“Missy. What have I told you about flirting with the customers?” The boss hissed.
The girl turned red in the face before she started to serve some of the other customers.
“I’m sorry about that, sir.” The older woman apologized with a gracious tone.
“Oh, it’s not a problem at all.” I smiled before taking a sip of my drink.
From there, I was free to observe Ace as I pleased. I needed to find the right moment to join him and infiltrate his inner circle. If I could do that much, then it was only a matter of time before I gained his trust and at that point, he would be as good as mine.
I had been investigating Ace for quite a while now, using different disguises to find his hideouts. It was no easy task, he knew how to stay under the radar. None of his associates had given the mafia leader away, so it was high time I talk to him myself.
I left a tip on the counter for Missy before I headed for the back of the room.
His guards instantly got up when they saw me approach, their hands balled into fists like they were about to knock me out right then and there.
“At ease.” Ace prompted. He had a light and airy way about him almost as if he thought he was untouchable. “Let the man talk.”
I met his words with confidence, knowing that a man like Ace would find value in my moxie. I sat down right beside him, forcing the blonde he was fondling to move away.
He grinned, looking interested.
“I hear that you run high stakes poker games every weekend. I was hoping I could buy in.”
Ace raised an eyebrow with intrigue. “Oh, is that so? I’ve never seen you around here before.”
“I’m actually from out of town.” I lied smoothly, keeping my expression steady.
“Which town?” He asked quickly, obviously testing me. No doubt, he probably had hundreds of people trying to scam him in the past. Probably a dozen or so undercover cops. But none of them were me. Where the others had failed, I would succeed.
“Attleboro,” I answered without batting an eye. “You know Big Heidi? Well, I’m her cousin.”
“Zach?” Ace asked, his eyes widening ever so slightly before he brought me into a tight hug. “Why didn’t you say something sooner? Hell, if you’re related to Heidi, you’re practically family. You know, her mother, she made the best chicken parmesan.”
“Oh, you don’t have to tell me.” I laughed, playing my part to a T. “That tomato sauce… it was to die for.” I pinched my fingers together and faked like I was savoring the taste. “I honestly don’t know how she did it. I kept badgering her for the recipe, but she said she would take it to her grave.”
“Maybe we should go dig her up and find it.” Ace joked, jabbing his elbow into my side. I didn’t know if he was doing so to prompt me to laugh or to subtly check whether I was carrying a gun. Luckily, I was smart enough to come unarmed. You can get yourself into quite a pinch if someone finds you with a gun when you’re supposed to be all friendly and buddy-buddy to them. And, honestly, I much preferred to break someone’s nose over blasting their brains out. Guns made things way too easy.
“So, do you think I can get a spot at one of your poker games? Heidi wouldn’t shut up about it.”
“That’s because Heidi has never won a penny.”
“I expect she gets too plastered to think straight. You know how she loves her vodka. Straight. Pinch of lemon.”
Ace’s shoulders sagged a little, relaxing just a tad. Up until now, he kept his guard up, not easily fooled by stories and ruses, but I had done my homework. I knew Big Heidi inside and out.
“Hmm, there’s an opening tonight, but it’s a friendly game. $10,000 buy-in. You’re free to come… but there’s one rule.”
I raised my eyebrow in question. “And what is that?”
He smirked. “You have to bring along a beautiful woman.”
“Is that all? I can have ten women by the time the night is over.”
“Then, I look forward to seeing you later tonight. The game starts at 3:00 A.M. Don’t be late.” He reached into his jacket and pulled out an Ace of Spades, handing it to me. “That’s your invitation. If you show up without it, my men won’t hesitate to make quick work of you.” The bodyguards nearly growled at me at their boss’ words. “Well, it has certainly been a pleasure, but I must get going now.” He snapped his fingers and instantly, two women flocked to his side, holding onto his arms. His bodyguards were quick to follow.
I waited until he left the bar before I slumped back into my seat. While I was good at my job, it didn’t mean it was easy. I grabbed Ace’s unfinished glass of bourbon and sniffed it. I spun it around to the clean side and downed the expensive liquor, enjoying the taste as it effortlessly ran down my throat, warming me from the inside out.
As I sat there, staring at the bar, I planned out my night. I would need to find myself a date and quickly. I could call the station and ask for a female officer to come along with me, but none of them were really cut out for the part. Besides, none of them had been thrust into such a dangerous situation before. I hardly thought they could handle it since most of them only issued parking tickets or handled routine traffic stops.
Ace was a whole other ballpark.
He was the town’s biggest mafia leader. The overlord of the city’s underbelly. If someone needed high-end drugs, he was the man to call. If someone needed a hit, he was the man to call.
For years, the department has been trying to take him down, but every time an officer got close enough to bust him, their body ended up in the river, decomposed beyond recognition. The only way we were ever able to ID the victims was by their police badges which were always nailed over their hearts.
I knew, by taking on this assignment, that I might be the next corpse floating down the river, but honestly, I needed to take this man down. Five years ago, my sister had been walking home from a late-night class and back to her dorm when a couple of guys jumped her.
She was never seen alive again.
After an investigation, it was discovered that she looked just like Ace’s ex-girlfriend, a notoriously rich woman that was in the blood diamond business. Their breakup had been like World War three and my sister had been caught in the crossfire.
She was going to be a goddamn surgeon one day.
I would be damned if I allowed Ace to go without punishment.
When I finally have him in my hands, he will be begging for mercy.
I grinned, blinking back into reality.
Doing so, I spotted the beautiful pianist, dressed in a long black gown, her hair falling down her back. Even from this angle, I could tell she was strikingly beautiful. A doll-like face. Cute button nose. Sensual lips. A knock-out body.
She was exactly the woman I needed.
Now, all I had to do was convince her to go to a little poker game with me.
Chapter 3
BROOKE
By the end of the night, the bar was all but empty. A few stragglers still held their glasses in their hand, their cheeks rosy from the alcohol. Almost everyone had stopped listening to me and I was mostly just playing for myself at this point, pretending I was hosting a concert, all my adoring fans hanging on my every note.
But, there was still one person who seemed interested.
It was the man in the black tuxedo. At some point, he had joined the back table, making small talk with the man in white. A part of me wished I had been able to hear what they were saying, but I was content with making up my own version of their dialogue.
Eventually, the man in white left with his entourage, but the man in black remained. His bright blue eyes stared at me all night from that point forward. I almost expected him to swoop in, take me in his arms, and run off. I’d make a fuss of course, but there’d be honestly nothing I could do once I was in his big strong arms. I’d be his helpless little victim until the good guy came and saved the day.
God, I really needed to go out more…
<
br /> As the owner started to corral people out of the establishment, I got up, fixing the wrinkles on my dress. The second I looked up, the man in black was already standing there, leaning against the back wall, his eyes crawling up and down my body, taking in the sight of me.
“Can I help you?” I asked, pursing my lips.
For a split second, he looked vaguely surprised. Surely, he didn’t think I could be so bold. I bet he was expecting me to go weak in the knees at his mere presence, but I wasn’t that kind of girl.
I could hold my own, even with the best of them.
“Don’t think I haven’t noticed you watching me all night long.” I lowered my voice to a sensual tone, getting closer to him, pushing him into the wall.
Suddenly, he turned the tables. He grabbed my wrists and in an instant, they were pinned above my head. Our bodies locked together and I could feel the slight outline of his member against my thigh.
My heart kickstarted in my chest.
Tonight might not be so boring after all.
I grinned up at him, maintaining eye contact. “Rough… I like that.” I leaned forward as much as I could, our lips almost touching. I knew by the way his eyes fell to my lips that he was tempting me. He wanted to kiss me, but there was something holding him back.
“You should really be careful who you play around with. You might just get hurt…” He leaned down, whispering into my ear, sending a shiver running through my spine. “And I wouldn’t want to see a pretty girl like you getting hurt.” His free hand ran down the curve of my body before it rested on my ass.
“I think I can take care of myself.”
“Is that so?” His lips finally made contact with the side of my neck, his tongue teasing my skin, making me shiver. “And if I wanted to have my way with you right here and now, how would you stop me?”
“Maybe I don’t want you to stop.” I countered, knowing I was playing with fire. I knew nothing about this man. For all I knew, he could be some kind of drug lord, about to drag me into a life of crime, but hey, it would be more exciting than a desk job, that’s for sure. Not that I was looking into a life of crime or anything. It was just a thought.
He chuckled, finally letting me go. “I have a favor to ask you.”
“Oh?” I raised my eyebrow in question. “At two in the morning… I wonder what you have in mind.” I was already picturing him pushing me onto a bed, his body hovering over mine. I had no doubt that he looked like a god underneath that fancy suit. I bit the inside of my lip to keep my fantasies at bay, but it was so hard with him standing so close… I just wanted to grab him by the lapels, pull him close, and kiss him hard. Maybe I should…
I was just about to do exactly that when he grabbed my wrist. “Not here.” He pulled me toward the back entrance, almost like he knew about my fantasy. I grinned, thinking I was finally about to get some after months without even so much as a guy glancing my way.
Was I getting desperate?
Who knows? Who cares?
I followed him outside. There, the nighttime breeze pushed my hair into my face. To my surprise, he carefully pinned it behind my ear in an almost romantic manner. “Really, you shouldn’t bother with all the sappy stuff. I’m not really into it.”
He laughed. “I’m not trying to woo you. If I’m reading you right, you’re already soaked just thinking about me, but that’s not why I brought you out here.”
I blushed ever so slightly at his words.
“Then, what do you want?” I couldn’t fathom why he had brought me out here if he didn’t want to have sex.
He reached into his jacket. To my surprise, he flashed a special agent badge.
“Wait, you’re a cop?” I exclaimed.
“You might want to be quiet. There’s no telling who could be lurking around. You wouldn’t want to blow my cover and get us both killed, would you?”
The threat made me shiver. “K-Killed?” I stammered.
“You aren’t scared, are you?” He asked, pushing me against the brick wall, our bodies so close together I could feel the heat rolling off his body.
“No,” I said firmly, pushing back the fear that crept under my skin. “Why would I be scared?”
“Good, then you should have no problem coming with me.”
I furrowed my brows together in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Ace, the man in white you saw me sitting with, is a ruthless mafia boss.”
My eyes widened, nearly bugging out of my head. “You mean that’s the Ace? The guy that’s always all over the news?”
“Don’t look so excited. That guy isn’t to be taken lightly. He won’t hesitate to kill a pretty girl like you.”
“So, you’re going undercover to bust him, aren’t you?”
“That’s the plan.”
“Then, why do you need my help?”
“He’s famous for running high-stakes poker games. He runs these fancy poker parlors that are pretty much a front for his shady dealings. He’s known to sell drugs there, hire out prostitutes, and if his golden Ace shows up on the table, then you’re as good as dead.”
His words reignited the fear that I had felt before, but at the same time, there was a surge of adrenaline running through my veins. “I still don’t understand why you need me to come with you.”
“There’s a dress code of sorts required for these poker places. You don’t get in without a beautiful woman on your arm. Now, I could call in one of my fellow officers, but none of them could quite play the part as well as I’m sure you could. Besides, you’re already all dressed up and look stunning.” He upped the charm, obviously trying to convince me. Slowly, his fingers danced along my thigh, getting higher and higher.
I liked this guy.
He was daring.
The kind of bad boy I always wanted to be with when I was younger. Maybe I could still make that fantasy come true.
“Won’t you get in trouble for putting a civilian’s life in danger?” I had already made up my mind. I was going to go with him, but I wanted to make him sweat a little first.
“Do you really think I would let anything happen to you?” He asked, his lips so close to mine that I could feel his hot breath. The scent of his cologne invaded my senses.
It was intoxicating.
“So, how about it?”
I grinned. “Sure, why not? I need a little bit of excitement in my life.”
His blue eyes sparkled with mischief before he grabbed my hand and towed me toward the parking lot. We approached a sports bike that looked brand new.
“Let me guess, this is how you get around?” I asked with my hand on my hip. “You know for a detective who has this James Bond vibe going on, I half-expected you to be out here with an Aston Martin.”
“Are you disappointed?”
“Not at all. A motorcycle just means I get to straddle you the whole way there.”
“I’m starting to really like you.” He chuckled, grabbing me by the hips and hoisting me onto the bike.
“You have a funny way of showing it. If you were really James Bond, you probably would’ve fucked me by now.”
“I like to think I’m more of a gentleman.” He winked, getting on in front of me. He started the bike and it roared to life, the vibrations rolling along my spine. I nearly moaned but managed to keep my composure as I wrapped my arms around him, snuggling in nice and close.
I had a hunch this guy was muscular, but I didn’t think he was this muscular. Damn. If things went my way, I would have one hell of a time.
Chapter 4
ZACH
I didn’t think this girl would have this much guts about her, but she was definitely impressing me so far. I wanted nothing more than to run my hands along her bare thighs, to creep my fingers closer and closer to her pussy. I knew all the ways to drive her absolutely wild, but that would have to wait.
As sweet as sex was, revenge was sweeter, and as the old saying states,
best served cold.
I revved the engine, pulling off a wheelie. The girl screamed, but it wasn’t a scream of terror rather one of glee. She was nuts.
I liked that. I liked it a lot.
She held on tighter to me, her head resting on my shoulder. “You know, you never told me your name. Or should I just call you Bond?”
Forever Together Page 17
