keep from covering the distance at a full sprint, annoyed by the captain’s cool, calm demeanor for the first time ever. All he could focus on was the fact that the quicker he made it to his truck, the quicker he would have his sniper’s rifle in hand. The problem with that logic however, was that he couldn’t take out a target he didn’t have in the crosshairs.
He released a hard breath and willed himself to wake from this nightmare as he watched Rebel exit the front door and re-enter a minute or so later with his laptop in hand. Sheer, white terror threatened to strangle him. This was no nightmare; things just got real. He arrived last, still desperate for action.
“I’m so scared.” Kat laid a cool hand on his forearm while she rested her phone against her chin. “She’s still doesn’t answer her phone.”
He ran a hand over the top of his head, wishing like hell he could say something to reassure her. He stole a quick glance at Chaos, who simply shook his head.
All he could do was utter the truth. “My call went to voicemail.”
Rebel squatted in front of his laptop. “I’ll see if I can track the GPS on her pho
ne. Are you sure she has it?”
Sophie bent beside him. “She always keeps her phone close. Unless it was taken away from her, she has it.”
Liv snorted. “It would have had to be pried out of her fingers.”
Rebel’s fingers quickly clicked keys and then he frowned. “No signal which means her phone is turned off. I’ll sync my phone and if it comes back on, I’ll have her.” He continued to type. “In the meantime, I’m going to hack into the security system tapes and see who’s got her.”
Ace shifted his weight from one side to the other, way past the point of patient. Whoever disappeared with Carley had better be ready for firefight.
“Holy hell.”
He narrowed his gaze onto Rebel, the look in his teammate’s eyes one of pure murder. “What?”
“Miguel Ortega.”
A cold sweat crawled across his forehead. Miguel Ortega, an underboss in the Montez family had been presumed dead when Alpha Four had stormed their compound three years ago and had taken their own brand of vengeance on the organization. Unfortunately for the crime family, they’d opted to murder someone very close to Chaos and in the Alpha Four handbook that act alone warranted total destruction.
“Ortega? How?”
“Obviously, he survived the blast.”
“Why is he here?”
“Sonuvabitch,” Rebel muttered. “He’s Remington’s top investor.”
Ace swallowed a softball-sized lump in his throat. How had he missed Ortega’s involvement? Better yet, was his conclusion correct that Remington was somehow involved? He released a muffled curse. None of that really mattered at the moment. The only thing that concerned him at present was finding Carley.
“Get your head in the game, Ace.”
He silently stared at the captain, desperately working past the pain and panic that gnawed his nerves. Thunder held his stare for several seconds and then turned back to Rebel.
“Send the image to my phone and you and I will work on a lead.” He glanced back at Ace. “You and Chaos head to the port. Make sure you’re locked and loaded and ready to rendezvous when I contact you.”
He, Rebel, and Chaos nodded in agreement, ready for action when Liv cleared her throat.
