Boxed Set: Traitorous Heart Volumes 1-6 (The Traitorous Heart Series) (25 page)

“Fine.” She hung up.

I scrambled to find my purse. I needed to get to the bank for cash. I didn’t want to pay for the room on my credit card. I threw on my burgundy wrap coat and tied it at the waist. I grabbed my phone and opened the door.

Cage gasped in surprise. “Hey. You’re up.”

“Yeah, and I need to go.” I tried to push past him, but he held his ground.

“I thought we were going to talk Revelry strategy.” He held one of two steaming cups of I guessed coffee.

I grabbed it and took a sip, burning my tongue. “We were. We will. But I need to grab some cash and rent a room.” I set the cup on the island in the kitchen and turned to leave.

Cage shut the door before facing me. “Why do you need to rent a room?”

I huffed. “You don’t need to know everything.”

He took hold of my arm. “I thought we were doing this together. Partners.”

“Fine.” I figured I might as well tell him. Then I could get to where I needed to go. So I did.

“You did what?” he shouted when I finished. “Why the fuck would you do that and then think it was okay not to tell me?”

“I figured you had your hands full enough already. Did you file the paperwork for Birdy?”

“Yes, of course I did. But Dandelion, you need to think this through. If what you said is true and she paused, then agreed to exchange information, that means she either is the killer or knows something, and that means she’ll know what you look like. She’ll probably kill you too.”

“I’m not that easy to kill, Cage.”

He laughed. “You think you’re stronger than Reid? What if she killed him?”

I hadn’t really thought through my decisions. “But I have to go. She’s expecting to meet Samantha at four. I need to talk to her.”

Cage sat on the barstool near the island. “It’s a great idea, but we need a plan and we need a disguise.”

“
We
? It’s we now?” I leaned on the counter and took another sip of coffee. He had a point about the disguise. I had to give him that.

“Yes, it’s we.” He grabbed my hand. “We do this together, Dandelion.”

CHAPTER 7

Katie

Cage an
d
I walked down Park Avenue. I wore one of Birdy’s long blond wigs and one of her barely there black dresses. On my feet were the over-the-knee boots Birdy wore the other night. I’d done my makeup heavy, the way Birdy liked me to when we went out and was chewing gum, popping it.

“Can you chew that any louder?” Cage asked, smirking.

To answer his question I blew a bubble and popped it next to his ear.

“Nice.” He sounded annoyed, but it was easy to tell he wasn’t. Cage was wearing a short black wig that was Birdy’s too. It actually looked good on him, but I figured with those blue eyes and his drool-worthy face, anything would. I’d found one of Brian’s tees left in Birdy’s room. Cage wore that instead of his standard button down, and he wore his jeans and the casual tweed jacket he’d already been wearing. “You look hot, by the way.”

I popped another bubble. “I know, darlin’.”

He groaned. “That accent. She bought it?”

I pretended exasperation. “Why sir, are you questioning my acting skills?”

Cage chuckled. “I wouldn’t dream of it, madam.” He tipped an invisible hat.

A doorman pushed open the lobby doors.

“Thanks, darlin’.” I patted the man on the arm. He responded by giving me a strange look.

Cage took my elbow and steered me toward the front desk. “I’ll do the talking, if you don’t mind.”

“Fine,” I hissed.

“Can I help you?”

“I hope so, little lady,” Cage said in a perfectly sexy Texas drawl. He turned his body so his back was facing me and all of his attention was on the girl working the front desk. She blushed. “I’d like a room. Your finest, if you please?”

All the blood drained from my face. We hadn’t discussed that.

“Of course, let me have a look.” She clicked keys on the computer. “We have one suite available. It doesn’t have the best view, but it’s one of our nicer suites.”

Cage slapped his hand on the counter. “We’ll take it.” He pulled out his wallet. “How much?”

“That’ll be twenty-two hundred dollars.” She seemed to be waiting for him to freak out.

But he didn’t. He kept his cool. I was freaking out though. Big time. On the inside, anyway. Outwardly I smiled, though I felt my lips tremble. We didn’t have that much cash.

Cage opened his wallet and slapped down a credit card as well as his ID. It was one of the firm’s credit cards.

The front desk clerk picked up the card and his ID. She glanced at the picture and then at Cage. “I dyed it for the little lady.” He pointed his thumb at me. “I think it looks all right though, don’t you?”

“Yes, it’s great.” She clicked some keys. Her brow furrowed. “Is the address on the ID still current?”

“Yeah, I know. I sound like a man from Texas. I grew up there, but now I’m living the New York dream. Gotta show my pretty filly here around in style, ya know?”

She smiled sweetly. “That’s very thoughtful.”

I wondered if she knew where his address was. Hopefully not, because the part of town he lived it was
nice
too. She seemed to buy it, though. Or didn’t care. I was relieved he used his company card. Hopefully he wouldn’t get in trouble.

“Everything is in order. Will it be for just one night?”

“Damn straight.”

“Just sign here then, Mr. Devereux, and you’re done.”

He signed.

She handed him the key card. “Any luggage?”

“Nope. Won’t need it.” He winked and tapped the card on the counter. “Thank you kindly. Oh, and by the by, a Miss Morrell will be stopping by around four o’clock asking for my pretty filly here, Samantha Goodwin. Please give her our room number and let her up, would ya?”

“Of course. Anything else?”

“Nope, that oughtta do it.” He glanced at me. I was doing my best not to start laughing. “Well, yes. Can you send up a bottle of your best champagne as well?”

“Right away, sir.”

She picked up the phone and asked that a bottle be delivered to our room.

As soon as the elevator closed behind us, I burst out laughing. “Now I’m a filly?”

He pushed his body against mine, letting me feel he had an erection. “The prettiest damn filly I ever seen,” he murmured against my neck. “There’s cameras. Ham it up.” He kissed my neck lightly. “I’m liking this undercover stuff with you.”

My heart raced. I put my hands on his shoulders and pulled him closer. I was supposed to be pretending, but my pussy was wet. I wanted him to take me in the elevator. 

CHAPTER 8

Katie

The suit
e
was decadent, with a grand foyer at the entrance. A large spray of fresh flowers sat on a round cherry wood table. The floor was white marbled porcelain. The walls were beige with white accents.

“Whoa, this is nice,” I said, spinning in a circle. Birdy and I had been friends a long time and, because of her dragging me to parties, I’d been to lots of extravagant places, but I’d never been inside such a fancy hotel room. All the furnishings looked handcrafted and stained a dark cherry with gilded highlights.

“Not bad,” Cage said. I could tell he was as impressed as I was. The sitting area had a dark wood floor with a blue and gold area rug. A large flat screen TV was suspended over a fireplace. Windows on either side of the fireplace wore tan drapes that hung to the floor. Across from the fireplace was a thick stuffed couch and a glass coffee table. Two blue and gold striped chairs had their backs to the fireplace.

I sat on the couch. “That was some fine acting, darlin’.” I rested my head against the cushion. I heard Cage come over.

“Thank you kindly.”

I cracked an eye. Cage’s eyes were roaming my body. Butterflies took flight between my legs. “What are you doing?” I asked, biting my lip.

“Well, ma’am, I just spent over two grand on this here suite, I think you ought to check it out with me, do all sorts of ohhh-ing and ahhh-ing. Then once we find the bedroom, pleasure me to my liking.” His eyes twinkled as he spoke.

I liked the sound of that. “We’ll see.” I took his outstretched hand and stood. I could feel my ass cheeks hanging out of Birdy’s tiny black dress and went to fix it.

He glanced back. “Don’t bother. That’s a fine view.”

I blushed. Couldn’t help it. But I didn’t move the dress either.

We checked out the suite together. From the sitting room we found our way into what looked like a dining-slash-meeting room. The table was black cherry wood and shiny. It sat eight. The chairs were overstuffed and had old world charm.

Cage leaned on the table. “Solid.” He winked.

I wanted to blush at the implication, but didn’t. Instead I went to one of the chairs and bounced. “Sturdy.”

He pulled out the chair next to mine and did the same. “Very nice.” He took my hand and said, “Let’s see what else this place has to offer.”

There was a private office and a half bath for guests.

I opened a door. It was a small room. “This isn’t the master, is it?”

“Not sure.” Cage went in. I followed. The floor was wood and had an area rug similar to the one in the sitting room. The bed looked to be a double or maybe a queen. A flat screen TV sat on a chest of drawers across from the bed. The room had its own bathroom and a small desk with enough room for a laptop. Cage fell back on the bed. “Firm with just the right amount of bounce.”

I sat next to him. “You’re right, darlin’.” From where we laid I could see into the bathroom. It was nice, with a stand up shower and double vanity.

“Let’s go find the master.”

Before we located it, there was a knock. Cage opened the door. “Your champagne, sir. Where would you like it?”

“The master bedroom, if you please.” Cage winked at me.

I hid a smile. He’d let the waiter show us where it was. 

“Of course.” The overweight male with curly brown hair wheeled the cart down a short hall and pushed open the double doors. He placed the cart at the end of a gigantic bed dressed in crisp white. It was a stark contrast to the deep red carpet. Overhead hung a black and gold chandelier.

“The champagne is chilled; would you like me to pour you each a glass?” the waiter asked.

“No thank you,” Cage said.

I was disappointed. The champagne chilled in a pewter chest. Two glasses sat next to a covered tray.

“Very well.” He removed the lid and revealed chocolate covered strawberries. “Compliments of the hotel,” he said.

“Excellent.” Cage slapped the kid on the back and walked him out.

I didn’t see what kind of a tip Cage gave him, but I heard the exclamation in the kid’s voice, so I knew it had to be a good one.

“Did you just make that kid’s day, darlin’?”

“Probably.” Cage glanced at his watch, pulled a Wint-O-Green Life Saver from his pocket. “It’s three-thirty. You want one?” He offered me a Life Saver.

“No, thanks.” I was too nervous for candy, even the minty kind. But I eyed the champagne. Chloe would arrive soon. It wouldn’t do to talk to her tipsy. 

Cage popped one in his mouth, slid his jacket off, and hung it over a chair. Then he pulled the gun from the waist of his pants.

The sight of it terrified and fascinated me. I’d never seen one up close. My parents didn’t believe in them. They had their hippy-dippy beliefs and I hated to admit some of them had left an impression.

Cage clapped his hands, rubbing them together. That snapped me out of it.

“Allrighty then. You gonna pleasure me, woman?”

I burst out laughing. “Darlin,’ it should be a pleasure just to be in my presence.”

Cage lunged across the bed, pulling me down on top on him. The smirk on his face disappeared. In its place was a soft joy. “It is a pleasure, Dandelion.”

I pressed my forehead against his. Our eyes met. Mine crossed and I giggled, rolling off him. Our heads rested against each other. I wanted to take our budding
whatever the fuck was happening between us
to the next level, but then what? “I was full of confidence when I called Morrell Headquarters. I was nearly cocky when I called Chloe. Now I’m petrified.”

Cage turned on his side. “It’ll be fine. I’m here. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

My eyes found the gun resting against the bedside table. Cage followed my eyes. “It won’t come to that. Don’t worry.” His fingers reached out and pushed some stray blond hair from my wig out of my face. “I like you better as a brunette.”

I smiled, tugging on his black wig. “I think you look much better with black hair, sweet thing. You should keep it.” It was a total lie, but I kept my face serious.