Vinny: Alvarez Security Series (8 page)

It was one
a.m. in Kansas City and three a.m. in Richland, but Tony had immediately called his team together with one phone call from Vinny. Rendezvousing at the agency they gathered around the large conference table with the live feed from Vinny’s secure computer up on the screen. Gabe and Jobe immediately showed up. Lily, one of their computer software experts, along with BJ, another computer expert and security agent in training, rounded out the crew. Lily’s husband, Matt, was a detective for the Richland Police and good friend, but he was not there. Vinny had requested that Matt and his partner, Shane, go to Annalissa’s apartment and check it out.

Gabe was the first to speak, worry for his twin utmost in his mind. “Bro, you okay?”

Vinny nodded and answered in the affirmative. “Just letting you all know that I’ve got Annalissa here with me. We changed hotels so that there was no trail to where we were.”

He explained everything that had happened since meeting up with her the day before. Succinctly going through everyone they had been in contact with and all the times when the harp case had been out of their sight. “Annalissa checked it before we left for the airport and we saw it sent to claims ourselves. We picked it up in claims once everything was taken off the plane in Kansas City. So it could have happened when we were at dinner, but my guess is that it was part of a drug run from LA to DC.”

“Do you think it’s personal?” Tony asked. “It could be that an airport worker at LA just picked whatever case was convenient on a non-stop flight to DC and then would have plenty of time to let their partner know which case to look in when it landed.”

“No,” Gabe growled, “it was someone who knew how to get into the base of the harp. It was someone who knew her and knew her schedule.”

Vinny was about to answer when there appeared to be some movement on his laptop screen as he could see people at the table shifting around. Matt and Shane came into focus.

“Vinny, is Ms. O’Brian there with you?” Matt asked.

Vinny turned around, looking at her sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. Her knees were drawn up with her arms around them, as though to ward off any more unpleasantness.

“Annalissa, come over here, honey,” he called gently, not thinking about the others listening. As he was looking at her, he missed the glances shared by the ones back in Virginia when they heard his endearment.

Tony’s crew watched the screen as a slim, dark-haired woman came into sight. Her face was pinched with worry, and Vinny placed his arm around her protectively. He pointed to the laptop screen and introduced them all. “Annalissa, these are my friends and co-workers. Everyone, this is Annalissa O’Brian.”

Lily moved the camera around so that it focused on Matt and Shane. “Ms. O’Brian, we’re from the Richland Police Department and while we have no jurisdiction where you are now, Vinny asked us to go check out your apartment.”

She nodded her understanding, although she felt as though she were in a fast paced movie and was one step behind on the plot.

Matt continued, “Ms. O’Brian, I hate to inform you, but your apartment was broken into. And from the looks of what we saw, it was trashed.”

Gasping, her hand flew to her mouth. “But why? I have nothing of value,” she cried. Vinny’s arm tightened around her shoulders, his mouth set in a tight line.

“Our assumption at this point is that whoever was expecting those drugs at the airport, may have not realized that the flight was canceled and just thought they missed you. That could be why they headed to your apartment to look for them.”

“Oh my God,” she said, slumping back into Vinny. “What do we do?” she asked, fear written on her face.

Tony spoke up, “Ms. O’Brian, let us handle things. Our job is to make sure you’re safe and Mr. Malloy is just the man to do that. We’re going to talk to him for a while and figure out our next step. Just make sure that you listen to whatever he tells you to do. Have you told anyone about what has happened? A call or text?”

“No, no one. I need to call my father in case he wonders, but honestly he wouldn’t even miss me until tomorrow. Or today. Or…oh I don’t even know what day it is!”

“Don’t worry about it. But for now, if you do talk to anyone, and that includes your father, just tell them about the plane delay but say nothing about the drugs at all. It is imperative that you keep that information completely quiet. We don’t want to tip off anyone that it has been found.”

Nodding her understanding, Vinny noticed her chin lift slightly.
That’s my girl.
Standing with his arm still around her shoulders, he walked her over to the bed. “Babe, go ahead and get ready for bed and see if you can relax. I’ve got to finish the briefing so we’ll have a plan.”

Moving back to the small table where his laptop was set up, he worked with the group on different scenarios. Tony had walked away for a few minutes and then came back into view.

“Vinny, I was just in contact with Jack Bryant.” Jacques “Jack” Bryant had been their Special Forces squad’s Chief Warrant Officer, and he now ran a different type of Security Business. More clandestine. Government contracts. And definitely flew under the radar. He had pulled together a team of former SEALs, Special Forces, DEA, FBI, ATF, and others.

“His former DEA agent is going to fly out there tomorrow…rather later today…and meet you. You’ll be able to hand off the harp to him and he’ll bring it back here safely. He has a two seater so he’ll only bring the harp now. He’ll work with his former DEA contacts. Lily’s making alternate flight arrangements for the two of you. You can fly in after meeting with the agent.”

Vinny finished his briefing, closed his laptop and leaned back, running his hand over his face. Sighing deeply, he realized he had not slept much in two days.
Damn, in the Army I was trained to go without sleep.
Shaking his head, he looked up as he felt a small touch on his arm.

Annalissa was standing in front of him, with the same nightgown on. A soft, long sleeved, old-fashioned gown that looked like something from several centuries before. Nothing like the wisps of fabric that most of the women he met wore. Thongs and bits of material they called nighties. And yet…
I’ve never seen anything so fuckin’ sexy.

She saw the weariness in his eyes, then something different flickered in them. Giving his arm a pull, she said, “Come on. Come to bed.”

He eyed the single bed in the room and said, “No, I’ll sleep in the chair.”

She let go of his arm, cocked her hip and began tapping her foot. He looked up at her face.
Yep, there goes that chin lift.

“Vinny, we’re both dead on our feet and need some sleep. I trust you.” She held out her hand toward him.

Chuckling, he allowed himself to be pulled up. Several minutes later, he was in the bed, her on one side and he on the other. She yawned loudly, exhaustion overpowering her almost instantly.

He could tell when her breathing evened out and sleep had laid its claim on her. Looking down at her dark hair spilling across the pillow, her cherubic face relaxed in slumber, her thick eyelashes forming a crescent on her cheeks. And her lips. Perfect. Plump. Kissable. She sighed, rolling over onto her side facing him, unconsciously moving closer to his warmth. He could not remember the last time he had slept with a woman that he had not fucked. Ever. In fact, he could not remember being in bed with a woman that he was not banging and then leaving. Ever.

And then he was filled with the realization…that he had never wanted to until now.
This woman.
And he felt a jolt to his heart. Smiling, he let sleep overtake him as well.

*

“It’s not there
either. I looked real good. I looked everywhere. Don’t think she’s been there yet.” He hoped his explanation would appease who he was reporting to.

“I want to know what the fuck happened. Where the goddamn plane went to and why the case wasn’t there. Do you understand me? I want to know where it is!”

“I’m just a handler. I ain’t got no special knowledge,” he protested.

“You find out what you can. I’ll look on this end. But listen and listen well—you had better get me some facts and damn quick.”

Protesting again, he said, “I didn’t sign up for this shit. I was just supposed to get it when it landed. That’s all I’ve ever done. That’s all I was told I’d be doing.”

“Well, the job description just changed. And you’d better accept the change and get me the information I need or we’re all dead!”

As usual, the line went silent leaving him to wonder how they were ever going to get out of this mess alive.

On the other end, the cell phone was tossed with an expletive.
Think, think. Where the hell is she and where is that harp? What was the name of the goon she was with? Oh, yeah. Vincent Malloy from Alvarez Security.
Not willing to wait on the plebe from Dulles airport, they pulled up their laptop, clicking through a variety of screens. Finding the news from the airport, they learned of the plane’s detour.
Work the problem. Where would they be?

Smiling at their cleverness, they continued to search…and plan.

T
he sun was
peeking through the slit in the hotel’s room-darkening curtains when Vinny opened his eyes. The evening’s events flashed through his mind as he looked down at the woman sprawled across him. Her leg was across his and her arm was slung over his chest. Her head rested on his shoulder and just as he had not been able to remember sleeping with a woman, he knew he had never woken up with one. But as she stretched her lithe body over his, he realized what his brother had been talking about. When Gabe first met Jennifer, Vinny had been glad for him but not envious. Never envious.

But now? I could wake this way every morning with this woman and be happy.
The knowledge that he felt this way about a woman that he had not had sex with made him chuckle.

Annalissa felt the deep rumble underneath her cheek and she opened her eyes to the most handsome man she had ever seen. And he was staring right at her. Her eyes flew wide open as she realized she was laying half across his body.

Jerking back, she rolled to the other side.

“Morning,” he said, his sexy, raspy voice growled, as he smiled at her.

“Good morning. I…um…seem to have…moved a bit…in the night,” she stammered, blushing furiously.

“No complaints here, babe,” he said, hoping she would not discover just how much he liked waking up to her. His morning wood was tenting his boxers and he would bet she had never experienced anything like morning sex. And since he never stayed with a woman overnight, he was used to taking care of it himself in the shower.
Ugh, stop thinking about sex with her.
Forcing his mind to other things, he nodded for her to head to the bathroom first.

While she was getting ready, he checked the harp case once again, making sure nothing had changed with the package. Thirty minutes later, a taxi was driving them back toward the airport to meet with Jack’s DEA contact. Since he would be flying in on a small, private plane to another airport, Vinny was going to rent a car just to meet the contact. Then when their business was finished, they would make their way back to the airport for a flight straight to Richland.

Feeling Annalissa stiffen against him, he jerked his head over to her side of the taxi. The hotel where they had stayed last night was in their view. Police cars and police dogs were moving around the area. She started to ask him if they were there for them, but his quick head shake kept her quiet.

Her gaze landed on the taxi driver and she realized her almost blunder.

The taxi driver noticed their gazes focused out of the window. “Heard someone broke into one of the hotel’s rooms and the manager saw ’em. Called the cops and caused a ruckus. The man that was there is missing and I reckon they’re looking for him.”

It did not take long to circle by the airport, heading to the rental center.

Fuck!
Vinny thought, knowing that they were being sought after. He glanced to the side seeing Annalissa’s green eyes, huge with fright. He tried to offer her a smile, but the look on her face told him she was not buying it.

As the taxi pulled up to the rental car agency, Vinny prayed that whoever was looking for them would be watching the airport, assuming they would be joining the other displaced passengers from the previous day. The rental facility had no police around, so Vinny left Annalissa in the taxi as he went in to get a car. Using cash and one of his fake IDs, he was soon pulling around to the side in a small SUV. Paying the taxi driver in cash also, he quickly moved their items to the rental and took off.

Several minutes later he pulled into a nondescript shopping center and parked. Calling Tony on one of the secure cell phones he carried, he relayed their change in plans. “Get the message to Jack’s contact. We’ve got to come up with an alternate meeting location. They’re definitely after her.”

Listening to Vinny discuss the events calmly did not help the pounding of her heart.
After me? For the drugs I didn’t even know about? Were they planted there on purpose or was Easnadh just the random case they picked?