Locked and Loaded (9 page)

“I hope you don't mind.” Kieran stood to pull out Charlie's seat. “But I've already ordered appetizers.”

The man was selling blood diamonds and his biggest concern was whether or not they'd be put out by his choice in appetizers? Charlie wanted to throw up all over the fancy tablecloth. Or better yet, right in Kieran's lap.

“I'm sure whatever you ordered is fine.” Charlie kept her tone pleasant. She wanted to give herself a pat on the back. She didn't sound even a little disgusted with him.

“I had the sommelier recommend a bottle of cabernet as well.”

Mason snorted. Apparently he wasn't impressed. “You know you're not working an angle, right? There's no one here to impress.”

“Speak for yourself.” Kieran flashed a rakish grin. “Besides, it's not you I'm trying to impress, Mason.”

Charlie caught Mason's scowl from the corner of her eye. Kieran, on the other hand, seemed pretty damned pleased with himself. His flirtatious banter didn't mean a goddamn thing to Charlie though. He could flirt himself to death for all she cared.

“We didn't come to eat.” Mason settled in the seat directly across from Kieran. “We came to do business.”

“This is part of business,” Kieran said. Charlie had to give it to him. Kieran was smooth. “You know better than anyone that no one meets in shady back alleys anymore.” He winked at Charlie. “But if you want, I'm sure we could find some real shitholes to hang out in.”

Mason signaled for a waiter and ordered a whiskey straight up. The tension practically vibrated off of him. Charlie was starting to think that it wasn't her inexperience that was going to screw this operation up. Mason's history with Eagan—and his inability to play nice—would probably get the job done long before she had a chance to tank anything.

“Speaking for myself, I prefer a civilized lunch to a back alley any day. Thank you for the invite, Kieran.” The pleasantries left a bitter tang on Charlie's tongue, but she swallowed it down. Pretending to enjoy Eagan's company was a fair trade for taking down Faction Five. “I understand where Mason is coming from, though. It's been a long week.”

“Where are you from, Charlie?” Kieran asked. “Not from around here since you're staying at the Fairmont.”

Well, Mason had been right about one thing: He'd been checking up on them. Her cover was tight, though. Carrera and the FBI had done a good job of fabricating all of the documentation to back up her fake persona. It was up to Charlie to sell it, however.

“New York, originally. I worked in Miami for a few months after that and then headed to the West Coast three years ago. I've got a place in Seattle, but I do a lot of business in California. I'm thinking of renting something either here or in L.A. Depends on how lucrative our relationship turns out to be.”

Kieran graced her with a seductive grin. “I'm hoping our relationship turns out to be fruitful in more ways than one, Charlie.”

He really was the total package. Charming, handsome, witty. It was no wonder Jensen Decker thought of Kieran as a son. The two were carbon copies of each other. Her gaze slid to Mason, who continued to brood beside her. It was hard to believe he'd been cut from the same cloth as his father. The two couldn't be any more different. And despite Mason's vow to uphold the law, there was a rivalry between him and Kieran.

“Make me some serious money and I'll be a happy girl,” Charlie responded.

“I'm going to make you rich,” Kieran promised. “You too, Mason. But I have to know I can trust you first.”

“That's why we're here,” Charlie said. “And we're ready. Just tell us what you want us to do.”

Kieran bestowed another wicked smile on her. “Great. Let's play.”

Chapter Nine

Mason was ready to crawl right out of his goddamn skin, and they were barely done with the appetizers. He wanted to be annoyed with Kieran. Angry at him for getting involved in something that had put him on an entire task force's radar. He'd always been arrogant, overconfident, someone who pushed the boundaries. Mason just wished he hadn't pushed so damned hard. And more than anything, he wished Kieran would stop looking at Charlie as though she was more delectable than the rich abalone their server had just placed in front of him.

Mason watched as Kieran worked his considerable charm on Charlie as he discussed wine, their meals, art and culture. The king of the black-market diamond trade. Slipping through federal and international law enforcement's fingers time and again. Feared by his enemies and allies alike. Rich and ambitious. Thrill seeker. Risk taker. Deadly and dangerous. Worldly and charming. Wine snob.

Gag
.

Mason might not be rolling in money, but he was just as worldly and cultured as Kieran. He simply never felt the urge to flaunt it. If he had to listen to Kieran ramble on for another second, Mason was going to stab himself in the ear with his butter knife. He bragged until Mason wondered if he was going to stop to take a breath. Kieran smiled and made small talk and behaved civilly. Mason found himself hoping that Charlie would see through the bullshit.

But not because Mason was jealous of the attention she paid to Kieran.

Mason's mood took another sharp nosedive. He'd barely said a handful of words since they sat down. There was no need to. Charlie had taken charge of this meeting like she had that very first briefing. There was nothing meek or unsure about her. She was fucking spectacular.

She'd memorized every last detail about the diamond trade. Every word spoken exuded confidence. Mason doubted that Kieran even suspected he was being managed. In fact, he seemed even more dazzled by Charlie. More intrigued. The son of a bitch just couldn't help himself, could he?

“Mason? Did you hear me?”

He broke himself from his reverie and turned his attention to Charlie. “What?”

“I think we lost him somewhere around the ballet. Culture wasn't ever Mason's thing.”

Please
. Mason had been more cultured at eight years old than Kieran was now. His dad had surrounded Mason with culture from day freaking one. Kieran had been clueless until he'd come to live with Jensen and Mason. The gentleman-thief angle Kieran worked was getting old. Fast. “It's not the culture that bothered me,” Mason replied. “It was the hypocrisy.”

Charlie's gaze widened as though she couldn't believe he'd press his luck with the insult. Kieran chuckled and took a sip from his wineglass. “Back to dirty back alleys and unwashed, uncouth criminals, is that it?”

Mason shrugged. He knew that Kieran tried to be a moral criminal, if there was any such thing, but it didn't change the fact that he thumbed his nose at the law. For Mason, the law was everything. Maybe that's why his annoyance had steadily crested since seeing Kieran. It bothered him that Kieran had chosen to follow in Jensen's footsteps when he was capable of so much more.

“Didn't you know you're supposed to dress for the job you want, not the job you have?” Kieran continued.

Mason smirked. “So, you want to be an investment banker?”

Kieran broke out into robust laughter. “I missed you, brother.”

Brother
. That association had cost him dearly in his professional life. The stigma of his familial associations had haunted him throughout his adolescent and adult life. It wasn't Kieran's fault any more than it was Mason's, though. They'd both chosen their paths a long time ago. No point lamenting it now.

“Prove it.” Mason leaned forward in his seat. “Hook us up.”

Kieran wiped at his mouth with the pristine white napkin and set it gingerly on the table. “You never did like to beat around the bush, did you, Mason? I could have used you in India last year, you know. With muscle like you at my back, I doubt anyone would try to fuck with me. You should see your expression right now.” He gave Charlie a gentle nudge. “Have you ever seen a more intimidating stare?”

Charlie turned her contemplative gaze his way. Her mouth softened and turned slightly upward at the corners. “He's scary,” she agreed. “I wouldn't mess with him. Why do you think I take him everywhere I go?”

Kieran leaned in toward her conspiratorially. “I hope not
everywhere
. How will I ever get you to myself otherwise?”

Mason fought the urge to reach across the table and wrap his fist around Kieran's overpriced silk tie. If he didn't quit flirting with Charlie, he was going to be picking his ass up off the floor.

“Charlie and I are partners.” Mason tried like hell to keep the annoyance from his tone. He needed to win Kieran's trust and that wasn't going to happen if he didn't quit acting like a hardheaded asshole. Charlie wasn't his to protect or anything else. He didn't even really know why in the hell it mattered so much. “We're ready to get to work and make some money.”

“It's true,” Charlie added. “We're both ready to get moving.”

“Lunch first.” Kieran turned his attention to the plate in front of him. “Business later.”

Good God, he was going to bore Mason into an early grave if he didn't get this damned lunch over with. “Fair enough.” At least he had a seventy-five-dollar steak to look forward to. And he'd be damned if Kieran didn't foot the bill for it.

Lunch passed in a blur. Mason checked out as Kieran rambled on and on about how goddamned wonderful he was. How anyone ever actually bought any of Kieran's bullshit was beyond him. He wondered if the other diamond smugglers mocked him behind his back. Because no one would dare insult him to his face. Not the great Kieran Eagan.

“Lunch was delicious,” Charlie said. “Thank you.” It was obvious that she was playing to his ego, and whereas it made Mason want to lose the lunch he'd just forced himself to eat, Kieran couldn't seem to get enough. “I think it's time we discussed business, though. Don't you?”

Kieran let out a long-suffering sigh, as though he was dreading this part.
Right
. He slid a black velvet pouch across the table toward Mason. Mason palmed the pouch and pulled open the drawstring before tipping the contents into his hand. Two diamonds, at least fifteen carats each tumbled out. Charlie leaned in to examine them without drawing any attention to their table.

“Beautiful,” she said with honest appreciation.

Upon a superficial inspection, the diamonds did indeed seem flawless. The cut was top-notch, though until he could examine them more closely, Mason couldn't be sure about the clarity. They'd fetch a few hundred thousand from the right buyer, no doubt about it.

But their beauty was nothing compared to Charlie. She was goddamned radiant. Fresh, dewy skin, supple lips, curves that begged to be touched. Mason had barely been able to keep his hands off her all day. The more time he spent with her, the closer he wanted to get. And that was a huge fucking problem. Especially since Kieran had begun to look at her with the same interest and hunger.

“Origin?” Mason gave himself a mental shake and stuck to
business
.

Kieran cocked a brow. “Does it matter?”

“You know it does,” Mason replied. “A buyer isn't going to want a stone from just anywhere if they're prepared to pay top dollar for something that's coming straight out of the DRC.”

“You're right.” Kieran picked his glass up by the stem and gave it a swirl. He watched with fascination as the dark red legs of the wine trailed slowly down the insides of the glass. “They were taken out of the Congo less than six months ago. Already cut and polished when I acquired them.”

Strange. Kieran preferred to deal in raw gems. He smuggled them out of the Congo and transported them to India, where they were cut and polished. Kieran considered what he did a work of art. He didn't sell anything that wasn't as close to perfect as it could get.

Mason met Kieran's gaze. “And the buyer?”

Kieran smirked. This was where the game would get interesting. Kieran wanted to watch Mason jump through hoops in order to prove his loyalty. He wasn't going to make this easy and he'd be sure that whatever happened provided him with the maximum entertainment.

“The buyer is in L.A. Should work out well for you, Charlie, since you're thinking of setting up shop there. You can check out the real estate market and kill two birds with one stone.”

Har, har
. Charlie graced him with obligatory laughter that Mason didn't feel compelled to provide. He'd never been charming. Or fun. Or laid-back. If his part in all of this was to be the straight man, he was okay with that. It beat pretending to be some silly asshole.

“The fence is expecting us or you?” Mason asked.

“Me, of course,” Kieran said. “But it's important to know the people you do business with are comfortable rolling with the punches.”

Which meant the odds of getting the buyer to relax enough to complete the transaction would be slim to none. “And I don't suppose you're going to give him a heads-up to let him know you're not coming?”

“Who says I'm not coming?” Kieran's amused tone did nothing for Mason's temper. “How can I keep an eye on you from here?”

“Like you don't have spies everywhere,” Mason remarked drily.

“True.” Kieran leaned back in his seat. “But what's the fun in watching from the nosebleed section?”

Of course he'd want a front-row seat to this stupid little test. “How are we traveling?”

“Flying,” Kieran said.

Getting the diamonds past TSA shouldn't be a problem. Two stones weren't enough to raise any eyebrows, and most agents were more concerned with sharp objects and whether or not people were traveling with more than a couple ounces of shampoo in their carry-on bag. No one gave a shit about a couple of gems in your carry-on.

“It won't be a problem.”

“Not if you're as connected as you say you are,” Kieran countered.

This wasn't just a test of loyalty and trust. Kieran loved games. He'd have them running the goddamn gauntlet. Mason was going to have to be on his toes from this moment on, because Kieran wasn't going to give him a single inch.

“When is the buyer expecting us?”

Kieran's smile widened. “Tomorrow.”

* * *

Tomorrow?
Charlie swallowed down the argument she wanted to make for his spur-of-the-moment job. Of course, he'd throw down like that, making them wait an entire week to hear from him, only to have him thrust them right in the thick of things without even a moment's notice. There wouldn't even be time to cut through the red tape necessary to make arrangements with Carrera and the rest of the task force. It made Mason's actions last week more understandable, though. He'd known Kieran would be ready to hit him with a curveball and so he'd beat him to the punch.

Charlie never should have underestimated him. His history with Kieran aside, Mason really was the best person for the job.

“Tomorrow's a little last-minute, don't you think?” Mason had dominated most of the business talk, but Charlie needed to show that she was an equal partner in this. “What if we can't get a flight out?”

“Flight's already booked.” Charlie wanted to slap the smug expression off Kieran's face. “The flight info will be e-mailed to you both shortly.”

“Hotel?” Charlie ventured.

“Also booked.”

The wily son of a bitch had thought of everything. And kept total control of the situation. It would effectively isolate Mason and Charlie from their support system. Just another part of his stupid test.

“When and where are we meeting the buyer?”

“Oh, come on, Charlie.” Kieran chuckled. “You can't expect me to show my hand all at once. Preparation is so
boring
.”

The fork sitting next to her plate was just begging to be stabbed into the fleshy part of Kieran's thigh. Charlie lived for preparation. Not being able to do her homework prior to heading to L.A. was bound to send the control-freak aspect of her personality into a frenzy. Anxiety crested within her and she drew in a slow breath to calm her racing heart. She could do this. No way would she let a Kieran Eagan get the upper hand.

“I suppose you're right,” she practically purred in response. Kieran's mouth quirked in a half smile. At least he was easy to distract. “This should be fun.” About as fun as a trip to the dentist.

Kieran leaned in close and dropped his voice to an intimate level. “I fucking can't wait to get into a little trouble with you, Charlie.”

Kieran Eagan was the total package: good-looking, charismatic, rich, with a decent sense of humor and a fair amount of class. And he did absolutely
nothing
for Charlie.

“Looking forward to it,” she said with a slow smile.

The server came with their check. Kieran pulled out several bills from his wallet and slid them into the little leather folder. He liked to show off, to flaunt his wealth and what he had. It was a good thing too, because his ego was going to be one of the things that would help her to take Faction Five down.

“Thanks for lunch.” Charlie could play to his ego for as long as it took to nail his ass to the wall.

“Anytime,” Kieran said in his smooth, silky tone. “Maybe next time I can talk you into dinner?” Mason grumbled under his breath and Charlie forced a smile. “Don't get jealous, Mason, you're invited too.”