No Good Dead (Bad to Be Good #1)

by Dana Volney

  “I was meeting with him tonight anyway.”

  Yeah, sure you were. According to Sabene and the schedule she’d mapped between the two men, they weren’t scheduled to convene for another week. This was a good sign: Gibbs was intimidated by the threat of exposure.

  “I’ll be there.”

  “Come alone.” Gibbs eyed Teagan up and down and Able nearly pulled out his knife to slit the guy’s throat. She didn’t need his slimy eyes groping her.

  He and Teagan made it back to the car quickly; the cold was something fierce.

  “That was hot.” There was a smile in her voice.

  A hearty chuckle started in his chest. That was the last thing he’d expected her to say.

  “There’s more where that came from.” He waggled his brows at her.

  “Oh yeah?” She leaned over his seat, grabbed at his crotch, and rubbed.

  A grin pulled at his lips. Fuck, this woman was hot. Still, he knew what this was—more sex to ease the nervous energy of the day. Wasn’t it? Tonight all of this would be over. The driving force that had sent her into his arms would be arrested. He should say no. He should put an end to their sexcapades now.

  Her hand rubbed up and down his hard dick, and suddenly cutting her off was the dumbest idea he’d ever had.

  She pushed over to him and latched on to his ear, sucking before moving down to his neck.

  A groan let loose as he spotted an empty parking lot a block away off the main road. Good enough. They had a high-strung day ahead of them and he needed a release now if he was going to think straight and make sure his team and Teagan didn’t find themselves at the end of a bullet.

  The tires of the old car squealed as he made a hard left turn. They hadn’t been tailed, but he checked the rearview just to be sure before pulling into the parking lot and driving around to the back of the old, abandoned dollar store.

  “Where are we going?” Teagan’s seductive tone crawled down his throat and nestled into his chest.

  She nipped at his lips again and his mouth instinctively opened to her as he put the car in park, the heat still blasting. The plumpness of her lips collided with his as she opened her mouth to him, their tongues swirling around each other, dancing to their own beat.

  He reached out, gripped her hips, and hauled her over on top of him in the driver’s seat. He rubbed one hand up her vertebrae and reached down with the other to push the seat all the way back.

  “In broad daylight.” She smiled into his lips and kissed him again.

  His palms trailed up her bare arms, her long neck, until he was cradling her face in his hands, his thumbs braced in front of her ears and his fingers laced in her blonde hair. He nudged her chin up; he wanted to look into her eyes.

  “Does this bother you?”

  “Nope.” The “p” popped off her lips and his cock pressed against his jeans.

  She’d leave tonight. Right after handcuffs were slapped on Hume. He’d seen it in her eyes earlier and caught a glimpse of it when they’d returned home last night. That wasn’t the right phrasing—it was his home, not hers. They’d returned to his home.

  He opened his eyes and watched her take off her shirt. Her black bra barely covered her nipples. He’d spent only a couple of days with her, for fuck’s sake. Most of that time they’d been screwing when they were alone. That’s what he was going to miss—the fucking.

  “What?” Teagan asked as she unzipped his coat and yanked at the hem of his t-shirt.

  He raised his eyebrows.

  “You have a murderous glint in your eyes.” Her head fell back slightly as she laughed. “Is this where you tell me that you don’t like to leave any witnesses to your crimes and off me?”

  He chuckled with no humor. It was a little funny, yes, but probably not an appropriate joke since, no, he didn’t like to leave witnesses if one had happened to catch him. Dammit, he loved that she was comfortable enough with him to joke about his work.

  He cupped her cheek, wrapping his fingertips around her neck, and pulled her closer.

  “No,” he whispered. “This is where I make you come in public.” He pressed his lips to hers, owning her with each movement. Her body was his for the taking, writing underneath him. “Turn around.”

  She shifted in the seat and he unbuttoned his pants, pulling them down enough to free his cock. She slid her jeans down, her ass nearly in his face.

  He moved forward, placing his hands on either side of her ass, and kissed one side then the other before licking up her back as she slid down. He moved his cock into position and she glided right onto him. Fucking wet and tight.

  He adjusted farther down in the seat so that she could press her hips into him more, take him all the way in.

  Her palm gripped his thigh as the other one braced her on the dash, each of her purposeful bounces driving him deeper and harder into her. He dug his fingertips into the flesh on her hips and belly. Her head fell back as she moaned, lips parted, eyes closed while she slid up and down on his hard cock. He swiped her hair to the side to kiss her neck.

  There was nothing else in the world that he’d rather be looking at right now. Nowhere else he wanted to be but with Teagan.

  He glided his hand around to her wet folds and rubbed gentle circles on her clit.

  Fuck, he couldn’t take much more of this. The woman was fearless, fucking in public like this, and he loved it.

  Moans, yeses, and pleading with God filled the inside of the car and blurred his vision, her words egging him to his own glorious release.

  “Able.” Her pitch was high as she slammed down on him over and over. “Able.” Her hair flung around and he dipped back down to buck his hips into her. She spasmed around him as his orgasm came fucking hard without much warning.

  She leaned back on him, breathing hard. He ran his palms up her torso and massaged her breasts. He kissed her temple and studied her profile. The light glint of sweat gave her a sexy glow. Her fingers crept up his neck and laced into his hair.

  “This was a nice break.” A throaty laugh accompanied her words, and he couldn’t help but smile.

  This was definitely his brand of relaxation.

  “I suppose we should get going.” She sat forward and swiped her shirt from the dash.

  He wasn’t eager to get back to the office. He wasn’t eager for this mission to be over.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Able clearly didn’t want her here, but he also didn’t want her out of his sight. That much had been evident since they’d met.

  Teagan’s stomach swooshed as a car door closed loudly in the ominous evening where even the stars had hid.

  She was with the whole gang in Samson’s black SUV. No one had wanted to stay behind except Sabene, who was better served working her magic from the office. Able had driven his Hummer separately to join the group of assholes who made cavalier plans of treason on a monthly basis.

  They were parked down the street, and Teagan had to use binoculars to see what was going on, but she could hear it just fine with the earbud.

  “Are you sure your cop buddy is around?” Claire asked from the back seat next to Teagan.

  Detective Tanner Michaels, Samson’s cop buddy, had agreed to cover the meet-up after he’d been given the full picture on the depth of disloyalty stemming from Senator Gibbs and Hugh Hume. Tanner wasn’t a fan of either. Samson hadn’t been on the phone long.

  “For the billionth time, woman. Yes. He’s on it.” Samson bristled in the driver’s seat across from Milo.

  “So we just wait for them to say massive amounts of incriminating stuff and then they all get arrested?” Claire didn’t seem fazed from Samson’s tone.

  “Yep.” Samson checked through the binoculars again. “Tanner knows Able’s our inside guy.”

  Able had given her her own set before they’d left. And a handgun for “just in case” that she’d stuck in her bag. She’d given him a kiss for luck in front of everyone and did her best not to blush when they’d all stared. S
he leaned toward the middle to see out of the windshield.

  “Senator.” Hugh joined Senator Gibbs and Able. Two bodyguards stood ten feet behind him.

  “I’ve clocked three more men with Hume on the parameter and still within line of sight.” Rife had broken off from the group a block back and perched himself somewhere high with his sniper rifle.

  “Hold steady.” Samson rubbed his leg where he’d been shot.

  “Hugh.” The senator rubbed his gloved hands together. “Thanks for coming out tonight.”

  Here we go, Tabitha.

  “What’s this about?” Hugh asked.

  She adjusted the sites on her binoculars in time to witness Hugh eyeing Able up and down.

  “We agreed not to meet again until the last deal was made.” Hugh put his hands in his coat pockets and rocked back on his heels.

  “This is Able.” The senator gestured to his guest. “He wants in on our deal. I thought it prudent since our other team has disappeared.”

  “They didn’t disappear.” Teagan heard Hugh’s scowl before she saw it through the glass. “They were taken out. By this man.”

  “I don’t like it when people try to kill me.” Able tossed the flash drive to Hugh. The one Sabene had made out of the information from the original. When the cops looked at that version, they wouldn’t have to decode anything. “In the process, I recovered something of great value to you. I took the liberty of looking through it. And I want in.”

  “On what?”

  “The sale of intel. I have contacts that will help you move it quickly and reinforcements to carry out further plans.”

  Damn, he was convincing. If they didn’t have the cops surveilling the conversation, ready to pounce, she’d believe he really did want in on the deal.

  “I have people in place.” Hugh didn’t miss a beat. He wasn’t giving Able an easy in.

  Able gave a heavy laugh. Teagan smiled behind the binoculars.

  “From the looks of it, you’re wanting to off load a shit ton of highly valued knowledge to many different factions. Was Rodney going to do that for you? Because he can’t come to the phone anymore.”

  Hugh pocketed the drive and the senator looked around, conspicuously. Her belly knotted. You’d think the bastard wouldn’t act so suspicious with all the shit he was used to doing.

  “I’ll get back to you.” Hume turned and walked away.

  Yeah, the senator just blew it.

  “He’s leaving.” Teagan dropped the binoculars to her lap and raised her brows to Samson.

  “Relax,” Samson murmured.

  “That’s okay, Senator Gibbs. I made a copy.” Able was unflappable. “We’ll get our people in place first to make sales.”

  Hume turned briskly to face the two men.

  “I’d encourage you to step lightly. This isn’t your party to crash.” The men with Hugh stood closer, nearly boxing in their protectee, guns drawn.

  She bit into her lip and wasn’t sure if she was breathing. This was damn near unbearable.

  “And yet here I am.” Able didn’t make a move for his weapon. Any of them.

  “Why don’t the cops go in now?” Panic raised her voice, but she didn’t care. She wasn’t one of them. This was not her everyday world.

  “Hume hasn’t admitted to anything yet,” Milo answered.

  “Why, Mr. March, would I do business with you?” Hugh’s lips turned down and his brows pushed together.

  Was it a good or bad sign that Hugh knew who Able was?

  “I don’t see this as being a choice.” Able hadn’t moved this entire time, showing no emotion, only pragmatism. “It’s a business deal. We all walk away making money. It’s a win-win.”

  “And the senator?” Hugh didn’t break eye contact with Able.

  “He’s expendable at this point.” Able nodded once.

  “I agree.”

  The guard to Hugh’s left raised his gun, complete with a silencer, and fired twice.

  Teagan jumped and knocked the binoculars on her forehead.

  “He shot the senator.” Milo’s answer sounded like a sigh of relief.

  She looked through the glass again, gripping tighter to stop her hands from shaking. The senator was lying on the ground on the far side of Able. “Holy fuck, they still haven’t moved in on this shit show?”

  “Senator Gibbs was being investigated for a lot of truly terrible things. When you are also about to make the government look bad with treason charges, you become expendable.” Samson’s voice was tight.

  “Now we have a deal.” Hugh cracked a smile, and she clamped down hard on her teeth. She really hated that guy. “I want everything sold and delivered within the next three weeks. After that, we’re done. I’ll have other business to deal with.”

  “I’ll be in touch.” Able turned and started walking away.

  Teagan slumped back in her seat. Sirens whaled in the distance.

  “They’re moving in,” Rife reported.

  Bang, crack. Bang, crack. Bang, crack. Teagan sat up sharply at the gunplay. “What’s going on?”

  “Hume and his team don’t like the SWAT newcomers.” Samson put down his binoculars. “Able, report.”

  Hume hurried to his car, his bodyguards covering him. One of the SWAT members went down.

  No!

  Samson took off with a start from the vehicle. Milo wasn’t far behind. Teagan glanced at Claire. She wanted to help but had no idea what to do.

  “They’ll catch them, sweetie. Let’s stay put.” Claire climbed over the middle console and into the driver’s seat. “Work smarter, not harder. That’s my motto.” She winked as Teagan followed suit and put the SUV in drive but didn’t move it forward.

  “Able?” Teagan couldn’t see him through the binoculars anymore and he’d never answered Samson. It was radio silence in her ear with a little heavy breathing on the side. Her heartbeat picked up as shots were fired and all was still silent on the comms.

  Don’t think the worst. He’s very capable. They all are.

  She took in a deep breath, grabbed the gun from her bag, and bolted from the vehicle. There had to be something she could do instead of watching and waiting. Everything had gone so perfectly until it hadn’t. The story of her life. Hopefully, this ending would be happier.

  * * *

  Able ducked behind his Hummer to get out of the line of sight for unfriendly fire. He peeked out in time to see Hume, who moved surprisingly fast for a guy in his fifties, dashing to his Lincoln Continental.

  No way was Hume getting out of here. Able stayed behind the front tire and raised his head enough to take a shot at the car, hitting its front tire. Bullets zinged overhead, and he dropped to the ground.

  “I’ve got eyes on the outside guards, taking them out,” Rife reported from a building catty-corner to them. At least there’d be no more hostiles added to this mix. “Another SUV approaching. Hume was ready for a fight.”

  “I’m over with the new SUV,” Milo whispered. “Don’t fucking shoot me.”

  Able stayed crouched and moved to the back of the Hummer. Gunplay. Finally something fucking exciting. He popped out and fired twice at the gunmen by Hume’s car.

  “I’m behind the Hummer.” Shit, he’d never answered anyone when they’d called his name earlier.

  Constant gunfire rang out as the SWAT team moved in closer on Hume’s men.

  “I got the second bodyguard.” Samson was definitive in his earbud.

  Fuck. Samson shouldn’t be in this, not with his leg. For that matter, none of them should. He wanted to stop the sale and corruption but not die doing it. He liked the rhythm of the week—Teagan, the team—and fuck if this is how it ended.

  Able rose again, instant gunfire making him retreat. “They have eyes on me.”

  “Where are you?” Teagan yelled, and he winced at the pain from the earbud.

  “Stay in the vehicle.”

  “I’m already out of it.” Her breath was labored.

  Why in the
shit was she out here where a bullet could find her at any moment?

  “Fuck. Go back,” he growled. He glanced around to spot her but didn’t see her blonde hair anywhere. Just men in black with guns.

  She screamed, and Able moved for a better angle on Hume’s car, his blood thumping loudly in his ears.

  “Status?” Able asked anyone who would answer him. “Where is she?”

  “There’s only one man and Hume left,” Rife relayed. “Those two have Teagan.”

  “Milo and I are behind them but don’t have a shot,” Samson informed the group.

  “They’re lined up. Can’t take them out without getting her.” Rife’s words turned into ice in Able’s veins.

  Able was going to protect Teagan at all costs. This was his world and he was the master of it.

  He stood, keeping his gun up, and walked out from behind the Hummer. Hume hid behind his bodyguard, who had Teagan by the throat and a gun to her temple.

  “Slowly, Mr. March,” Hume ordered.

  Able glanced over at the couple of SWAT members to his left and Tanner, a guy him and Samson had grown up with, in the middle. “I’ve got this.” He locked eyes with the detective, who nodded.

  “I’ll kill you if you touch her,” Able said to Hume between clenched teeth. The guy who was already holding Teagan hostage had signed his own death warrant.

  “I have a line on the bodyguard from the side.” Samson spoke quietly, no doubt ready to take the shot anytime on command.

  “Let’s all calm down.” Able kept a steady eye on the bodyguard who was wild-eyed and kept adjusting his grip on his handgun. The one to Teagan’s skin. “There’s no need to be hasty. Drop your weapon and let’s talk.”

  “We’re leaving,” Hume said and took a step back, prompting the trio to all move one step closer to the car.

  “There’s an option that means everyone gets out alive.” Able had never negotiated for someone’s life before. There had never been a need. A big fucking need was presenting itself right now.

  “I’m moving for a clear shot.” But Rife wouldn’t find one without getting all the way across the street, and this wasn’t going to take that long.