Phantom Pearl

by Monica McCabe

  “Say it,” he demanded.

  He didn’t give her a chance before kissing her again. She tried to show him, pressing herself against him and moving as seductively as she knew how. He groaned, but didn’t let go of her lips. Instead he seemed to enjoy tormenting her, took his time exploring her curves and teasing her with his lips and tongue.

  “Dallas,” she managed in between kisses.

  He lifted his head. “You have something to say?”

  “When are you going to get naked?”

  A slow, sexy grin appeared, one that made her heart skip a beat. When he rolled off the bed, she almost protested until he slid out of his shorts and stood completely naked in front of her. Her brain struggled for something to say, but he didn’t wait. Instead, he grabbed her by the hips, slid her over to the edge of the bed, and stripped the rest of her clothing away.

  He didn’t move, just stared down at her long enough to inspire a panicked moment, making her think he’d changed his mind.

  “Say it,” he demanded again.

  He wasn’t going to let it go. She didn’t want him to. She stood up next to him, reached out with her hand to touch his face, his lips. “No matter what the future brings,” she vowed, “this moment, every amazing, delicious inch of you, will be hard-wired in my memory.”

  It took him a second to react, but then a grin appeared. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

  “Honestly. You talk too much.”

  He laughed and pushed her back down on the bed, climbing right on top of her. He stared down at her, his expression turning hungry. “Say it.”

  She’d give him the truth. “I want you.” It was surprisingly easy. “I think I’ve wanted you from the moment I first laid eyes on you.”

  “Ditto.”

  “Ditto?”

  “You want to talk some more?” he asked. “Or shall we get busy?”

  No contest. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and tugged him closer. “Thought you’d never ask.”

  Chapter 23

  It was half past two in the afternoon before they landed at Singapore Changi Airport, a place that had always been one of Riki’s favorites. World-class indoor landscaping, mile-high trees, winding water features, and a unique butterfly garden, it felt more like a resort hotel or high-end shopping mall. Tropical daylight filtered through skylight ceilings, koi floated serenely in ponds, orchids and hibiscus bloomed amid verdant splendor, while lighted operational signs and twenty-first century technology cleverly blended with the surroundings. It was easy to see why Changi was consistently the most highly awarded airport in the world.

  Every time she came through here, she wanted to linger. But every time she seemed to be in a hurry. Today was no different. Dallas knew exactly where they were headed, and she hustled to keep up with his long-legged stride.

  Once outside the airport, they were blasted with equatorial heat. By the time they climbed into a solid black Mercedes E-Class Sedan, she wanted to melt. The second he started the car, she reached for the air conditioning.

  “I love Singapore, but the humidity is relentless.” She leaned her face into the flow of cool air. “Nice car,” she said.

  “It’s a loan.” He reactivated his phone and checked for updates. “Private cars in Singapore are expensive. The cost and fee restrictions associated with them are out of reach for most people.”

  “I’m grateful you’ve got friends in high places,” she said.

  “Not me, Homeland Security.”

  She shrugged. “Presentation is critical in our line of work.”

  Looking the part was half the battle, and she believed Dallas Landry could pull off any role he wanted. The man had skills. Lots of skills. Chances were, she barely knew half of them. That both worried and excited her.

  He fired off a quick text, then punched in a number.

  Ken Cho had a fourteen-hour head start on them. She hoped Dallas had a good network in Singapore because they were going to need it.

  “Layla, any word on Cho?” Dallas said into the phone.

  Riki frowned. The co-agent’s name is Layla? Egyptian if she wasn’t mistaken, meaning night or dark beauty. She wondered how long they’d worked together.

  “We’ve run out of time,” Dallas stated. “How much does Howe know?”

  Riki forced herself to relax into the soft leather seat as Dallas got up to speed on the details. As the two conversed, she stared vacantly out the window at other cars in the parking garage. The non-stop flight between Cairns and Singapore had been seven hours, half of which she spent dozing, trying to catch up on much needed sleep she missed last night.

  Not that she’d ever complain. It had been the most fantastic, most exhausting night of her life. But she’d committed a cardinal sin. She’d fallen in love with someone completely wrong for her.

  In truth, it probably had happened months ago. She just didn’t realize it until she’d spent time in forced captivity with him. The worst sin of all? She’d throw everything away to spend another night in his arms. Riki Maddox, level-headed, deliberate, and overly cautious, would toss aside years of hard work and training for a man who melted her insides into a quivering pile of jelly.

  Except she wasn’t free to make that decision. Integrity, and her sanity, demanded she find a balance between her promise to Kai, her newfound knowledge of the past, and Dallas Landry. A feat that might require divine intervention.

  Before she could change her mind, she pulled out her phone and texted Kai. I’ve landed in Singapore. She chewed her lower lip for a second. Believe Pearl to be at Japanese Embassy.

  Kai stayed on top of anything involving World War II artifacts. A private event of high-ranking clientele would hit his radar. Never before would she have considered keeping information from him, and despite everything she’d learned, it felt like a betrayal of her own to do it now. But whatever Dallas had planned for getting inside, his work with Mathis Howe would remain unsaid.

  Things had never been so complicated. She felt ripped in two. She believed Dallas. She believed Craig. Until three days ago, she’d trusted Kai completely. Now she looked for double meaning in her mentor’s words, withheld information, and fought against a rising tide of anger.

  That unnerved her, but not as much as teaming up with a federal agent who had the power to shatter her heart into a million tiny pieces. There was no future for them. She was afraid that when this was over, Dallas would go back to his world, and she would be starting her life completely over. Alone.

  Dallas clicked off the phone. “Good news. Cho is still here. Layla discovered he’s already applied with the embassy for protection, along with a rare piece of Imperial treasure. He’s staying in one of the guest suites on the second floor.”

  This was Wednesday. They had two days to come up with a plan. Piece of cake. She’d worked with a lot less.

  He set his phone in the console and backed the Mercedes out of its spot. They were soon riding the coast road, heading west toward the cosmopolitan city. The trip took less than a half hour, but in that time Riki studied a city map and had a good grasp on the location of the embassy.

  “Do you see the University District?” Dallas asked her. “Southwest of the city.”

  She scanned and found it. “I also see a hospital and several large parks.”

  “We’ll be staying in a wealthy neighborhood tucked away near Kent Ridge Park, not far from the university.”

  “Let me guess…with the owner of this Mercedes?”

  “That’s the one. He’s a history professor now, but in a previous life he worked in Silicon Valley. Something about computer programming and weapons design. Doesn’t talk about it much.”

  “Understandable. Friend of yours?”

  “A recent one. Let’s say he owes Homeland Security a big favor. I’m his way of making that good.”

  “And he
knows you’re working undercover?”

  “He’s very good at keeping secrets.” Dallas exited the expressway and turned into an urban condominium farm. “I’m staying in a small caretaker’s cottage on his property.”

  “How many bedrooms?”

  “Two,” he replied. “But we only need one.”

  “A bit presumptuous, wouldn’t you say? You haven’t asked if I’m even interested.”

  He laughed. Of all the nerve.

  “We are working at this together,” he said. “That requires we stay close. Extremely close.”

  Did that apply to Layla, too? She closed her eyes and inhaled a long, deep breath before mentally kicking herself. That was wrong. She shouldn’t think that way, so she steered herself to the topic at hand.

  “Close like putting each other’s cell phone numbers on speed dial?” she asked.

  “That’s a start. Afterward we’ll get naked and sleep in one bedroom.”

  She secretly believed it a fantastic idea, but she’d never let him know that. “Are you always this demanding?”

  “It’s sort of new, but I’m liking the results.”

  Condos turned into an upscale business district, then a substantial defense technology compound that bordered Telok Blangah Hill. There were multiple buildings, two skyscraper towers, and signs that clearly read Restricted Area, Defense Science Technology, and Ministry of Defense.

  “You did say history professor, right?”

  “That’s the story.”

  A few minutes later, they’d pulled into a heavily treed pocket neighborhood and wound their way to a modest, paved driveway shaded by broad canopied rain trees. It turned out to be a private entrance to the guest house, and Dallas wheeled the Mercedes around a two-tiered water fountain and parked beneath a protective carport.

  A sporty, red Lexus sat in the trees on the other side of the driveway, and a woman climbed out to greet them.

  “Dallas, dearheart,” she all but purred as she gracefully strolled across the asphalt. “About time you returned.”

  From the top of her dark hair, perfectly styled into a chignon, to the flowy white blouse, skinny jeans, and high-heeled sandals, everything about the woman screamed sultry, feminine charm.

  “Layla,” Dallas said with no enthusiasm. “How much damage have you done to my operation while I’ve been gone?”

  The woman’s red lips pouted prettily, and she wagged a manicured finger at him. “Now, is that any way to greet your comrade in arms?”

  Riki lifted her backpack from the open trunk and slung it over her shoulder. Her travel-rumpled outfit, hiking boots, and loose ponytail didn’t hold a candle to the sophisticated bombshell in front of her. On the upside, if the zombie apocalypse happened right now, Riki had the best odds of survival.

  “Did you bring the blueprints?” Dallas asked.

  “Of course, I did,” Layla replied. “But where are your manners, Mr. Landry? Introduce your companion.”

  Dallas seemed too busy frowning to do the honors, so Riki took charge. She held out her hand to Layla. “Riki Maddox,” she said. “I’m a stray Dallas picked up in Australia.”

  “Layla Sanchez,” the bombshell replied as she shook hands with Riki. “Delighted to meet you. Will you be staying long?”

  “Long enough to take down Ken Cho,” Dallas said as he grabbed his pack and closed the trunk. “Let’s go inside and talk.” He didn’t bother to see if they followed, just turned and led the way.

  Layla sighed. “He needs to work on his manners,” she said to Riki as they fell into step behind him. “Always gruff. It’s a glaring character flaw.”

  “One of many,” Riki responded.

  Layla grinned. “I think we are going to be fast friends.”

  Dallas unlocked the door and held it open for them, showing he knew how to be a gentleman when he wanted to be.

  Riki took one look inside and immediately loved the clean, fresh lines of the large open room. White-washed walls, dark wooden floors with matching dark beams that spanned the vaulted ceiling, the place had the charm of a country house complete with overstuffed furniture, folded quilts, and a stone fireplace filled with candles, not wood. A long trestle table of dark, reclaimed lumber took up the far corner and pointed toward an island kitchen.

  Dallas tossed his pack onto a long bench at the entry and headed straight for the kitchen. “Water, anyone?” He opened the fridge and pulled out three cold bottles.

  “Have anything stronger?” Layla asked. “Wine, perhaps?”

  “Sorry.” He slid a bottle of water across the island to her and handed the other to Riki. “We’re in Singapore. I can’t afford the ridiculous liquor prices on my salary. How about those blueprints?”

  “Seriously. You are never any fun.” Layla set her satchel on the counter and pulled out a thick stack of folded paper. “I’m sure you’re aware that intimate details of an embassy are highly guarded, near impossible to acquire.” She smoothed out the creases and spread individual sheets out on the counter. “Unlike you, I doled out a small fortune to entice a playboy contractor who loves his Tiger Beer a little too much. Once he passed out, it was fairly easy to steal these.”

  “I’d say I owe you one,” Dallas said, “except you and I both know Lassiter will approve any expense you turn in. You’re her little pet.”

  Layla blew him an air kiss. “Can I help it if the boss lady has a thing for me?”

  Riki watched the two spar and wondered at the underlying tension in the air. As coworkers go, they didn’t exactly seem on friendly terms. Despite a foolish twinge of happy that caused, she’d rather they saved the office politics for later.

  “Is this an underground level?” Riki asked as she tapped on one of the sheets.

  Dallas rounded the island to stand next to her and study the blueprint. He shifted two of the pages, changing the orientation. “Definitely a basement level. It’s a safe bet that’s where the artifacts will be secured prior to the exhibit.” He pulled over another sheet. “Two levels above ground, one below. A large assembly hall, a ballroom, media room, multiple offices, all standard.”

  “The real interesting detail is the underground parking for dignitaries,” Layla said and added an aerial photo of the compound. She traced a red fingernail along a curved and walled driveway that disappeared beneath the landscaping. “Perhaps deliveries as well? That would certainly be a convenient way in.”

  “Howe is our ticket inside,” Dallas stated. “It’s getting out that will be tricky.”

  “He wasn’t too happy with you when you left,” Layla said.

  “Like I had a choice.” He was frowning as he focused on the main floor blueprint. “What happened at Sango while I was gone?”

  “Oh, lah.” Layla sipped her water. “The little administrator was completely smitten with my charms that it wasn’t even a challenge. I attached geo-tracking to the stolen art and sent photos to the division for processing. Along with a client list, details of the gallery’s forged provenance, and names of the key players involved.”

  “Anything on Howe?”

  Layla shook her head. “That’s a man who likes his privacy. He’s about as friendly as you are. You two should get along famously.”

  Riki’s curiosity over what had caused such thinly veiled animosity between these two almost made her come right out and ask, but before she had the chance, a cell phone rang.

  “Landry,” Dallas answered, and silence reigned as he listened to whoever was on the other end of the line. “We’ll be there.”

  He clicked off the phone and returned it to the countertop. “That was Howe. Apparently his spies have informed him I’m back with a new friend.” He said the last to Riki, then glanced at his watch. “We have a command performance in less than two hours.”

  “Why me?” Riki asked in surprise.

  “Howe
doesn’t like unknowns. He’s already spooked because I left. And now I’ve brought back a stray,” he said, using her own description. “Not only do we need to convince him I’m still the man for the job, but he must also be convinced you are trustworthy.”

  “That won’t be easy,” Layla warned her. “He has a serious persecution complex. Thinks the world is out to get him.”

  “I had a friend recently claim I was a koala,” Riki said with a smile. “People love koalas. No one expects them to bite.”

  Layla gave a soft laugh. “Work with your strengths, I always say. Whatever they may be.”

  Dallas started stacking the papers together. “Don’t strike unless I give the signal. Agreed?”

  “He’s your contact. You have the lead.”

  He gave a nod of acceptance. “How fast can you be ready to go?”

  “Thirty minutes, give or take. Which means we still have time to study the blueprints and come up with a plan.”

  Chapter 24

  Twilight had settled over the city by the time Dallas pulled into the parking garage of Howe’s luxury condo building. “Remember,” he said again, drilling the story home. “I’m an art broker specializing in rare antiquities. My loyalty is to me and my clients. I’m taking a step outside normal by overseeing a shipment for Howe, rather than brokering a sale.”

  “I’ve got it down,” Riki replied. “We occasionally work together in the States and have been collaborators on the search for Phantom Pearl the last two years.”

  He wasn’t worried she’d forget her lines. He knew firsthand how good she was at her job. He was the one who struggled to focus. And it was all her fault. She’d changed into a flowy summer dress and girly sandals, tied her hair back with a ribbon thing, but left wisps to softly curl about her face. Rosy lip gloss completed the transformation from obstinate delinquent to captivating femininity. It was all for Howe’s benefit, a smokescreen to mask Riki’s capabilities.

  But looking at her now, Dallas nearly forgot how to breathe. Not good considering the unpredictable situation they were walking into.