Jake ran his hand over Angela's long, black hair, stroking it away from her flushed cheek. He'd seen other women with hair as long. Her hair tickled his chest and was thick and silky. It was a nice contrast against her creamy white skin. He'd been with many women who were a lot tanner than Angela, women who dedicated time daily to ensuring their tan remained dark and their skin healthy. Jake doubted Angela gave a lot of thought to how dark or light her skin tone was. He'd been with women who'd had breast implants and with women who barely had breasts. Angela's full, round breasts were natural and her nipples large. They were perfect and again he would be surprised if she worried about their size or shape.
When his hand was no longer in her shorts, Angela slid off him and let her legs fall off the side of the bed. She sat on the edge, hunched over, and dragged her fingers into her tangled mane.
"I didn't ask for this." Her voice was raspy, as if she was out of breath.
"Ask for what?" Jake combed her hair with his fingers and she arched her back, tilting her head so she stared at the ceiling.
She gave him a hard look over her shoulder. "I didn't ask to come."
He grinned. "Consider it a gift."
She sighed, shaking her head, and stood, gathering her hair at her nape and pulling it free of his hand.
"I'm going to take a shower. Jack off if you want, but I'm not going to watch you do it. When I get out, we'll order food and I'll play back what the surveillance equipment has recorded so far." She walked away from him as she spoke and didn't look over her shoulder as she shut herself in the bathroom.
Like hell he would jack off. Whether she asked for it or not, Angela hadn't told him no. She didn't hold back and didn't get angry with him for what he'd done. Jake knew a sated expression when he saw it. Maybe he'd been a male slut for too many years, but those years had taught him a thing or two about women. Angela wasn't a manipulator or a schemer. She wasn't a player, and although he believed she was damn good at acting and handling undercover work, that didn't make her an expert as a sexual prima donna.
Jake stared at the closed bathroom door as a grin played at his mouth. Angela meant something to him. He hadn't understood what until now. She thought keeping him in a state of yearning, of wanting her and not having her, would keep him in line. If the little lady believed she could maintain control of him through sex, she'd definitely bitten off more than she would be able to chew.
Jake stared at the table with the small black box and manual next to it. Angela had top-of-the-line equipment. She'd already planted bugs inside Mandela's house, one of the most notorious and elusive criminals in this country. Working with Angela would be more than fun. "You're a challenge," Jake whispered, and realized why she intrigued him as much as she did.
Angela wasn't boring. She challenged him. And that was what held his interest. He walked around the table, got comfortable in one of the two chairs, and turned the black box so he could study the knobs on it. The volume was turned down, and he adjusted it until crackling sounds popped in the small speaker.
"You really are the best boss I've ever worked for." A man's voice came through the speaker, his words breaking in and out and static crackling as the guy laughed.
"You'll never find a better job, Bobby. I guarantee it."
Jake leaned forward, turning the volume up when he recognized Mario's Italian accent. There was a notepad and pen on the table, and Jake grabbed both, sliding them closer as he leaned into the box, straining to hear everything said.
"I think I actually believe you." There wasn't a shred of accent in this man's voice, yet he'd said he enjoyed working for Mario. Maybe it was the blond Jake had seen walking across the yard earlier tonight. "Although I did have a boss right out of high school who hooked me up with one of his favorite hookers because he didn't want a virgin working for him."
Mario laughed loudly, his thick baritone coming through the speaker clearly. Jake wondered where Angela had placed the bug to allow it to pick up these two men's conversation so easily. There were advantages to being the son of a cop who'd been a detective for twenty-five years before switching careers and becoming a bounty hunter. Jake's dad had taught him quite a few tricks of the trade. One of them being how to listen to bugged conversations. Jake would bet these two men were outside. When people were inside they tended to speak in softer tones. As Greg King put it, everyone is taught at a young age to use their indoor or outdoor voice. As well, there was a very slight echo that could almost always be detected with decent recording equipment when a person was speaking in a room. Jake squinted, focusing on their words. He didn't hear an echo.
"You were still a virgin when you graduated from high school?" Mario was still laughing. Whoever Bobby was, Mario sounded relaxed with him.
"Hell no, man." Bobby chuckled and made a snorting sound. "But after high school I headed east for a while. I was new in town. It was a chance to get laid and I figured when my boss gave me a hundred-dollar bill to give to the hooker, she had to be good."
"A hundred dollars, huh?"
"I gave her fifty."
Mario laughed again. "A man after my own heart. What town was this?"
The question was slipped into the conversation, but Jake pictured Bobby's face sobering. There was only a brief silence.
"Baltimore," Bobby said, not letting the silence last longer than a second or two.
"You didn't mention Baltimore on your resume."
"You're right. I figured if I put down too many towns you'd think I was a vagrant and unable to keep my nose clean enough to stay in one town that long."
"So you went from town to town dodging the law?" Mario was serious now.
"I almost wish I could say that was the truth. It would make me sound more like an outlaw." When Bobby laughed, it sounded sincere. Mario didn't laugh with him this time, but Bobby didn't sound daunted as he continued. "Honestly, Boss, I went from town to town quite a bit after I got out of school. I never got busted for anything. I just got bored with the scene and I guess I was searching for my niche."
"I think I understand," Mario said slowly. "All of us have a gift we're given and with some of us it takes a while to learn what that gift is. I think you've found it here, yes?"
"I think you're right."
"I'm always right, my friend."
"So what do you think my gift is?"
"You take orders well and know when to ask questions and when to keep your mouth shut."
"That isn't a gift. That's common sense." There was a squeaking sound, like a door opening.
Jake realized he gripped the pen hard enough so that his knuckles were white. He forced his hand to relax and prayed the two men wouldn't walk away from the bug without saying something he could use as a lead.
"You're good at taking care of my army. And as you can see, I know how to show my appreciation when one of my employees shows loyalty and respect."
"I enjoy the job." Bobby chuckled again and it sounded as if he slapped Mario on the back. "And I sure as hell enjoy how you show your appreciation."
"She's one hot piece of ass, isn't she?"
"You know I always did like them submissive and willing," Bobby said, still chuckling.
Jake cringed. His guess was that Bobby, or both of them, had just fucked one of the women Mario had kidnapped. They needed to confirm where Mario's army was soon.
"Sleep well tonight," Mario said, his voice sounding farther away. "Oh wait," he added, coming in clearer. "What did you think of the picture on Uncle Petrie's computer?"
"The girl? Do you think she is your lady? There is a resemblance."
"I thought so, too. What do you suggest we do about it?"
"You're asking my advice?"
"I would like your input, yes."
There was a brief silence and Jake rubbed his palms down his jeans. Would Mario be referring to Angela as his lady already? In spite of Jake's stomach twisting in a cruel knot as his entire body hardened instinctively, keeping an open mind was imperative. He didn'
t blink as he stared at the small black box.
"Say something that will make sense, damn it," Jake grumbled to the box. He snapped to attention, sitting upright in the chair when the two men continued talking.
"Go pick up the detective. If she's his daughter, she'll come forward to save his ass." Bobby barely paused for a breath when his voice deepened, suddenly sounding cruel and hateful: "If she does come running to save her daddy, you know what you must do."
"Don't forget your place," Mario hissed, his accent thickening, which made him sound mean and heartless.
"Trust me. I know my place. You have one hundred percent of my loyalty. But unlike the rest of your staff, who would all die for you, I will always be on my toes, thinking, because I plan to live with you."
Mario's laughter sounded twisted, if not demonic. "Very good. Which is why you're here talking to me right now. As long as you never forget where your paycheck comes from."
"Not only would I never forget that; I also know you don't fire your employees."
Jake guessed Bobby meant Mario killed them if they crossed the line, as the old man Angela saw murdered earlier tonight had done. He leaned forward, holding his breath and wondering if Mario would incriminate himself. Murder, kidnapping, terrorism--enough charges to put the bastard away for life, if not give him the electric chair. That was if they could make the charges stick.
"Keep talking, you son of a bitch," Jake hissed, and fisted his hands on either side of the box.
"I don't believe in liabilities," Mario said, suddenly sounding calm.
When Bobby laughed, it was as if he'd just been told a good joke. Jake fought the anger simmering inside him. He needed a cool head to nail these assholes to the wall.
"I like working for you, Boss." Bobby quit laughing and it sounded like the door opened once again. "I'll get on the detective. It would probably be best to take care of that tonight."
"Make it happen."
The squeaking sound was followed by a dull thud. Jake stared at the box. It grew silent in the room until Jake was able to focus on water running in the bathroom. Angela was taking a bath. He jumped out of his chair, wired and pissed as he reached for his phone. She would be pissed if he stormed in on her, but Angela needed to know what just had transpired. No names were mentioned, but Jake would be surprised if there was another detective in Mario's life who was the father of a lady he was spending time with. Jake barely glanced at the time when he placed his call.
"Do you know what time it is?" James Huxtable sounded pissed as hell. His voice was thick from sleep, though.
"I believe it's almost one in the morning," Jake said coolly. "Wake up. I need to talk to you." He could be as gruff as Huxtable.
"I am awake," Huxtable roared into the phone. "Why are you calling?"
"Because you're about to be kidnapped."
Jake relayed the conversation he'd overheard and explained that Angela had planted the bug. By the time he finished, the water was no longer running in the bathroom.
"This doesn't sound good," Huxtable said slowly, the sharpness in his tone gone.
"It wouldn't be hard to track this Bobby character," Jake said. "I'm sure I could even catch him in the act of kidnapping. That wouldn't incriminate Mandela, though. And it sure wouldn't implicate him in anything concerning the game."
"What's the kidnapping of one man when a much larger bust hovers in the wings?"
Jake glared at the floor, gripping his phone hard enough to snap the thing in two. "Grab a few necessities and get out of there. I need your home address and I'll head that way to cover you."
"Got this all planned out, do you?"
Jake didn't realize he'd started pacing until he stopped in his tracks. "Before Mandela and his henchman started discussing the possibility that a rather old picture of your teenage daughter found on the Internet might actually be of Mandela's lady, the two men were discussing the sex they'd just had with one of the women Mandela kidnapped for the game."
"You have proof the abductees are there?" Huxtable sounded interested for the first time since they'd started talking.
Jake didn't let out the sigh of exasperation building inside him. Huxtable acted as if his life weren't in danger. Regardless of what the man thought, he wouldn't be able to hold off some hired thug if he came to Huxtable's house. Henchmen like that didn't knock on the front door and ask you to come with them.
"Maybe. I'll have physical proof by tomorrow," Jake offered, but continued before Huxtable tried swaying the conversation further off the issue at hand. "The two men were spending time with one lady they'd kidnapped and were talking about her, and their time with her, when they walked within range of the bug your daughter planted."
Huxtable swore under his breath. Jake dragged his hand through his tousled curls. His hair was tangled and he doubted he made it look any better. "We already knew they were despicable assholes," he grunted. "You need to leave your house. Give me your address."
"I'm a step ahead of you, boy," Huxtable said, his stern tone returning. "I've already left the house. They won't find me and in the meantime I want to know what picture they found on the Internet of Angela. To the best of my knowledge, there are no pictures of her anywhere on the Web. Nor have there ever been. Even her mother agreed to that."
"I don't know," Jake said. His gaze shot to the bathroom door when it opened.
Angela stepped out, a white towel wrapped around her body and another wrapped around her hair. She padded barefoot to her suitcase and squatted, pressing one hand to her chest to hold her towel in place while unlocking her luggage and rummaging through it.
"I'll do a search, but the picture has already been discovered. I need to make sure her cover hasn't been blown."
"What?" Angela gasped, managing to balance herself while keeping the towel in place. "Who are you talking to?" she whispered, searching Jake's face.
An overwhelming urge to touch her, to protect her and destroy anyone who even thought about causing her harm, forced his chest to tighten. He couldn't breathe. The sensation rushing through him had that much strength.
"You're damn right you do," Huxtable snapped. "Regardless of whether that picture is of her, or not, they now suspect Angela. You make sure you tell her this changes the entire picture."
"Is that Dad?" Angela asked, her eyes widening. "Why are you talking to him at this hour? What's wrong?"
"Is that Angela?" Huxtable asked at the same time Angela spoke. "Let me talk to her."
"Yes," Jake said to Angela. "It's your father." Jake turned his back on her when she stood, reaching for the phone. "Angela doesn't know about this yet. I'll explain and have her call you."
"I need to know my daughter is safe." Huxtable didn't yell this time, and the concern in his voice came through stronger than his stern tone.
Jake cut him off before the older man implied something he might regret. "Your daughter is safer than she would be anywhere else," Jake growled into the phone. "And I think you know that already, since I'm with her because you encouraged it. Actually, you demanded it. Where are you headed?"
"I'm getting a room tonight. It's too late to go anywhere else."
"Call me as soon as you've checked in." Jake didn't usually hang up on anyone without saying good-bye. In this case, he made an exception.
"What the hell is going on?" Angela demanded, throwing her arms out in frustration when Jake snapped his phone shut. She lowered her arms and grabbed her towel when it started to slide.
Another time Jake would have enjoyed the incredible display of her breasts and how the towel pressed them together. He might have even grabbed her towel, yanking it off her body, and endured her show of anger just to have her naked. His protector's instincts were at full mast, though. Her almost-nude body didn't just make his dick hard but also drew the powerful need inside him in, hardening every inch of him.
"Your surveillance equipment records, right?" He walked over to the table and began messing with the knobs on the small black box.
"Yeah. Why?"
"I want you to listen to a conversation that took place why you were in the bath."
Angela returned to her suitcase and the closet, dropping her towel with her back to him and sliding into a terry-cloth robe.
"Don't mess with it," she ordered, her calm tone all business as her shiny black, unbrushed hair tumbled down to her waist.
Angela reached around him, sliding the box in front of her, and sat in the chair where Jake had been while she bathed. "What did you hear? And why did you call my dad, or did he call you?" she asked, glancing up at him while the small box hummed in front of her.
"I called him." Her robe was tied at her waist but loose at the shoulder. From where he stood, he had one hell of a view. "You'll understand in a minute. I want you to listen, and while you do, I need a laptop."
"Go ahead." Already she focused on her box, frowning and chewing on her lower lip as she rewound, paused, and rewound again until she hit part of the conversation.
Jake sat in the chair opposite her, pulling up the Internet on her laptop. "Rewind a bit more. That's around the middle of the conversation."
"That's Mario. I don't know who he's talking to," she said, picking up the pen off the notepad and clicking it open and shut as she pressed the button on the box. "What are you doing on the computer?"
"Apparently there is a picture online," he began when Angela pushed Play on her box.
Static popped only for a moment before the man who'd been talking to Mandela, possibly the blond, began speaking: "You really are the best boss I've ever worked for."
Angela looked up at Jake, her milky green eyes wide as her moist lips parted. Jake loved how her face lit up; the thought of learning something new, picking up a solid lead they could play through, showed in her expression, and she glowed from the excitement of it.
Jake nodded at the box. "Listen," he instructed, and typed Angela Torres, the name she'd given Mandela, into the Internet search bar. Nothing came up. Jake tried spelling her name several different ways and still came up with nothing. Then he typed in Angela Huxtable, since the connection to the picture had been through Huxtable. Links filled the page. A quick scan didn't show any pictures.
Bounty Hunters: 03 Stay Hungry Page 19
