“I’ll miss you,” Brooklyn said, “but I know the perfect way to welcome you back.”
Santana had been looking forward to performing reconnaissance on her final assignment. Now she had something entirely different to look forward to. The Mladić job could earn her her freedom, but it could also get her killed. Which did she want more, she wondered, to risk her life or to share it with Brooklyn?
Chapter Twenty
Brooklyn went to work on Monday exhausted but satiated. She tried to be productive so her team wouldn’t think she was slacking off, but she couldn’t stay on task because her mind kept wandering to the events of the weekend. She couldn’t stop thinking about the jaw-dropping helicopter tour she and Vilma had taken on Saturday, the amazing dinner they had eaten in Brgy afterward, or the incredible sex they’d had in her apartment at the end of the night.
Yesterday, she had woken up in Vilma’s arms. She had tried to head to the kitchen in order to make them breakfast, but Vilma had pulled her back into bed and given her something to remember her by before she left to pack for her business trip.
As she had on Saturday, Vilma hadn’t allowed her to reciprocate. Though somewhat disappointing, that might have ended up being a blessing in disguise. By the time Vilma was done with her on Sunday morning, she hadn’t been able to feel her fingers, let alone use them to pleasure someone. She was eager to make Vilma feel all the wonderful sensations she had treated her to, but she would have to wait at least a week to get her chance since Vilma wouldn’t return from her trip to Zurich until then.
Venture capitalism was a globe-trotting profession. On some level, Brooklyn had known Vilma would eventually have to leave her behind in order to take a meeting in some exotic locale. Still, she had quickly gotten used to having her around. To having her be only a few minutes away rather than several hours.
“I’m experiencing separation anxiety and today’s only the first day.”
She had newfound empathy for addicts going through withdrawal. Because she was hooked on Vilma Bautista. Going cold turkey wouldn’t be easy. She needed a distraction. And today, work wasn’t cutting it.
She locked her computer, pushed her chair away from her desk, and walked over to AJ’s work station. AJ was toiling on a project that wasn’t due for a few more months. Based on the work product displayed on her computer screen, she was several weeks ahead of schedule. The perfect time to take a break.
“Do you have plans tonight?” Brooklyn asked after AJ paused the music she was listening to on her phone.
“Nothing that can’t be changed,” AJ said as she set her ear buds on her keyboard. “Why? What do you have in mind?”
“Come to Game Bar with me. My treat. It’ll give us a chance to talk about something other than work while I kick your ass at Donkey Kong.”
AJ leaned back in her chair and laced her fingers behind her head. The move was so reminiscent of Charlie it make Brooklyn’s heart hurt. “Isn’t that the place where people drink craft beer and cocktails while they play a shit ton of vintage video games?”
“The one and the same.” She and Charlie had hung out there at least once a week. It felt almost blasphemous to even consider going there with someone else, but she didn’t want to abandon all of her old haunts because Charlie was no longer around to enjoy them with her.
“I’ve always been partial to Tetris,” AJ said, “but I’m willing to try something different. Don’t expect me to take it easy on you just because you’re the boss, though.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way. See you tonight at eight?”
“I’ll be there.” Brooklyn turned to head back to her office, but AJ’s question stopped her in her tracks. “Should I bring a plus one?”
“If you like.” Surprised by the unexpected conversational turn, Brooklyn folded her arms across her chest. “I didn’t know you were seeing anyone.”
“I’m single and ready to mingle, but I get the feeling you might be off the market. I don’t want to run the risk of making anyone jealous since tonight’s not a date date. Is it?”
Brooklyn heard what sounded like hopefulness in AJ’s voice. She had always taken AJ’s eagerness to please her as a sign she wanted to impress the boss. Perhaps it was interest AJ had been displaying all that time rather than ambition. If so, she would have to tread carefully. Office romances had never been her thing, especially ones that involved superiors and subordinates. They ruined workplace morale and, more often than not, ended up in litigation. “What makes you think I’m seeing someone?”
“If you want my honest opinion,” AJ said, lowering her voice, “you look like you spent the weekend in bed. And not alone, if you know what I mean. Is it someone I know?”
Brooklyn started to deny everything AJ was saying, but she was in such a good mood she wanted to share the news about Vilma with someone. Preferably someone who didn’t share her last name so she wouldn’t have to deal with the subsequent teasing from her siblings about how far she thought the relationship might lead or the requisite questions from her parents about the possibility that there might be more grandkids in the offing. As if there weren’t enough little DiVincenzos running around already. “You don’t know her, but you have met her.”
“When?”
“Remember the woman I introduced you to last weekend?”
AJ thought for a minute, then her eyebrows shot up. “The venture capitalist? She was hot.”
“I know.”
“I thought you two seemed pretty cozy that morning,” AJ said. “I had a feeling I’d walked in on something more than a business meeting.” She looked away, confirming Brooklyn’s suspicions she might be harboring feelings for her. “Does this mean you two are a thing?”
“If by ‘a thing,’ you mean a couple, I have no idea. It’s much too soon for labels. If something changes, I’ll be sure to let you know.”
AJ turned back to her. “Does this make me your new confidante?”
“Not yet. You have to pass the audition first.”
“Challenge accepted.”
Brooklyn felt like she had a challenge of her own: finding a way to lead AJ without leading her on.
That night, AJ made things a bit easier for her by showing up at Game Bar with a couple of people from the office in tow. Their presence turned what could have been an awkward encounter into an unexpected team-building opportunity.
“I didn’t know you and Trevor were friends,” Brooklyn said as he and Dominic Rhodes from R&D headed to the bar to order a round of drinks.
“He loves to try to get under my skin, and he can be a bit of an asshole sometimes, but I seem to have an affinity for assholes.”
“That sounds like the same kind of relationship I have with Luke,” Brooklyn said. “I respect him, but I trust him about as far as I can throw him.”
“It might sound crazy, but when I first heard what happened to Charlie, I thought he might have had something to do with it. He was so gung-ho on beating us to the market on the code-breaking technology he seemed willing to do anything to impede our progress.”
“Luke can be ruthless when it comes to business, but he’s not entirely heartless. When he came to see me that night, he seemed as broken up about what had happened as I was.”
“I just hope the police are able to determine who was truly responsible. I hope they can find out who pulled the trigger, too. In the end, I guess it won’t matter as long as they know who ordered the hit in the first place.”
“It’s interesting that the first conclusion you came to was professional hit. Even now, I have a hard time coming to terms with the idea.”
“There’s no way an amateur would have been able to pull off a shot like that and get away without being seen.” AJ jerked her thumb at one of the dozens of arcade games surrounding them. “Or maybe I spent way too much time playing these as a kid while the rest of my friends were shopping for jeans at Forever 21 or trying to impress some guy they met in the food court.”
“That soun
ds like me. My sisters could hang out at the mall all day, but I’d be bored senseless after five minutes.”
“What did you do for fun when you were younger?”
“When I was younger? You make me sound like I’m old enough to be your grandmother.”
Brooklyn was only pretending to take offense, but AJ’s cheeks colored nevertheless. “Sorry, I was just—I mean—”
Brooklyn smiled to take AJ out of her misery. “It’s okay. Some days, I feel old enough to be someone’s grandmother.”
“Rest assured you don’t look a day over forty-five.”
“Hey.” Brooklyn tried to give AJ a not-so-playful punch in the arm, but AJ stepped out of range before she could make contact. “So much for that substantial pay raise I was planning on giving you.”
Trevor and Dominic returned carrying a tray of drinks and a platter of nachos.
“Is it too late to amend my answer?” AJ asked as she handed Brooklyn the Manhattan she had ordered.
“You bet it is.” Brooklyn took a sip of her drink. It wasn’t bad, but the one Vilma had made for her was better. She longed for another taste. Of the drink and of Vilma.
God, this is going to be a long week.
“Who’s up for a little competition?” she asked. “I know AJ’s in. How about you guys?”
“I’m down,” Trevor said.
Dominic raised his hand. “So am I.”
“Awesome,” Brooklyn said. “Let’s split into teams so we don’t hog the console too long. Otherwise, we might have to fight our way out of here.”
Even though it was a weekend, the place was growing more crowded by the minute. The line in front of Pac-Man was six people deep, and the one in front of Frogger wasn’t far behind.
“You can pick the teams as long as I can pick the game,” Trevor said.
“Okay, AJ and I will be one team, you and Dom the other.”
“Cool.” Trevor looked around the room, then pointed to a console a couple of rows away from where they were standing. “Let’s play Galaga. In case you don’t know how it works, the object of the game is to destroy the flying insects that swoop down and drop bombs on your spaceship.”
Brooklyn rolled her eyes as he continued to mansplain a game she had played thousands of times. Winning hadn’t been her original goal tonight. Now losing wasn’t an option. “Is that it?” she asked when he finally stopped talking.
“Yeah, I think that covers it.”
“Since we’re playing in teams,” Dominic said, “how are we going to do this? Are we going to switch players after each round and add each team member’s scores together, or what?”
“I have a better idea,” Brooklyn said. “Let’s have both team members play at the same time. One can be the navigator, the other can be the shooter.”
Trevor rubbed his hands together as if he had lured them into a trap. “Oh, you two are going down. You navigate, Dom. I’ll handle the weapons.” He flexed his fingers. “Ask any of the girls I’ve dated. Each one will tell you I’ve got the fastest draw this side of the Mississippi.”
AJ grimaced. “Thanks for the imagery, Quick Draw. Though I guess that explains why you don’t have a girlfriend.”
Brooklyn took a sip of her drink so she wouldn’t burst out laughing. She didn’t want to dent Trevor’s confidence when he seemed to need a bit of bravado to push himself to succeed at his job. “Since you’re the self-proclaimed subject matter expert,” she said after she regained her composure, “why don’t you and Dom go first?”
“I’d be happy to. Watch and learn, ladies. Watch and learn.”
Dominic and Trevor positioned themselves in front of the game console. Brooklyn and AJ stood off to the side so they could get a clear look at the screen. The bickering began right after the game did.
“I thought you guys were supposed to be battling a common enemy rather than each other,” AJ said when the game ended.
“Don’t blame me,” Trevor said. “My shots would have been on target if my navigator had done his job.”
“I did my part,” Dominic said. “It’s not my fault if you didn’t get your shots off in time. I would have been better off playing by myself.”
Brooklyn stepped in before the burgeoning argument could get too heated. “No, the two of you would have been better off working as a team.” She felt more than a bit like her mother as she waited for her words to sink in. “Ready, AJ?”
AJ set her empty glass down and flexed her fingers. “Watch and learn, fellas. Watch and learn.”
“I navigate, you shoot?” Brooklyn asked.
“Works for me.”
When the game started, Brooklyn made sure to do what Trevor and Dominic hadn’t. She communicated with her teammate rather than shutting her out.
“Coming up on your right,” she said when a bomb-laden insect began to attack their position.
“I see it,” AJ said just before she shot the bug out of the sky. “Quick! Two bogies on your left!”
“On it.” Brooklyn jerked the joystick in the opposite direction just in time for AJ to repel the attack.
Working as a team, they continued to pile up points. Their luck eventually ran out, but not before they had quadrupled Dominic and Trevor’s score.
“Sweet,” AJ said after she and Brooklyn shared a high five. “Do you guys want to go again?”
Dominic shook his head. “One round of embarrassment is enough for me. I’ll take another drink, though. Anyone else want one?”
“Sure,” Brooklyn said. “Put it on my tab.”
Trevor held up a hand. “No, this round’s on me. Consider it a small price to pay for a valuable lesson learned.”
Despite his contrite expression, AJ couldn’t resist needling him. “Thanks, Quick Draw. Beer’s always better when it’s free.”
“Don’t push him too far,” Brooklyn said, “or he might be tempted to spit in yours.”
“You might be right.”
AJ looked as if she wanted to say something else, but she remained quiet.
“What’s eating you?” Brooklyn asked.
“Nothing, really. Just a hunch I have. It’s probably better if I keep it to myself, though. I don’t want to wind up getting on your bad side now that we’re getting along so well.”
“With an opening like that, you can’t possibly leave me hanging. What’s on your mind?”
AJ shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “I checked out the woman you’re seeing.”
Brooklyn didn’t know whether to be touched or offended. She was glad AJ was concerned about her well-being, but she was a little miffed that she didn’t seem to trust her judgment. “Why did you do that?”
“I’ve never seen you with anyone so I was curious to know what kind of woman you’re attracted to.”
“And?”
“That’s just it. I wasn’t able to unearth much of anything because her internet profile is practically nonexistent. I saw a couple of photos of her at various business meetings, but I couldn’t locate any social media accounts in her name and I didn’t see any real biographical information. All I could find was her name, where she was born, and her current place of residence. Nice place, by the way. Some apartments in that neighborhood can cost up to eight figures, occasionally nine.”
“Perhaps that’s why she keeps such a low profile. So she doesn’t make herself a target for con artists and opportunists.” AJ didn’t look convinced so Brooklyn continued to press her case. “Not everyone lives her life virtually, you know. People in our industry just wish they did so we can chalk up a few more sales.”
“Even so, it’s incredibly difficult to do anything these days without leaving a digital trail behind—or paying a mint to have it erased. I’m not saying she’s up to something hinky and you shouldn’t get involved with her, but how well you know her?”
“How well does anyone really know someone else’s heart? I know plenty of people who ended up being taken by surprise by someone they thought they knew inside and
out. I might not know all of Vilma’s innermost secrets, but I know enough. More importantly, I trust her.”
“Are you trying to convince me or yourself?”
Dominic and Trevor returned before Brooklyn could respond to AJ’s question, but she knew she couldn’t avoid it forever—or ignore the ones that were starting to form in her own heart.
Chapter Twenty-one
Santana reached under the seat in front of her to retrieve her carry-on bag after her flight landed at Keflavik International Airport in Reykjavik, Iceland. When the flight attendant gave the all-clear to use electronic devices, she was tempted to send Brooklyn a text to let her know her flight had landed safely. Then she remembered she had intentionally left all traces of her Vilma Bautista identity behind.
Stay in character, she mentally chided herself. Brooklyn had never met the person she was currently pretending to be. If she forgot that even for a second, she wouldn’t make it home to her.
She regarded her reflection in the battered plexiglass window. The platinum blond wig, colored contacts, and facial prosthetics she was wearing made her look like a surfer on the hunt for the next big wave. Her wardrobe—a cable knit beanie, a black leather jacket, low-slung jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt, and worn skateboard shoes—made the image complete.
She waited her turn to make her way down the narrow aisle. The flight from Montreal was supposed to land at six a.m., but the pilot had touched down a few minutes earlier than expected. By the time she made her way off the plane, cleared Customs, and secured ground transportation, the sun, which was just starting to peek over the horizon, should have risen in earnest. She wanted to get settled in the house she had rented before the man she had come to observe began his day.
Though the trip wasn’t as above-board as she had made it seem when she described it to Brooklyn, her mission was the same. She was here to observe. To get a sense of Jusuf Mladić’s daily routine and check out his security detail to see if she could detect any weaknesses. She didn’t need many. One would do as long as the hole was big enough for her to slip through.
Heart of a Killer Page 14
