Honey Kisses (Romance on the Ranch Series #2) (15 page)

Alligator had his cell phone to his ear issuing
instructions. "This is Agent Kosky. Is our surveillance van in place
yet?" He listened for a second. "I know it's not scheduled for
another half hour, but we've got an emergency. Get it over there
now!"
He
walked from Annie's room back into the hallway issuing more instructions.

Jackson ran his hands through his hair in frustration.
Acuff said, "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault." Jackson barely
heard her. He followed Alligator into the hallway. He needed to find out where
the club was located.

Al flipped his phone shut.

"Where is this place? I'm going in after
her," Jackson said.

"The hell you are. I've got the best field
agents covering this and I'm on my way to the surveillance van. Besides, we
don't know for sure that she's actually attempting the hack. Maybe she's
shopping at Hallmark."

"I'm not taking that chance. I'm going with
you."

Alligator started to shake his head no, but
Jackson gritted, "If I don't go, I'll escape myself. My wife may be in
danger and I don't intend to stand by with my thumb up my ass."

Alligator acquiesced. "Okay, but if you do
anything other than sit and play dumb, I'll have you arrested.
Understood?"

Jackson figured he didn't have much choice except
to agree…for the time being. "Understood."

After giving final instructions to the agents in
the apartment, Al led the way out a back door where a nondescript sedan waited.
The agent driving the vehicle placed a red flasher on top, turned on the siren,
and sped off almost before their doors were closed. On the ride there,
Alligator brought Jackson up to speed. "I've dispatched some undercover
agents posing as transients and patrons to the club." He glanced at his
watch. "Our inside gal should arrive at the club shortly to begin her
shift. As far as I know, she's never met Agent Hatcher, so if Annie shows up,
she'll think she's our plant. Annie heard enough of the sting operation to know
what's going down and what to do." He paused for breath. "However, if
our agents get there before her, they can head her off before she even steps
inside the club."

Jackson said softly, "Please God, let that
happen."

* * *

During the taxi ride to Sneak-a-Peek Club, Ann
had unbuttoned her shirt and then tied the tails together at her waist. It left
her blouse gaping open with a view of the black and red sequined push up bra
and a little bit of exposed stomach. The G-string was driving her crazy. Thank
goodness it was covered with a wisp of black fabric and her butt wasn't totally
exposed just in case, God forbid, she had to dance. She applied some heavy
makeup and then wrapped the scarf back around her shoulders to remove later.
Her cab driver seemed oblivious to her actions. She figured he'd probably seen
just about everything being a New York cabbie. He stopped a block away from the
club like she'd instructed. Forcing her hands not to shake, she reached inside
her purse and handed him his fare with the extra twenty she'd promised if he
got her there really fast. She exited the cab and asked him to point her in the
right direction.

Standing on the curb, she watched the taxi pull
away and took several calming breaths. When he disappeared into thick traffic,
she turned her attention to finding the club. Holding the scarf closely around
her, she walked swiftly in the direction the cabbie had pointed. Within a few
minutes she spotted her destination. The sun had just set when she paused and
leaned against a glass storefront across the street. She knew Kitty Puff
started her shift at five and Meg was supposed to meet her at that time.
You
can do this.

Annie gave herself a little pep talk, envisioned
all the people she was saving, shoved some bubble gum into her mouth, and then
removed the scarf, tying it around her waist. Sucking a deep breath, she
stepped away from the building and sashayed in her shiny red stilettos to the
entrance of Sneak-a-Peek, a mafia run club.

The bouncer at the door looked her up and down
and she said, "Hey, big boy, I've got an appointment with Kitty Puff."
His eyes lingered on her push up bra and then traveled down her body to her
stiletto heels. Without a word, he jerked his head toward the inside of the club
and just as she stepped in front of him, he bent and said low, "Tiny and
sexy. Just the way I like."

She stopped, looked him up and down, popped her
gum, and replied, "Big and tough. Just the way I like."

He laughed, "Later, sweet cakes."

Inside the club, a few heads turned to watch
her. Since it was still early, the club wasn't jam packed like she'd seen it
could get from the nightly surveillance. She stepped to the bar. "Ah yeah,
I'm supposed to meet Kitty Puff. Can you point me in her direction?" She
jawed her gum.

The bartender gave her a bored look and shouted
across the room, "Hey, Kitty Puff, you got someone askin' for ya."

"Thanks, Joe. Gimme a sec."

Joe looked at Ann and said, "Give her a
sec."

Ann blew a bubble. "I got lots'a
secs." She winked and he howled with laughter.

"You want a beer?" he asked.

"Naw, never touch the stuff while I'm
workin'. I like to keep my wits about me."

Another customer captured the bartender's
attention and he walked to the far end of the bar. Ann refused to allow herself
to think out of character, so she plopped her butt on a stool and seductively crossed
her legs.

A few minutes later, Kitty Puff sat on the stool
beside her. "So…you're looking for a gig as an exotic dancer?"

Ann stared knowingly into the woman's eyes.
"Yep."

"You're gonna have to prove yourself."

In response, Ann said the code words she knew
Agent Hatcher was supposed to say. "Oh, I'll prove myself, alright."

"Okay. Follow me. I'll show you around."

Alligator answered his cell phone and said very
unprofessionally, "Shit!"

Jackson bit his back teeth so hard he thought
they might crack.

Al slapped his phone shut. "She's inside
the club. Surveillance just picked her up sitting at the bar."

Jackson dropped his head to his chest.
"What are you doing, Annie?" he mumbled.

"One good thing is she made contact with
our agent."

"So, what's the next step?"

"Get inside our surveillance van and watch.
Send some more undercover agents inside the club."

Jackson gave him an incredulous look.
"That's it? We need to drag her out of there if need be."

"My friend, you're thinking with your
heart, not your head. If we go in there like an Old West shoot out, there's
going to be trouble. Believe me, I want her out of there as much as you do, but
it's got to be handled with finesse or
someone's gonna get killed!"

Jackson clinched his fists to keep from blowing
his top. "Where's the surveillance van?"

"About six blocks away." Al reached
into a duffle bag jammed on the floor of the backseat. "Here, put these
on." He handed Jackson some coveralls. "We need to look like city maintenance
workers. When the car lets us out, we'll walk a block to a bogus public works van."

Both men struggled to put the coveralls on and Jackson
cursed when he had to pull his boots off and then tug them back on. The car
pulled to the curb and they jumped out. While they walked, Alligator alerted
the agents by cell phone. When they reached the van, he rapped a special knock on
the door and it slid open only far enough for them to slip inside. Two agents
sat behind monitors. Al motioned Jackson to a seat and then turned his
attention to the monitors. He didn't even bother with introductions.
"What's happening?"

"Kitty Puff made contact with Mrs.
Martinez. They're in the dressing room now."

Jackson moved to squat behind the agent who was
talking. He watched a screen showing Annie and the inside gal. The agent pulled
his ear plug out and turned the volume up so everyone could hear.

Kitty Puff said, "This is our dressing
room."

Annie nodded.

A stout dock-worker type entered the room.
"Okay, she's up in five minutes. If she's good, she's got a job and you
can train her on the computer." He left the room.

Kitty Puff looked at Annie. "I hope that's
your costume under your clothes."

Annie nodded and her eyes got real big.
"You want me to dance
now?"
she whispered.

Jackson groaned, "I'm going in."

Al grabbed his shoulder. "You make a move
outside this van and I'll have agents handcuffing you."

They watched as Kitty Puff bent to Annie's height.
"I thought you were aware you had to dance. Holy crap!"

Annie said, "I'll…I'll do the best I
can."

Kitty Puff said, "Oh shit! Oh shit! Wait! I
have an idea. We'll do a duo. You can imitate my moves."

The beefy guy with the bulldog face stepped back
into the dressing room. "Come on, ladies, I got stuff to do. Let's get
this audition over with."

"Oh, Billy, get your panties out of a wad. Me
and Honey Bee are comin' up with somethin'
real
special."

Billy said a few choice words and left the room.

Kitty Puff bent to Annie's ear and spoke too low
to be heard over the monitor. Annie nodded and they walked toward the dressing
room exit.

Inside the van, Jackson scanned the screens for
the main room. "There," Al pointed.

Jackson couldn't breathe when he saw the two women
enter a room of slimy men. Billy climbed up the steps of the round stage and
said in an announcer's voice. "We've got something special for our patrons
tonight—a new exotic dancer to add to our team. Of course, she's got to get the
approval of all you
connoisseurs.
So, without further ado, I introduce
to you, Honey Bee."

In horror, Jackson listened to catcalls and
watched Kitty Puff strut on stage, followed by a stiffly strutting Annie. The agent
struck a provocative pose and Annie tried to imitate her. Kitty Puff said
loudly, "Now, Freddy, Teddy, Dickey, Ricky, and all you other
gentlemen…" she pointed flamboyantly toward the men she'd mentioned,
"…we're gonna give you double the pleasure, double the fun." She nodded
toward an unseen person and bump-and-grind music started. She did a little jiggle
and the men cheered. She turned to Annie and pointed.

Jackson thought he was going to pass out. His
sweet Annie was center stage in a stripper's bar. Annie's eyes rounded and she
did a half-hearted imitation of the female agent's jiggle. One of the men
called, "Come on, pretty baby, you can do better than that." The
female agent slinked another move and Annie did a better imitation. "Yeah,
baby," the same man yelled. Kitty Puff unbuttoned her top, and Annie untied
hers. The men howled. Kitty Puff slipped her blouse off one shoulder, Annie did
the same. In two more struts, they were parading around in push up bras. Annie's
unskillful moves seemed to please the men more than Kitty Puff's expertise. A
few more wiggles and Annie was less her skirt. When the dance got more
seductive and the music hit a crescendo, with peeks of Annie's rear showing
from under a little skirt, Jackson knew he was going to die of a heart attack.
He had to get in there and save his wife. Al must have anticipated his intent
because he grabbed him by the shoulders and shoved him into a seat. Blessedly,
the agent at the monitor said, "It's over." Jackson finally breathed
and glanced over the agent's shoulder to see the girls curtsy, pick up their
clothes, and run offstage. The men hooted and made catcalls and he wanted to
smash every one of them to a bloody pulp.

"They're back in the dressing room,"
said the other agent.

Jackson looked at Alligator. "I'm
okay." He moved to squat in front of the dressing room monitor.

The guy named Billy entered while Annie and the
agent were slipping back into their clothes. "She don't seem all that
experienced, but the men loved her. So, okay, she's hired. But she's gonna have
to dance on her own later tonight. Show her how we keep track of customers in
the computer."

"Sure thing, Boss."

Billy left the room and a couple more dancers
entered. Kitty Puff made introductions and Annie warmly greeted them.

Kitty Puff said, "I'm gonna show Honey Bee
how we track good paying customers."

The gals nodded and went to their dressing
tables.

Inside the van, Alligator said, "Come on,
Annie, you're almost there. You can do this."

Jackson bit the inside of his cheek and tasted
blood. The tension was killing him. All he wanted was to get his wife back so
he could tell her how much he loved her. He'd been stupid to think he could
keep his heart safe from Annie. He'd fallen for her during their first dance
five years ago, and now he loved her with everything in him.

He leaned in as Kitty Puff began explaining how
customers were identified in the computer by code words so the waitresses knew
which ones to pay special attention to. While he watched, Annie tapped on the
keyboard and Kitty Puff kept up a running conversation as if explaining what to
do. "Yep, now you select this code for creeps…"