Yours in Black Lace (15 page)

“Hey, little girl! How ya been?”

“I’m doing good, Bernie.”

The burly ex-New York City cop greeted her from the other side of a steel cage. The thick bars limited access to the gadgets and guns lining the shelves until Bernie determined whether he wanted a customer’s business. She braced for impact as he came from behind the counter to give her a bear hug.

The black T-shirt stretched across his massive chest was emblazoned with the slogan,
In God We Trust. Everybody Else Gets Monitored.
Sevel Elite Security had trained her in Advanced Executive Protection and Bernie himself had taught her Martial Arts for Bodyguards class.

“Great ta see you, Stevie. What ya up to these days?”

“I’m still in the investigation business, working my first undercover assignment.”

“Told ya.” A proud grin split his weathered features. “I told ya you’d do it someday. You were one of my best students.”

“Thanks, Bernie.” Stevie looked around at row after row of items such as sniper rifles, infrared illumination, bomb detectors and telephonic voice changers. “I need to pick out some of your toys.”

Bushy gray brows crinkled into a mock scowl. “This is high-quality, cutting-edge stuff, little girl. I don’t sell no toys.”

Stevie smiled briefly. “Good thing, because I’m not playing. This case is as serious as it gets. The guy came after me personally, so I’ve got to take him down.”

Bernie scratched his snowy buzz cut and eyed her dubiously. “You ain’t going after him alone, I hope?”

She swallowed her instinctive resentment. It seemed as if blue-eyed blondes were never taken seriously and she was damned sick of being patted on the head. But she needed her former instructor’s guidance. “No, Bernie, of course not. The team just wants a few equalizers.”

He nodded sagely. “Okay, doll. Tell me what ya need.”

She wrestled her short hair into a riot of golden curls and swept shadow across her eyes the way she’d seen her mother do every day of her childhood. As she replaced the plain gold-hoop earrings with cascades of cubic zirconium, her vision clouded and she saw another woman in another mirror.

“Stephanie! You’ll ruin Mommy’s face!”

The little girl, sweetly dressed in pink and frills, bit her lip and her small fingers dropped away from her mother’s cheek. “I just wanted to give you a kiss.”

“Not now, princess. I’m late as it is.” Frown lines cut between her perfectly arched brows, marring the beautifully remote expression.

“Can you tuck me in first?”

“Mrs. Singleton will put you to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”

The little girl fixed her gaze on their reflections, afraid to look directly at the grown woman she tried so hard to emulate, afraid to anger her with the tears trembling on her lashes. “I love you, Mama.”

Her mother turned away, anxious to leave. “Be a good girl, Stephanie, and do as you’re told.”

Stevie closed her eyes, blocking the memory and the rush of sorrow that lodged in her throat. She’d been a good girl, done everything her parents expected and look what it had gotten her.

Not wanting to dwell on painful memories, she instead practiced the line of reasoning she planned to make to Alex. Studying her facial expressions in the mirror, she made certain her appearance remained neutral, not defensive nor desperate.

Her future was in jeopardy. This was not only her first undercover mission, but also the chance to prove herself once and for all. In the back of her mind, however, she knew there was much more at stake than just her credibility.

A knock at the front door startled her out of her reverie. Alex was here. Was he with her backup team or the guys who would take charge? It would depend on how well she presented her argument. Either way, she had no intention of sitting on the sidelines.

She walked across the suite, each step increasing the nervous flutter in her belly. Taking a deep calming breath, she swung the door wide and came face to face with…

“Emelio!”

His accusing stare bored into hers, and she had to fight the urge to start babbling apologies and explanations. He wasn’t her ex-husband and she hadn’t done anything wrong. Well, maybe she could have handled things differently, but she stood by her decision to get the videotape. Still, she was at a complete loss for what to say in the face of his anger.

Their standoff was broken by a wolf whistle. “Very nice.”

Stevie’s gaze darted behind Emelio to see Alex, two guys from the agency and two other men she didn’t know. One of her colleagues, Jason Knight, wore a waiter’s outfit, with a small brass name tag falsely proclaiming him a member of hotel staff, and a huge grin.

She stood back to let the men inside, sweeping her arm with a flourish and stifling the unwarranted hurt when Emelio brushed past her without a word. “Glad you like it, Jase. I’m going to bill the agency for reimbursement.”

“I wasn’t talking about the suite, hot stuff.”

Emelio turned his head and shot Jason a piercing glare. He seemed about to make some kind of remark when Alex clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Lighten up, hombre.”

She followed the group into the living room, addressing Alex since he was the safer of her two choices. “You’re not planning to wear that downstairs, are you?”

He affected an insulted expression as he glanced down at his purple, blue and yellow Hawaiian-print shirt. “What are you talking about? This is one of my fav—”

“Can we get this party started?” Emelio’s interruption was terse, both a question and a command. He stood in the middle of the room, arms crossed tightly over his chest. His eyes looked everywhere but at her.

Stevie clenched her fingers together behind her back to keep her hands from shaking as she filled the awkward silence with bright chatter. “So, the gang’s all here. I know Jason and Rick obviously. But who are the two mystery guests?”

Though she directed her question to Emelio, hoping to connect, hoping to breach the weighted silence, it was Alex who answered. “This is David Heintz of the FBI and Oscar Solis from the DEA. We worked together in the SOD.”

“Hi. I’m GTMY.” Stevie nodded to each man. A faint blush colored her cheeks when they all stared at her, confused. “Um, glad to meet you. I was just trying to fit in.”

When the chuckles died away, Oscar Solis cleared his throat and settled into one of the wing chairs. “Just so we’re all crystal clear about the situation, the Justice Department is taking charge. Once Ms. Madison tells us what she knows, we’ll run with the ball.”

“Wait a minute. I thought—”

Solis cut her off. “For years, Braga has managed to stay just out of reach. If we don’t get solid evidence that he’s screwed with the court system, our three-year joint effort will be for nothing.”

“Besides,” Alex said quietly, “as private investigators, we don’t have arrest authority.”

Her eyebrows creased in displeasure. All of these guys had worked on some aspect of the Ramos case, leaving her the unwanted girl in the old boys’ club. They didn’t come here to help her. They came to take over, just as she’d suspected. Her temper flared and she glanced at Emelio.

He finally looked at her and she found herself wishing he hadn’t. She practically melted from the heat radiating across the ten feet that separated them, but she met his scowl with both apology and defiance.

Emelio’s voice was carefully neutral while he suggested the team go over the hotel blueprints and break out the equipment they’d brought with them. Then he looked at Stevie and cocked his head to one side. “I need to speak with you a moment.”

He moved across the room before she could blink. His arm was like a steel band behind her back as he “escorted” her away from the others. Once in the bedroom, Emelio slammed the French doors, cutting off her escape.

Tension rolled off him in waves, and, despite his effort to keep control, his eyes were no longer cold. Emotions flashed across his features too quickly for her to name, but there was no doubt he was upset.

Stevie wrapped her arms over her waist and shifted from one foot to the other. This was going to be rough and she braced herself for a nasty argument. He remained silent, however, simply looking her up and down with an unfathomable gaze. She cleared her throat, hoping to head off the explosion.

“I know you’re angry, Emelio, and I’m sorry for ditching you like—”

She flinched when he grabbed her by the shoulders. Then he dropped his head and his lips prevented any more words. He slanted his mouth over hers hungrily, ravishing her. How in heaven’s name was it possible for a kiss to be punishing and tender at the same time?

Stevie stopped wondering and simply lost herself in his embrace. His tongue designed sensual patterns in the warmth of her mouth while his hands, his hands were everywhere at once. His touch was soft yet possessive as his fingers stroked her cheek, her bare shoulders, her back.

It was all there, every emotion he’d hidden in front of the team was right there in that kiss. The sense of connection returned, hot and insistent, with the power to erase the past, if only for a moment. The rush of longing and need hit her so hard she was shaking as Emelio devoured her lips in a kiss that should have set them both aflame.

Then he cupped her face between his palms and gently pulled back. She held him tightly, inhaling the citrus spice of his aftershave. They stood, foreheads touching, breathing rushed, until she felt him move away. Stevie raised her lashes to look at him.

No longer turbulent, his eyes were instead filled with heartbreaking tenderness. Her heart rejoiced. They would get through this, they would take Braga down and then see what the future held for them. Every time she looked at him, the love she felt intensified. Especially now, when he had every right to castigate her for going off alone, but instead kissed her as if his life depended on it.

Maybe now wasn’t the best time to tell him how she felt, not with a criminal to catch and a handful of agents in the next room, but the declaration was on the tip of her tongue. That is, until he moved toward the dresser and reached for a tissue. He wiped her kiss from his lips, and, when he turned back to face her, Mr. Calm, Cool and Controlled had returned.

“I need to know exactly everything you’ve done since flying off on your own so I can assess the damage to this operation.” He tossed the lipstick-stained tissue into the trash can.

Emelio may as well have slapped her.

“The case? You want to talk about the case. Right now?”

Stevie stared at him in disbelief. He had turned her into a quivering mass of hormones and then shut himself off like a switch. She was so stunned she couldn’t even identify her emotions—too many of them were vying for precedence. “What the hell was that?”

“Your call to Weston may have blown this investigation—”

“Was that kiss some kind of demonstration? Show the little woman who’s boss? What the hell
was
that?”

Emelio finally met her gaze. His eyes glowed with sparks of golden fire, rocking her to the core and adding to her confusion. “That was me, damn glad to see you’re all right.”

Sincerity was evident in the timbre of his voice, in the expression on his face. She fought to make sense of the contradictory feelings arcing between them as desire warred with aggravation.

“You’re making me nuts, you know that?”

“Join the club, lady. I’ve been going crazy with worry about you.”

“Hey, you’re the one who said an investigation has to take priority.” She wasn’t quite ready to declare a truce. “I followed my instincts about that videotape. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t do what I thought was right.”

Emelio rubbed his forehead, the epitome of exasperation. “Neither can I, Stephanie. You’re my responsibility. It’s my job to keep you safe—”

“I don’t want to be a responsibility, Emelio. I want to be…something more.” Stevie twisted her fingers together, suddenly unsure she wanted to voice her true wish.

“You already are, believe me. And when all of this is over, we have unfinished business.” He slipped his hand inside the lapel of his jacket and showed her black-lace letter number nine. “We have a lot to talk about, you and I. But, right now, we need to get back to the team and figure out how we’re going to salvage the investigation.”

Stevie turned and went to the wall safe. After disengaging the lock, she pulled out the Stockton tape.

Emelio frowned at the videocassette. “This should have been handled according to specific procedure. I told you, we have to do things by the book in order to ensure a conviction.”

“Sometimes you have to throw out the rule book, Emelio. You guys wouldn’t be here right now if not for the way I got things done.” She stalked over to the French doors, yanking them open.

Jason blanched, pretending he hadn’t been listening at the door and Stevie pretended not to notice. The other men looked up from the equipment and settled into chairs as Special Agent Solis turned to her expectantly.

“So, Stevie. Alex here gave us an overview, but we need you to fill in the specifics of your little chat with Weston.”

She briefly explained how she’d connected Braga to the White Orchid through the news brief and then confirmed it with the videotape. Then she told them about her conversation with Weston. Alex and Solis glanced at each other while the other men shuffled in their seats, making her feel embarrassed and defensive.

She propped the videotape on her hip and frowned at them. “What?”

Agent Heintz spoke up. “Does the term ‘entrapment’ mean anything to you? A good lawyer will get anything Weston said thrown out of court.”

“You know as well as I do, a private citizen can’t entrap a criminal unless they’re working for the government. I was investigating an agency case, not helping the Justice Department.”

“Coercion is still not an acceptable method of evidence gathering, Ms. Madison.”

“I didn’t coerce him. I simply furnished him with the opportunity to commit a crime. Weston is the one who first mentioned a payoff, so that’s all the proof we need to show that he’s predisposed to criminal activity. A good lawyer will get our evidence right back in.”

Stevie paused when she noticed Emelio’s bemused expression. “I forgot to tell you. One of my classes was Introduction to Criminal Law.”

Special Agent Solis cleared his throat. “All the same, Stevie—”

Alex held up both palms in a bid for peace. “Let’s work the problem, and leave the rest for the courts.”

“You want Braga. You’re going to get him.” Stevie walked over to the entertainment center and switched on the television set. The room fell silent as they all watched Braga and Weston on the screen.

“If you wish to clear your obligation to me, these two matters must be handled immediately.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll take care of it.”

“Until the White Orchid then.”

Stevie clicked the remote control to stop the tape. “I think you’ll agree that the ends justify the means.”

Solis nodded in approval, his only acknowledgment of her success. “All right, gentlemen. Here’s how we’re going to proceed.”

“Wait a minute,” Alex interrupted. “Do we have confirmation that Weston is actually here?”

She tried to answer. “If we check—”

Jason jumped in with a question. “What about the money issue? He knows Stevie is coming, so he’ll be suspicious if she tries to nail him on the bribe.”

“And what about a warrant?” Rick asked.

Heintz replied, “We can make a warrantless arrest since we’ve got more than reasonable grounds to believe Weston committed a felony.”

“But we’re going to need one to actually record from the transmitters we brought,” Alex pointed out.

Solis agreed. “Okay. I’ll find a judge who’s willing to accommodate us on a Saturday night. Let me take the video with me as proof.”

“That’s fine,” Stevie began. “I left the original—”

Heintz cut her off again. “We got the cooperation of hotel management for Emelio, Jason and Rick to pose as staff. Four more agents are en route…”

She might as well not even be here. As the men continued to discuss strategies and make plans, Stevie wandered over to the balcony. Old hurt and insecurities churned in her belly. She’d been shut out, despite the major contribution she’d made to the case, leaving her feeling condescended to and insignificant. She had no problem identifying her emotions right now—disappointed, frustrated and resentful.

Behind her, Rick clapped his hands together once. “Okay, what’s our next move?”

Emelio’s voice rose above the others. “That’s for Stevie to decide.”

She swung around to look at him, eyebrows arched in surprise. Did she hear him correctly? The faces staring at Emelio mirrored her reaction. But his adamant expression dared anyone to question his decision.

“Stevie made the connection that’s going to blow this investigation wide open. Let her run this part of the operation. She’s earned the chance.”