“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Geez, I didn’t mean it in a bad way.” Enter George Rivas with semi-heartfelt goodwill that was mostly defense.
“It’s cool.” Dylan held her hands up to stop the circle of apology. “We’re all good.” She reached for Trish’s hand. “We should go, though.”
“Good job, Rivas. Scaring away customers. That’s great for word of mouth.”
“Nah, man, it’s fine. Honest.” Dylan waved him off like it was no big deal.
“Hold on.” Paul snapped his fingers for the bartender’s attention. “Simon, pass me the book.” Simon handed over a big ledger. Paul started writing as he spoke. “I know you paid with a credit card before, and it’s actually kind of a hassle to reverse the charges on booze. So please, take this as a token of our goodwill.” Paul handed her a gift certificate. “You can use it here. Or next door at Victor’s. Your choice. It’s the least I can do.”
Fifty bucks. She accepted the graciousness with a handshake. It was almost a nice gesture, but more important than that, it was an invite to come back. And that was a home-fucking-run.
* * *
Dylan was still on a high from the success of the night and she rode the wave of adrenaline right to Briana’s front door.
“Is it okay that I came by?” she asked as Briana stood aside to welcome her in. “I just really wanted to see you.”
“Of course.” Briana offered her a quick peck on the lips, and Dylan saw that she was wearing her NYPD T-shirt. It was enough to get her going.
“I like you in my clothes.” Dylan placed her bag on the floor so she could deliver a proper hello. She held Briana’s face and kissed her for real. “I like you out of my clothes too,” she said with a wink.
“Oh, I know.” Briana played along but took her hand and guided them to the couch in the living room.
Dylan looked around and noticed most of the lights were off. It was almost eleven. “Were you sleeping? I didn’t wake you, did I?” she asked, letting one question flow right into the other.
“No.” Briana shook her off with a sweet smile. “I was getting ready to go to bed, though. I figured you might be going out with everyone afterward to celebrate the success of the operation. I was secretly hoping I’d hear from you.” She shrugged. It was so cute. “This is way better than a text, I have to admit.”
“You heard the good news?”
Dylan wasn’t sure how Nieves or Hollander had been able to bring Briana in the loop already. After all, the undercover operation had just finished. Afterward, everything was so harried between having the tech guys take off her recording device and downloading the audio and video while she and Trish debriefed their bosses and Trevor. There’d barely been time to think, let alone process and consider the next steps.
“I was there.” Briana traced a finger over Dylan’s favorite song lyric tattooed inside her forearm. “In the plant,” she added for clarity.
“No way. Really?”
Briana nodded, and Dylan felt her heart race. It was thrilling to know Briana had witnessed her in action. Doing what she did best. Being sly and covert and collecting intel. At the same time, Briana’s presence meant she was privy to every touch and term of endearment she employed to pass as a couple with Trish.
“Bri,” she said, mindful not to use any of the same terminology. “The stuff with Trish…it was just for show. You know that, right?”
“I know.”
Dylan touched her gorgeous face. “I know you know. But it is the truth.”
“I only left the plant once I knew you were out of danger.” Briana turned her face to kiss her hand. “You were really great, Dylan.” She seemed genuine and supportive. “Not that I’m surprised,” she added. “Still, it was impressive to watch. Nerve-racking, but impressive.”
“Aw. Were you worried about me?” Dylan let her voice lilt to keep things light.
“Jerk.” Briana slapped her good-naturedly. “You know I was.”
“You just have to trust me,” Dylan said.
“It’s not you I have doubts about.”
Briana’s expression was suddenly serious, and Dylan wondered what percentage of her concern was over the perps they’d infiltrated, and how much had to do with the Trish charade. Either way, the topic seemed closed for the moment.
“You’re going to stay, right?” Briana asked. She’d returned to caressing her forearm and outlining her tattoos. It was driving her crazy in the best way. But the question threw her a little.
“Is that okay?” Dylan stilled her hand and intertwined their fingers. “I want to.”
Briana rested her head on the back of the couch. Her eyes were beautiful and inviting when she nodded assent. “I want you to stay. I’m never sure if you need to be at home since you’re the landlord and all. I didn’t want to get my hopes up if this was just a pop in.”
“You’re stuck with me.” She tilted her head to copy Briana’s position on the sofa so they were more or less eye to eye.
“Good.” Briana shifted her stare to the kitchen behind them. “Are you hungry or anything?”
“I’m fine,” Dylan said, oddly touched by the simple offer.
“Come, then.” Briana stood and led the way to her bedroom. “Even though I’m up to speed, I still want to hear all the details.”
Could this really get any better? Briana was hot and smart and thoughtful. She cared about Dylan, and she was interested in the case. She asked pertinent questions. The best part was that Dylan was free to answer them. If she had been lying next to anyone else, she would have been compelled to gloss over the facts and give a redacted version of the events.
In a tank and boxers, Dylan stared at the ceiling, picturing everything, as she gave a thorough play-by-play. She included details about how the three guys were dressed and where they were sitting when she arrived. She heard excitement in her own voice when she went over the Wine Bar’s layout and lighting and where she thought might be an effective place to put a stationary eavesdropping device.
“You’ll have to go back in.” Briana didn’t sound entirely thrilled at the prospect as her fingers made absentminded squares over her abs. “Your intel is great, but it’s not quite enough for a bug yet.”
Dylan hoped that Briana’s resistance came solely from a legal perspective and nothing else. “We did get an invite.” She winced in anticipation of Briana’s reaction to yet another fake date with Detective Trish Suarez.
“Ugh. Don’t remind me.” Briana rolled on top of her and sat up in a straddle, smirking and writhing on top of her. “Try not to propose to Trish at the Wine Bar if you can help it.”
“Anything for you.” Dylan moved with her even though she wasn’t ready for action just yet. “I’ll only buy a ring if it’s absolutely necessary.”
“Not funny,” Briana said. But she was giggling in spite of her words, and Dylan loved that they could joke like this.
Dylan flipped them, so she was on top. She covered Briana’s face with kisses. “I’ll be right back,” she said, bouncing up to hit the bathroom before things got good.
“Don’t be too long,” Briana called after her. “Or I’ll be forced to start without you.”
Dylan swallowed her laugh as she headed down the hall. After a quick pit stop, she breezed into the kitchen and reached into the fridge for two waters, thinking about her spirited repartee with Briana and the fun they were about to have.
“Whoa, my bad.”
The voice surprised her, but mostly because it was too deep to belong to Briana or Stef. She turned around and shut the refrigerator door, using the water as a pathetic modesty shield.
“Holy shit.”
There was no amount of warning that would have prepared Dylan to see her old friend. Because truthfully any kind of heads-up would have led to her avoiding this situation altogether. But right now, in her semi-compromised condition in Briana’s apartment, there was no way out.
“JJ.” She stood ramrod straight. “This is…not where I expec
ted to bump into you,” she said, trying to sound chill.
“Yeah, same.” JJ gave her a full once-over and nodded as though she was evaluating some kind of invisible progress. She rested her elbows on the kitchen island, clearly ready for some bro time, apparently not giving one shit that they were both in their underwear. “You look good. Tell me, how have you been, Junior?”
Junior. Jill Jessup couldn’t resist being a dick for two seconds.
“Good.” Dylan nodded with her chin. “I was, uh…just, um…” She pointed to Briana’s room with one water bottle, furious that JJ was killing her vibe.
“I see that.” JJ picked a pistachio from a bowl on the counter and shelled it, popping the nut into her mouth. “Briana Logan,” she said with a disgusting amount of shock-infused pride. “That’s a score for you. I’m impressed.”
“Still the same JJ.”
Over the years, Dylan had spent enough time with Jill Jessup to know what she was all about. JJ was…something. Brilliant, suave, funny. Women practically threw themselves at her. And she could be fun to hang with. Always ready with a killer story and an open tab. Dylan got it. More than once she’d reaped the benefits of JJ’s generosity. Everyone loved the life of the party.
But after the lights came up, JJ could also be rude, elitist, and insufferably arrogant. To her, in particular. In the end Dylan drifted away, deciding free drinks and funny anecdotes weren’t worth a lifetime of condescension.
“I went for the roommate. Stef,” JJ added, as though she’d had a choice between the two women. Her sense of entitlement was infuriating. “Anyway, I should get back in there. Any chance you could snag me a few waters?”
“You can take these,” Dylan said, mostly to end the interaction.
JJ swiped them readily. “Thanks, Dylan. See you in the morning, kid,” she said as she walked away and waved over her head with one of the bottles.
Dylan was so stunned she forgot to get replacement waters before hightailing it back to Briana’s bedroom.
“I was getting ready to send out a search party. Everything okay?”
Briana held the sheet over her naked torso as she sat up in bed. Dylan resisted the urge to kiss her beautiful chest.
“I don’t know how to say this, so I’m just going to say it.” Dylan sat on the side of the bed with her back to Briana, mostly to resist temptation.
Briana leaned over and switched on the bedside lamp, clearly sensing the urgency. Dylan relaxed into her body pressed up against her back. She felt Briana place a kiss on her bare shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
“I ran into Stef’s new girlfriend, or whatever they are.” Dylan actually had no idea if JJ and Stef were exclusively dating or just casually hooking up. She only knew how much Briana worried about Stef’s tendency to fall too fast, to trust too readily, and Dylan felt an obligation to be forthcoming. “This person she’s seeing.” She felt Briana’s arm drape across her shoulders, and she shifted so she could face her. “Bri, she’s a total player. Like a real heartbreaker. A stud. A dog. Whatever term you want to use.”
Briana smiled and kissed her. It was not the reaction she was expecting. “I guess you know JJ.”
“You’re not surprised,” Dylan said.
“I’m not.” Briana scrunched her nose. “I introduced them.”
Her head was going to explode. “Wait. You know JJ?”
“I’ve known Jill Jessup for a long time.” Briana shut the light off and scooted over on the bed to make room. “Lie down with me.” She patted the mattress lightly, and Dylan took the invitation to be close. “JJ was a seasoned AUSA when I was first on staff at the office. She was somewhat of a mentor to me. Our paths have crossed over the years since then.”
Dylan felt her heart drop into her stomach.
“Professionally,” Briana clarified. “Trust me, I know how JJ is.”
“And yet, you want this to happen?” Dylan’s head was still spinning.
Briana kissed the corner of her mouth. “Stef’s a big girl. She knows what she’s getting into with JJ.” Dylan felt Briana’s hand brush over her chest, and her pulse regulated at the smooth touch. “I have more concerns when she goes in blind and expects true love.”
“Whew.” Dylan let her concerns go with a full exhale. “That was easier than I thought.”
“You’re sweet to be worried about Stef.” Dylan felt Briana’s hand slide over her boxers. “How did I get so lucky?” Briana teased. “Landing the ace detective with the heart of gold.”
Briana straddled her again and Dylan throbbed in response. “I’m still not shipping them as hard as you are,” she said. “But if you say all’s good”—she held her palms up in surrender—“who am I to argue?”
“Baby,” Briana breathed out the word, and her sexy whisper combined with the way she was moving sent Dylan into a different kind of tailspin, “is there a reason we’re still talking about them?”
Nope. There was no good reason at all.
Chapter Seventeen
It’s dead here.
Dylan sent the text to Briana as she swiveled in her chair to look around at the empty plant. She knew Briana was busy with her family and didn’t expect an immediate response, but she was happy when one came.
When will you get to your mom’s?
Nieves wants the phones monitored until 12, just to be sure there’s no makeup session this am.
Last night had been a complete bust.
All week the three stooges had talked on the phone about a Wednesday night meeting at the Wine Bar to discuss business before the holiday weekend. The team was amped. Dylan and Trish were ready to use their gift certificate, backed by the excuse of treating themselves to a pre-Thanksgiving night out. They figured it was totally plausible a couple might want a date night before a weekend traditionally loaded with family. But then in the eleventh hour, just before they were set to head to the Wine Bar, Paul called off the meeting with Benji and George, citing a last-minute family emergency. Something about having to pick up his wife’s cousin from the airport.
With the undercover mission aborted, the team went for drinks together to pay tribute to each other and months of hard work. Even though Dylan had only been with the investigation for part of that time, she felt like an integral part of the family.
When Briana showed, Dylan knew it was to see her.
Despite not being able to really be together, they still connected. Dylan stole glances, and her fingertips tingled when she discreetly touched Briana’s back. She knew Briana could feel it. Even apart they were fire. The only problem was that Trish wanted to stay in character with Dylan. Even though it was just for a laugh, Dylan wanted no part of it. But the guys played along with Trish, yukking it up and making jokes. Dylan’s spirit sank when she registered Briana’s anguish over the farce. The problem was she felt powerless to nix it completely without making it a huge deal. Instead she downplayed it as much as possible and hoped her good intentions counted for something. There was no way to know really because when Briana left early to catch the Long Island Railroad to her parents’ house, there was no opportunity for a personal good-bye of any kind.
It’s almost 12. Briana’s message came through with a series of celebratory emojis and one heart. I can’t wait to see you. Rush through dinner with your family, please. LOL.
Briana missed her. She could tell. Or maybe that was her own emotion she was tapping into so strongly right now. Less than twenty-four hours had passed, but she couldn’t wait to see Briana. She almost wished she could bypass Cynthia and Kevin altogether.
I’ll hurry, she typed back, knowing it was the truth.
Earlier in the week she and Briana had made a plan to travel back from their respective Thanksgiving dinners together, after everyone had put in ample face time with their relatives. At the time, Briana had insisted that Dylan agree to stop in for a bit to meet her family and have a piece of her mom’s famous pumpkin pie. She didn’t need convincing. Any time with Briana was a bonus in her opin
ion.
Now sitting at the Logan family dining room table with Briana’s hand on her thigh beneath the tabletop, she was still in no rush to get home. The pumpkin pie was awesome, the company delightful. Briana’s family sat around drinking coffee and wine and talked about New York, politics, work, and pop culture. Her mom and dad asked questions and told stories about Briana and her younger sister, Brittany. It was warm and welcoming. Honestly, amazing.
It was almost eight o’clock when Briana stood to get their jackets.
“Are you girls really going to drive back to Brooklyn tonight?” Briana’s dad seemed genuinely dismayed at the thought. “Why don’t you stay? Brittany and Ted are staying. Come on,” he said, trying to coax them. “We can play Left, Right, Center or Thirty-one.”
“Pete. Give the girls a break. If they want to go back, let them go back.” Mrs. Logan waved her husband off and smiled. Dylan caught her look at Briana. “Do what you want, honey. Your dad just misses you.” She signaled Mr. Logan to help her in the kitchen.
“Come on, Briana, stay.” Brittany was positively enthusiastic. “It’ll be fun.” Even her boyfriend Ted got in on the push with two spirited thumbs-up.
Dylan looked at Briana and suddenly felt like the sole holdout. She squeezed Briana’s hand. “Bri, do you want to stay?”
“No, baby. I feel bad. I hadn’t thought of it before, and you probably want to get home. It’s fine.”
“I’ll do whatever you want.” It wasn’t just that Briana called her baby, which made her swoon. She was happy to spend time with Briana anywhere, and if this was where she wanted to be tonight, that was just fine with her.
“Really?” Briana pulled them into the pseudo-privacy of the front foyer to study her face. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Briana’s expression was exuberant, and Dylan was pleased to be partially responsible. “Do you have to work tomorrow?” Briana asked.
“No.” Dylan smiled. “That’s the trade-off for working the holiday. Do you?”
“Nope.”
Bulletproof Page 14
