The Runaway Cat (Book 2 Cloverleah Pack Series) (15 page)

Chapter Sixteen

The two men had sat up late the night before, making love
twice more and talking until the wee hours of the morning so it was no surprise to Griff that by the time he did wake up in an empty bed the sun was high in the sky.  He focused for a minute trying to work out what it was that had woken him.  He heard the vibrating knock of his phone on the dresser and wished for just one minute that he had turned the bloody thing off.   Then the events of yesterday came flooding back and Griff groaned.  Fuck he hadn’t rung Tony back.

Struggling out of bed, Griff strode into the bathroom and took care of himself there
, flinging on a pair of jeans as he went.  Next, pick up the phone but don’t answer it because the only important thing on Griff’s mind now his bladder was empty was to find out where Diablo was.  He sniffed and then grinned.  His mate was in the kitchen and if the delicious smells were anything to go by, the man was cooking. Damn that was a bonus in Griff’s book. Slipping his phone in his pocket he pottered out to the kitchen and yep there was Diablo dressed in his hip hugging black jeans setting out a wonderfully smelling stew on some plates.

Diablo grinned at his mate.  “Hard night lover?  I thought I was going
to have to come and wake you up,” He teased. Griff grinned too and strode over to where Diablo was standing, wrapping him in his big arms. 

“Can’t do anything until I have had my first kiss in the morning,” he grumbled softly.

“It’s nearly lunchtime,” Diablo laughed as he turned up his lips to meet Griff’s.  Hmm so soft and so inviting and his.  Every molecule of that succulent mouth was his.  Griff took his time enjoying the sensation of the man in his arms, their mouths joined in tenderness rather than sexual need. Finally Diablo pulled back, indicating the full plates on the bench with a tilt of his head.

“Your lunch is getting cold honey.  Come on, you need to keep your strength up.”  Griff’s head
dropped down for one more taste of Diablo’s mouth and then he released him, following Diablo as the man put the plates on the table.  Cutlery, condiments and what looked suspiciously like homemade fresh bread were already on the table.  Griff sat down and pulled Diablo into the seat beside him.   Diablo laughed and grabbed the cutlery and plates from the opposite side of the table, where he had obviously intended to sit.  Sniffing at his plate, which smelled delicious Griff asked, “Did you make all this?”

Diablo nodded tearing some chunks of the bread to have with his stew.

“The bread too?”

Nodding again Diablo said, “
Yes hon, I do have some uses outside of the bedroom you know.”

Griff wiggled his eyebrows at Diablo
with a grin on his face, but didn’t say anything for the moment as his mouth was full.  The stew was a heavenly mixture of beef and vegetables and in the sauce Griff could smell garlic, bay leaves, paprika and all spice.  Griff moaned as the taste hit his tongue. He grabbed some of the bread and moaned again as his mouth filled with the fluffy warmth of it.  Light, airy and so good to eat.

“Fuck, Diablo this is seriously good food.  Man
, don’t tell the twins you can cook like this or they will be over for dinner every night.”

Diablo grinned.  “I like cooking,” he said simply, “although I have never cooked for anyone else before except my Mom and she doesn’t really count.
  I spent a lot of my free time when undercover watching the Food Channel and I like experimenting.”

“Well you can experiment on me anytime you like lover, this is amazing.”  Griff reached for more bread to mop up the juices on his plate.  Beside him Diablo finished his own plate and then got up to get the coffee pot coming back with two large mugs.  He poured them both a cup of coffee as Griff’s phone went off in his pocket.
Diablo and Griff both looked at each other as Griff reached into his pocket to pull the phone out.

“Tony,” he said to Diablo tersely.

“The real world intruding.  At least we had lunch.” Diablo took a sip of his coffee as he looked at Griff. “Answer it lover and let’s see what the man wants now.”

Griff flicked the speaker phone button and seconds later Tony’s voice came over the air.

“Griff, is Diablo there?”

“Yes he’s here and can hear you.  What’s up?”

“Look Diablo get your phone up and going again and phone Corbin.  The guy is going ballistic.  Just answer him as if you were still with Angel and humor him.  Record the call and then when you are finished ring me back from Griff’s phone.  Do not tell him you are off the case.”

“What,
how, why…” Griff tried to stop Tony but the man had rung off.

“Damn it.” Griff said loudly.  He looked at Diablo who was drinking his coffee his eyes narrowed and his fingers tapping on the outside of the cup.  Diablo looked at Griff for the longest minute and then went and retrieved his phone from the coffee table where he had left it, turned off after Tony’s last set of instructions.  He flicked on the power switch and moments later notifications started pouring in as the phone found the signal.

“Nine missed calls and 17 messages all basically saying, ‘ring me you ass hole or you are fired’.” Diablo said flatly.  Looking up at Griff he said, “Can your phone record audio?”  Griff nodded.  He was nervous and worried for his mate and he didn’t know what to do. The blank look on Diablo’s face was really hard to witness. Tony Gearson gave the orders and Griff had never had a problem following them before, but with Diablo involved he felt like he wanted to just crush both their phones and disappear off the grid completely.

“Come on then, let’s do this.”  Diablo sat on the couch and Griff got up from the table and sat next to him, his own phone set to record.  Looking over at Griff with a soft look on his face, Diablo said quietly, “It will be best if Corbin thinks I am on my own so please don’t say anything okay. I would never phone Corbin if I was with Georgio or Angel
or anyone else for that matter, as that could blow my cover as you well know.  So no saying anything no matter what you hear, okay?.”  As Griff nodded, his face still unhappy, Diablo gave him a quick kiss on his cheek and then hit dial on his phone.  Griff activated the record function on his phone as Diablo put his phone on speaker.

“Diablo you fucking faggot, why didn’t you tell me you were with Angel Bandures.”  Corbin’s voice was harsh over the phone and it sounded like he had been drinking. His voice alone was enough to make Diablo angry and it showed in his voice when he responded.
  Griff frowned but didn’t say anything.

“How did you know I was with Bandures?
  I didn’t even know I was going to be with him till it happened and only Georgio was around when he gave me to him.”

“None of your business Diablo.  Now what can you tell me about Bandures?”

“What do you mean what can I tell you?  He isn’t my mark.  He is not part of Georgio’s business dealings. Why would I collect any intel on him?”

“Because he’s a crime lord you simpleton.”  Corbin’s voice was hard.

“I know that Corbin, from Florida.  Out of your jurisdiction or didn’t you think of that?”

“Look you cock teasing slut, I want intel on Angel Bandures.  I want to know where he is based, where he operates, his businesses and as many contacts as you can get from him.  I want pictures.  I want the whole bloody shebang. Do I make myself clear?”

“Corbin, it’s bloody Tuesday.  I am only here until Friday and then Angel is handing me back to Georgio.  What the hell do you expect me to find in three days?”

“All of it,
understand me?  I am having a warrant drawn up now and when Bandures comes in to give you back I am taking him down.  It will be the pinnacle of my career. I will get a fucking promotion for this.”  Corbin’s voice took on a greedy tone at the last part.

“What do you mean bring him in?  For fucks sake Corbin there is nothing on Angel’s file
to go on. I checked. The man’s a fucking enigma.  Nobody even knows if he does anything illegal and you know it.”

“Ah, but you, my cock sucking little friend are in the perfect position to find the information we need.  And you are going to get it.  Or I am going to ruin you.  It is as simple as that.”

Diablo sighed, running his fingers through his long blond hair.

“You can’t ruin me Corbin,” his voice deadly quiet.
  “I am out of the FBI come Friday, you know that.  I already resigned remember?  I am only doing this last two weeks because you forced me too.”

“Oh I haven’t forgotten Diablo.  I know you think you are just too good for the likes of us.  I saw your resignation papers.  You found love.  How touching.  God it would be funny if it wasn’t so pathetic.  Since when did a gay whore like you find someone to be a life partner with, aye?
”

“That is none of your business, Corbin and what I do after Friday is none of your concern.”

“Oh but I think it is.”  Corbin laughed. “You think you are so clever but first you have to get away from Georgio which won’t be as easy as you think especially once I use his club to nab Bandures in. I have heard that Georgio has plans for you and they don’t involve letting you hit the streets anytime soon. And secondly think about how your new ‘life partner’ will feel when I blow your cover and what you have done in the last seven years over every major news publication in the States.”

“You can’t do that, you’ll be fired.”  Diablo’s voice was
still quiet, his anger replaced with a cold flat tone.

“Oh no one will know it came from me.
It will be leaked from a credible FBI source. But what about you Diablo?  What about all of those crime families you have upset over the years?  Think any of them will be up for a little revenge?  Think any of them will come looking for you and your precious life partner?”

Diablo was thinking about it and the prospect did not look good for him or Griff.
Well it wouldn’t be if Griff didn’t have the connections he had.  Maybe they could get out of this, both he and Angel, but it will mean working with Tony.

I have got to get off this call, Griff can you go in the other room and call me as Angel so I can just tell him someone’s coming?

Griff put his phone down and silently went to the bedroom door.  He took a deep breath and then called out in a voice laced with the arrogant power of Angel Bandures. “Boy, where are you boy?  Get back in here, now.”

Diablo spoke
quickly into the phone.  “I gotta go Corbin.  I’ll get what I can but don’t call me again. It’s too risky.  Bandures is nothing like Georgio. He checks my phone. I will phone you Friday morning and any intel I get I will send through the FBI servers as I can.”

“Don’t leave me hanging Diablo or your life won’t be worth anything.”

Corbin was laughing as he rang off. Diablo clicked END on his phone and then reached over and clicked the STOP button on Griff’s.   He looked over to where Griff was still standing by the bedroom door.  Griff’s fists were bunched together and the anger on his face turned his green eyes a hard deep Jade color. Diablo just felt wrung out.  This whole thing had turned into one huge mess and it was going to take a lot of planning to get them all out of this one.   Unless…

“
We could just kill him, Corbin I mean.” Diablo tossed out the idea to Griff even though he knew they would never do it.  To his surprise Griff laughed although there wasn’t a lot of humor in it. But it did get Griff out of the bedroom doorway and back on the couch. He threw his arm over Diablo’s shoulder and pulled him close.  Diablo snuggled up loving the feel of his strong mate.

“I’m not going to let them hurt you Diablo,” thick with emotion Griff’s voice rumbled quietly in Diablo’s ear.

“The man’s insane Griff.  I don’t know how to stop him on my own without just killing him.  I can’t give up intel about your cover, cos well there isn’t any for a start and I don’t want you arrested.  I can’t have the details of my life as an undercover agent publicized or we will be running for life. And as for Georgio’s plans for me, well that just doesn’t bear thinking about.”  Diablo thought some more.

“We should get in touch with Tony,” he said quietly.

“I think he should hear that audio file first, love.”  Griff commented.  Diablo nodded. 

Griff picked up his phone and hit a few buttons bringing up the FBI server. 
Logging in he uploaded the audio file from his phone and then went into the message screen and tapped out a message to Tony.  Hitting SEND, he dropped his phone and rubbed his big hand over his face.

“I am so sorry Griff,” Diablo’s sad voice pierced through Griff’s anger.  Griff’s arm tightened around his mate pulling him onto his lap.

“You have got nothing to be sorry about, hon.  Nothing at all.  I am just bloody thankful that I met you when I did otherwise you would be doing all of this on your own.”  Griff smiled at Diablo’s surprised face. “You are not on your own anymore little kitty cat and we will get this sorted.  I’m not known as the Mechanic for nothing.”

“Yeah but this isn’t agents getting in trouble, Griff.  This problem is in the FBI itself.  Corbin is out of control.  I am figuring he plans to double cross Georgio, nab Angel and get rid of me all in one foul swoop and I am not sure how we can all get out of this without taking out Corbin.”