Operation London (19 page)

The women's room was now half of its former size
. Ava looked around at the bright tiled walls and shiny lockers. The men's room had looked like this only days ago, until someone had seen fit to reduce it to a charred mess. Now Piper would have to pay for the expenses that the damage had cost her and she had to find a way to squeeze everyone in at the same time without cheating anyone out of space.

Ava sat down on a bench and began to unlace her sneakers when she heard an
increasingly familiar voice, one that never failed to make her heart catch in her chest.

"Don't be telling me where I can be hangin out, girl." It was Angel Espino
.

Ava opened a locker silently and used one of the shelves for footing as she climbed up to the top
. She hoisted herself up slowly, until she was able to see the top of his head. He held a silver cell phone against his ear and spoke into it vehemently.

"That's none of your business......I didn't ask you that, Lucia......Damn, I'm meeting him at seven!.......Mind your own business.....He'll want to know about her.........Of course I'll have to tell him.....Then place the call, but I'm warning you, Lucia, I'm getting real tired of all this shit real fast."  He hung up and bashed on the locker doors, kicked a bench and threw his phone at a mirror
. Ava felt her stomach catch. This man had complete disregard for anyone else's property and took no responsibility for his actions. Ava tried to take Cormac's advice and not jump to conclusions, but she couldn't help theorizing about what she had heard. Was Angel talking about Marie?  What was Lucia warning him against?  And who was he meeting with at seven? 

By the time Ava had her thoughts in order Angel had stormed away
. As she slipped into a black lawn sundress and heels, Ava tried to focus her thoughts on the cha-cha and her class that evening. A gaggle of young women started through the door, gathering around Lucia.

"Have you seen Angel?" Lucia asked, walking briskly over to Ava
.

"No," she said simply, annoyed by Lucia's snotty attitude
. The last thing she needed today was to be bossed around by some overgrown teenager with too much lipstick on.

"Are you sure?" Lucia persisted, pushing her face in close to Ava's.

"I'm certainly not your brother's babysitter," Ava said evenly.

"Well, I know you been hangin' around him," Lucia accused sulkily.

"That isn't true," Ava maintained.

"Yeah, then why does he have so much to say about you?" the girl asked, narrowing her large brown eyes and crossing her arms over the full breasts peeping from beneath her tube top.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ava said, but her words sounded like a lie in her own ears.

"I bet you don't," Lucia mumbled, turning her attention away from Ava completely.

Breathing deeply in and out to steady her nerves, Ava marched out into the gym and walked right into a wall of muscled chest.

"Miguel!" she cried, inhaling the stimulating aroma of lemons and something spicy that emanated off of his body.

"Did I just see Angel again?" he asked, and Ava noticed with no lack of certainty that Miguel looked very pissed off.

"I have no idea
. I didn't see him," Ava said in an angry whisper.

"Why are you whispering, dulce?" he asked, his brown eyes swirling with a rage of emotions.

"Maybe I'm embarrassed that every time you run into me you want to know about some other guy," she said, glancing around quickly to make sure Lucia was no where around.

"Some other guy?  What do you think I'm worried about Ava?"  His voice softened
. She could see the strong line of his jaw tensing, his lush, kissable lips relaxing a little bit. "I'm just worried about you. Everything's a secret with you. I'm not asking you to tell me everything, but I need to know that you're staying away from that hooligan."

Ava reached up and kissed him, her tongue playing at his lips
. Her hands ran up his chest, touched him behind his neck, caressed his shoulders lightly. Miguel felt his need sing in his blood. He crushed Ava to him, drawing in her sweet smell, tasting the longing in her mouth. This woman was driving him out of control and worrying him to no end. He'd have gray hair by the time she was done with him.

"I promise, Miguel, that I have not gotten myself into any trouble that I can't handle."  Ava was glad that their faces were so close as she uttered those words
. It was more like she hadn't gotten herself into anything she couldn't handle
yet.
"Now, tell me how your meeting went."

"I almost forgot
. I got the loans, the plan is approved, and if I can secure the land, I'm going to have a restaurant of my own in a few months," he smiled, his handsome face changing to house a boyish happiness.

"Oh, Miguel, I'm so happy for you!" Ava cried with meaning, kissing him again
. Miguel moaned softly once he realized that his ache for her had manifested itself physically. He had a hard time ripping himself away, but unless she could promise him a cold shower after the kiss, he was going to have to set some boundaries.

"So, we're still on for tonight?" he asked calmly, staring into her silver eyes
. He was shocked to see what looked like a blush tinting her high cheekbones.

"Yes we are," she said determinedly
. There was no way she was putting him off again. She didn't think her body could take much more abstinence.

Ava dragged Miguel to the gym floor where a group of pretty young women, most of them Mexican and under Lucia's command, were awaiting class
. Miguel went straight to Jackson, hiding out in one corner with a few other strapping men. Cormac also came out of the shadows, still sweat soaked, to join in the fun.

Ava got down to business immediately, barking out orders, positioning the couples and going through simple moves
. The music began and she pulled Miguel to the center of the gym to demonstrate a particularly tricky set of moves that involved a twist.

"Don't be afraid if you're new to dance
. Everyone has to start somewhere. You might as well get spins in as soon as possible so they become part of your rhythm," she called out, feeling a bit light headed as her body connected with Miguel's over and over again. The brush of his forearm against her waist, the light glide of his fingertips at the small of her back, the consistent beat of his heart against her back as he pulled her close all sent her senses reeling. It seemed like Miguel found every sensitive area on her body and played it to perfection.

When they had run through the routine, Ava broke away from Miguel, avoiding his scathing brown eyes, and paired him with a petite young woman who looked like she had a pretty good handle on the dance
. Ava then made the rounds, inspecting the couples and giving pointers and reminders as she went. She had to pause before she came to Lucia in order to gauge the woman's attitude. Her body movements were smooth and precise, but she lacked any real passion when she was going through the steps. It was obvious from the hard set of her mouth that she wasn't enjoying herself particularly. Ava stopped her and her nervous partner.

"You're doing a great job, Lucia
. I can tell that you're uncomfortable though. That really makes your dance movements look stiff and awkward. Try to relax," Ava said, moving Lucia's lithe, tanned arms into a better position for fluid motion. Lucia said nothing until Ava turned away. The agitated rush of curses spat out of her small, red mouth in such a tirade that Ava didn't need to know Spanish to understand the intent. She turned around quickly, yanked Lucia by the arm and pushed her partner towards Piper, who had come to watch a few steps.

"Piper, show this guy how to loosen up a little
. Lucia's been scaring him stiff," she called as the wiry blonde pulled the big man into a turn with gusto.

"What's your problem?" Lucia hissed
.

"That's a good question
. Maybe I should be asking you that."  Ava crossed her arms over her chest and stared Lucia dead in the eye. There was no way in hell this kid was going to make her feel uncomfortable for the next two hours.

"Listen, I pay you enough money to leave me alone," Lucia said hotly, raising one finely waxed eyebrow and putting a small fist on her jutted hip.

"Yeah, well the money's nice, but it's not worth your shit," Ava said clearly. "I don't need to be here. You came to me and asked this as some sort of pushy favor. I should have just said no in the beginning, you ungrateful little brat!"

Lucia didn't meet Ava's eyes
. She looked down at her red toenails and Ava noticed her lips quiver.

"I was just having a sort of bad day alright," she said softly.

Try as she might, Ava couldn't keep her heart from softening a little. "Well, leave that at home. I don't need to be insulted because someone put you in a shit mood."

"I know, I know
. But Angel's been so mean lately. And he keeps bringing you up," she stopped suddenly and shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I just get a little jealous sometimes, you know?"

Ava couldn't hear, her heart was pulsing blood into her head so fast
. Why was Angel talking about her?

"Well, there's nothing going on between me and Angel, so let go
. Now are you hear to dance or should I start charging counseling fees?" Ava asked, hoping she didn't look as nervous as she felt.

She led Lucia back to the dance floor and showed everyone one more step she wanted them to practice before they reviewed
. Miguel never took his eyes off of her.

"What's Lucia's problem?" he asked.

"Just a bad mood thing," Ava said lightly, once again avoiding his eyes.

"Don't lie to me," he said evenly.

"OK, it's about her brother. He's being mean to her and she was upset. She must have just had it out with him and she took it out on me."

"Lucia has the same protection as her brother
. And they...... Lucia and Angel aren't exactly...... a typical brother and sister. Just watch your back," he said desperately, willing her to look up at him. He was positive there was more going on than she was telling him, but he didn't want her to think he didn't trust her.

"I will," she said and broke away hurriedly to try to help Cormac combat his faulty sense of rhythm
. Miguel watched her hurry away and felt his chest constrain. What was she up to?

Wesley Conway looked across his desk with a distinct air of annoyance
. Domingo Espino might own more businesses the world over than Wesley Conway did, but he did things that were distinctly dishonest. Conway had heard reports of his work with drug smugglers and his involvement with a few very ransoms involving several diplomatic families. Conway wasn't above laundering, blackmail and good old fashioned obstruction of justice, but he steered clear of anyone who did things that were blatantly illegal and looked down his nose at them as well.

"Do we have a deal?" Conway asked, his pale eyes peering down a long, thin nose.

"Yes, of course," Domingo Espino smiled, the silver hair of his moustache raised in friendly compliance. "But are you certain you want to involve the girl?  She is very young."

"Don't tell me you've suddenly developed a soft heart for people who are of no use to you?  She's a tramp, and if your son needs her, let him keep her
. But I don't want her back."  He was irritated even discussing this aspect of the scheme. Using Marie as a go between was bad enough, but getting involved in what came down to kidnapping had him dancing dangerously close to Espino's shady type of dealing.

"My son, he is still young
. Still loves many women. One day he'll settle down, but until then, I must indulge his fancies," Espino smiled, showing a row of tobacco stained teeth. "She will not be harmed."

"I don't really have any more interest in her
. As long as we get the letter and the photos, I can close this deal and we'll be done with it," Conway said, one limp white hand mopping at his forehead nervously.

"The package will be delivered at about seven fifteen," Espino smiled, blowing a cloud of cigar dust into the empty space between Conway and himself.

Suddenly the lights snapped off, plunging the two men into darkness and very irritated confusion.

"That damned asshole said he fixed the electricity," Conway whined heatedly, stumbling towards the door
. His secretary rushed into him.

"Sir!  It, um, appears to just be our floor, Mr. Conway," she said apologetically, wincing as he pushed her away.

"Well, go figure out what's wrong for God's sake, Clara. And don't take all day about it!"  He swore under his breath. Minutes were passing, valuable minutes that might cause any number of extra, hidden problems.

Ava looked up from directing a young woman's willful feet and noticed that Cormac was gone.

"Did anyone notice Cormac leave?" Ava asked, her brow knotted as she scanned the room for him.

"I saw him on his cell
. With my sister, actually. Don't worry, those two can make a crisis out of anything. It's nothing to get yourself worked up about," Piper said happily, spinning away from Jackson with surprising grace.