Dark Seduction (18 page)

Janice sighed and moved back to her desk, her magic dissolving in the air until it was gone. “You’re right, of course. I don’t want to catch whatever you have.”

“Great news about snagging the CVP device and the software,” Tori worked for an admiring expression. “You really kicked some ass on this op.”

“I certainly did.” Janice looked extraordinarily pleased with herself. “I’m bound to get a raise and a promotion once the product is in the hands of the highest bidder.”

“Where is it now?” Tori asked, hoping that Janice would take it as a simple question of curiosity from her lover. “How safe is it?”

Janice smiled, a satisfied expression on her face. “In the PIA’s vault, of course. Although we’re not giving that information out to employees even though there’s nothing to be concerned about. You never know who might be caught and turned.” She scowled. “Like Agent Adams.”

Tori/Brian scowled, too. “I can’t believe she would turn on the agency.”

“Tori never knew that our inside guy is a Changeling like her.” Janice made a face of disgust as she continued. “She had no idea that our guy took the form of one of the CIA agents who interviewed her, and she crumbled.”

Tori/Brian shook her head. “That CVP must be damned incredible.”

“It’s unbelievable.” Janice held up her hands as if she could grasp the device. “If we weren’t going to make billions off of it, I’d love to keep the thing to use for our own ops. We’d be unstoppable, unbeatable.”

“It’s dangerous technology.” Tori wanted to put doubt in Janice’s mind. “What’s to stop the highest bidder from turning and using it against us?”

“We’ll have safeguards in place.” Janice touched her hand to her hair that was swept back in a knot at the base of her nape. “Trust me, no one is going to be using it against us.”

“Good.”

“I want you and Ellis to find Agent Adams.” Janice’s voice was cold. Cruel. “Do whatever it takes to execute her.”

“Does she know that the PIA is aware she’s been turned?” Tori wanted to know just how much the agency knew.

“No.” Janice shook her head. “She hasn’t reported in yet. She should at any time, especially now that the CVP has been stolen. I’ll text you when I hear from her.”

That was the best news Tori had heard so far. They didn’t know that she knew.

“No better time to start preparing to take her out than now.” Tori/Brian started toward the office door then turned to look at Janice.

“Why don’t I take you out to celebrate?” Tori worked to make Brian’s voice low and sexy.

A smile turned up the corners of Janice’s mouth. “We might be seen.”

Tori/Brian shrugged. “I know of some private little places. We can go under different identities. Wear that cute little blonde wig.”

“How exciting.” Janice nearly purred. “When?”

“Tonight. I’ll pick you up at eight.”

“Wonderful.” Janice swept her gaze Tori/Brian. “I hope you feel better tonight.
A lot
better.”

Don’t count on it,
Tori thought to herself.

“See you at eight,” Tori/Brian said, opened the door and walked out of Janice’s office.

* * * * *

Tori faced Logan in the living room of his home, shortly after the meeting at the PIA’s HQ. She’d changed back into her normal form and had just finished telling him how the meeting had gone. He’d been amused by the fact and had to hold back a laugh when she told him that Janice was trying to get in her/Brian’s pants.

“Your turn.” She crossed her hands over her chest and leaned up against a wingback chair. “Tell me about this invisibility thing. It’ll come in handy during the op.”

“I’m a Walker.” He shoved his hands in his front pockets as he looked at her. “As you’ve seen, I have the ability to turn invisible when I want to.”

She shook her head. “That is unbelievable. It explains why you seem to fade in and out when we have sex.”

“I was wondering if you’d noticed,” he said.

“What’s the Walker part?” she asked.

He studied her for a long moment. “I can transfer from one place to another by just visualizing where it is I need to go.”

Her eyes widened. “No kidding?”

The corner of his mouth curved. “The only people who know about my abilities are my parents and my brother.”

“I’m honored.” She tilted her head to the side. “And?” she asked again.

He raised an eyebrow. “Why do you think there’s more?”

She shrugged. “My gut tells me that’s the case and I listen to my gut—most of the time.”

“I have premonitions.” He didn’t see why it would hurt to tell her. “They’re usually cryptic and I have to interpret them. Nothing comes easily.”

“Your talents are really going to come in handy.” She paused a moment. “We’re going to need a team to get that CVP device out of the vault in the PIA HQ.”

Normally the CIA would handle something like this, but Logan had insisted that he still wanted to be involved. It was his technology and he’d refused to back down. Tori’s Changeling skills and Logan’s Walker abilities would give them an edge the CIA didn’t have.

Logan dragged his hand down his face as he thought about it. “We’ve got McKnight.”

She frowned as she considered what he’d said. “Do you think it’s safe to leave Brian alone without a guard? He’s a PIA agent and he’s trained to get out of
anything
. He was Special Forces.”

“Hell.” Logan started pacing. “We’ll find someone to watch Eckhart. I’ll take care of it.”

“We’re talking about three of us getting to the vault, past the guards, somehow opening it, and getting away.” Tori put her hands on her hips. “It would be nice if McKnight had some kind of paranormal power.”

Logan continued pacing, his mind turning everything over. His brother. He needed to call John.

“My brother,” he said aloud. “John can help us on the op by watching Eckhart.”

“Paranorm?” she asked.

He nodded. “John’s abilities are different than mine. He’s stronger than you can imagine. No way will Eckhart be able to get away.”

“Great,” Tori said.

Logan stopped pacing and sat on the arm of the overstuffed couch. “I just need to set it up with him.”

“In the meantime,” Tori said. “I have a date with Janice as Brian. I think she might be our ticket into the vault.”

“Take her and replace her?” Logan asked.

“She’s likely to be the one who can get closest to the vault,” Tori looked thoughtful. “She pretty much runs the show. She’s directly beneath the director and assistant director, and she’s the one who snatched the CVP with Demitri.”

Tori brought her gaze to Logan and continued. “Can you use your Walker powers to get into PIA HQ? It’s quite a ways below ground.”

He shook his head. “Nope. Can’t transport from above ground to below ground.”

Her brows knitted. “You won’t be able to get past the security clearance, even if you’re invisible. The sensors will pick up your signature.”

“Damn.” He scowled. “That makes things a lot harder.”

“It does…” Tori bit her lip then after a moment said, “Janice can bring you in as a prisoner.”

Logan gave her a skeptical look. “You really think that will work?”

“We can make it work.” She pushed away from the wingback chair she had been leaning against and approached him. “Janice has magic that can incapacitate her victim. We can use that fact to get you in under the pretense that she needs to have you show her how to use the device correctly.”

“Good.” Logan nodded. “And McKnight?”

Tori said, “I can bring him in as a recruit. Janice will be trusted.”

“Will that seem strange, you taking two men with you?” Logan asked.

Tori sighed. “I don’t know what else to do.” She brightened. “Once we get Janice, I can make a call to the director as Janice and inform him that I have a recruit and am bringing James McKnight in.”

“And me at the same time?” Logan gave Tori a skeptical look. “Isn’t that pushing things a bit too far?”

“Well…” Tori’s brows furrowed again. “I can bring you in and James can show up a little after. As long as he’s expected and I’m there to verify it’s him, it should work just fine.”

“All right.” Logan nodded. “McKnight can help us snatch Janice tonight. Then John can keep them both restrained.”

“I’d put them in separate rooms,” Tori said. “I wouldn’t trust the two of them together for anything.”

“I think we’ve got ourselves a plan.” Logan got up from the arm of the couch and walked closer to Tori.

“And a good one.” She smiled.

He reached up and rubbed her upper shoulders. “I think I like working on the same side as you.”

“You do, huh?” She tilted her head to the side.

He laughed. “Beats the hell out of being on the opposite side.” He slid his hands up her neck to her face. “And I rather like keeping you close.”

“Mmmm.” She slid her palms up his chest then looped her arms around his neck. “We’ll make a good team, Savage.”

“That we will, Agent Adams,” he said and kissed her.

Chapter 18

“Are you sure you don’t feel well?” Janice ran her hand up Tori/Brian’s thigh beneath the tablecloth, edging uncomfortably high.

Tori swallowed wanting to grab Janice’s hand to stop her, but it wasn’t something Brian would have done, sick or not.

“Baby, I don’t want you to get sick.” Tori/Brian sucked in a breath. “Don’t start something that we won’t be able to finish.” The words came out almost strangled.

Janice gave a devious smile. “I don’t care if you’re sick. I want you.”

Tori’s mind spun. If she got Janice in a vulnerable position, she might be easier to abduct tonight.

“If that’s what you want.” Tori went for a look from Brian that was entirely sexual.

“Let’s get out of here.” Janice’s nipples tightened to obvious points beneath her tight gold lamé sheathe dress. She wore a blonde wig that looked great with her porcelain skin and the green contacts she wore. The way she’d dressed it would be almost impossible to tell that she was really Janice. “I can’t wait anymore.”

“Finish your dessert.” Tori/Brian squeezed Janice’s hand. “I need to use the restroom.”

“Hurry,” Janice said, her voice low and filled with lust.

“I will.”

Tori almost went into the women’s restroom but then remembered she needed to go into the men’s. A man was peeing in a urinal and Tori/Brian waited it out by looking in the mirror. Seeing herself as Brian was a trip and so was being six-two.

When the man zipped up and left, she dug her phone out of her pocket, called Logan, and gave him Janice’s address. It would be easier abducting her there than anywhere else.

Tori/Brian went back to Janice and settled back into the seat. The server brought back Brian’s credit card, which was in one of his many aliases. Once it was signed, both of them stood and left the quaint little restaurant.

Outside the night was cool as they walked to the car in the parking garage. Janice’s heels clicked on the concrete walkway and she had her arm looped through Tori/Brian’s. When they reached Brian’s Porsche, Tori/Brian held the door open for Janice before going around to the driver’s side.

The drive wasn’t far and Janice kept the conversation going which was a relief so that Tori didn’t have to talk much. They parked out front and it seemed that Janice’s body almost hummed with sexual tension as they walked to the front door.

As soon as they were in Janice’s home, Janice unfastened her gold dress and it slid down her body to shimmer at her feet. The long blonde locks from the wig fell down her back and over her breasts. Janice looked gorgeous in a black and gold corset with matching panties and garter belt with stockings. The corset pushed her breasts up so that her nipples were almost showing.

Images of Janice tied up while Brian took her filled Tori’s mind. And then the thought came to her.
Janice likes to be tied up while she’s being taken.

“Let’s get the rope.” Tori worked to make Brian’s voice deep with lust.

“Yes.” Passion flamed in Janice’s eyes and she led Brian into her bedroom. She went into the closet and came back with an armful of white rope.

Tori/Brian took it from Janice and dropped it beside the bed. “Climb up,” he said.

Janice gave him a sultry look then eased up on the bed, flat on her back and Tori/Brian secured her ankles and wrists.

“Take me, Brian.” Janice writhed on the bed when she was secured. She was a beautiful woman and it was so easy to Brian lusting for her. “Take me hard.”

Tori felt a cold chill behind her and a presence. She looked over her shoulder and saw a shimmer, and then Logan was there.

“What the hell?” Janice shouted. “What is
he
doing in my bedroom, Brian?”

Tori was so relieved that she felt herself slipping into her own form. Janice watched, her eyes wide and her mouth open as Brian became Tori again.