Chapter 15
Sylvia
“So good to see you again.” Sylvia stepped out of the backseat of the sedan Alexander Sheen had sent to pick her up from her house. He waited for her on the sidewalk outside of a popular, upscale brunch spot in Northeast Portland. “I was afraid I had done something to offend you last night.”
He took her hand and gave it the lightest kiss, dark, stormy eyes lingering on her face. “I don’t know what you could have possibly done to offend me, Sylvia.” Shortly after he dropped her hand he wrapped his arm around her midsection, a protective, possessive gesture that kept the other men in suits far away from them. “Mine,” it echoed to every man in the vicinity. Even Joseph, in his van around the corner, must have felt it. “My only regret is that I didn’t get to explore this lovely body of yours.”
“I want to explore your body.” Sylvia shuddered. Speaking of Joseph…
“You know your safe word,” he said in her earpiece.
Safe word. As if Sylvia hadn’t used a million safe words with clients before. It was a requirement for any date, even for plain vanilla sex. When Joseph suggested she have one before sending her off to meet with Alexander, Sylvia didn’t know whether to laugh or ask why he hadn’t suggested it sooner. ‘Cause now he has sex with me on the brain. Oh, the man played it cool enough when they met up for their briefing, Jim and Cindy in attendance as well. But there were glances in her direction. A graze of the hand against her hip, which lit a fire similar to the one that burned between them only twelve hours ago. We better be boning tonight. Sylvia wasn’t merely attracted to Joseph. When he wasn’t being a broody mess, he was damn good in bed. Possibly even great, if he opened up to her more. And if Sylvia had to do anything with Alexander Sheen to keep her cover? I’m gonna need a huge palate cleanser. Joseph’s dick was good enough for her.
“Of course,” she said, in response to both Joseph and Alexander. The agent said nothing. The billionaire blowhard smirked in acknowledgment. Yeah. This man wanted her too. For very different reasons.
If Joseph’s need for her wasn’t on the table, then Sylvia wouldn’t have thought much of how Alexander acted toward her. Having that balance, however, put many things into perspective. Like how nice it was to have a man who was interested in her for a change…
“I hope your business was not too much of a bother last night.” She walked with Alexander into the dining area. “You seemed a bit flustered. You know, there are many things in my arsenal to help a flustered businessman. Sometimes getting it all out helps. I like to think of myself as a small-time therapist.”
“I’m sure you do.” His grip on her tightened. “That won’t be necessary, though. I prefer to express myself physically as opposed to verbally.”
Can’t blame a girl for trying. Someone distracted Sheen with a greeting. Sylvia continued to walk, appreciating the ambiance of one of the nicest brunch spots in Portland.
This was not the usual ham and eggs with a pancake on the side (gluten free or not) fair that men with beards and women in flannel lined up for. This was the brunch of the wealthy. East coast brunch. Brunch that cost a hundred dollars a plate. The kind of brunch that women with extreme means bonded over and businessmen brokered multimillion dollar deals over. Sylvia knew that Alexander was here for a business meeting, and couldn’t wait to see who with. She didn’t doubt that it would be a good lead for the boys in blue.
She did not expect to see a pair of familiar faces at their table.
It was a joke. It had to be. If not put on by the cosmic forces playing with her head, then put on by Joseph or some other fuckhead who wanted to watch Sylvia squirm like a kid stuck in the dentist’s waiting room.
“Greetings.” Alexander reached across the four-person table and shook a man’s hand. He stood, tall and broad in an Armani suit, no tie. Although he greeted Alexander Sheen, it was Sylvia he stared at as if he had seen an unpleasant ghost. “So nice of you to join us.”
“Allow me to introduce you to my beautiful date.” Alexander was jumping right into it, wasn’t he? That’s his game. He wants to know if I’ve slept with Vincent Lane. “This is Sylvia. Do you… know each other?”
Both Vincent Lane and his girlfriend, the petite and feisty Nala Nazarov, looked away, refusing to turn their heads anywhere in Sylvia’s direction. The feeling was mutual, although Sylvia had more tact (or training in these matters, anyway.) She graciously accepted a pulled out chair from Alexander and sat next to Nala, who was torn between disbelief and disdain.
They went back. All the way back to Xavier Crow. They’re the ones who led the FBI to Crow. Like Joseph and those FBI agents, Vincent and Nala had been undercover in Crow’s club. But unlike Joseph and those FBI agents, they were rogue civilians, hellbent on taking down Crow out of revenge for their dead loved ones. I think he had a girlfriend and she had a sister? Who Crow had killed for whatever dumb reasons? Sylvia had been detached enough to barely catch the details when they came out. All she cared about? These people were why Sebastian was sent to prison and Sylvia was thrown out on the expensive streets of Portland, forced to fend for herself in ways she hadn’t attempted in years.
So while she was sure they were decent enough as people, she wasn’t going to feel bad about nursing a boiling grudge against them. A part of her hoped that they were dirty with Sheen. The poetic irony would be too good to pass up.
“We have met before,” Vincent said before sitting down. He never took his eyes off Sylvia, that rancid glare making every attempt possible to tear down her shields. “It’s been a while, though.”
Alexander ate this discomfort up. After all, everyone involved knew what Sylvia did for a living. The difference? Alexander probably assumed that Vincent once paid for Sylvia’s services (he hadn’t,) and Vincent assumed this was another job for Sylvia. (It sort of was.)
“Indeed.” She would be cordial. Not to mention she would play right into Alexander’s hand, with the hope that he would admire her for it. “The three of us go back.”
“Pleasant times, I hope.”
Next to Sylvia, Nala Nazarov stewed in a pot of her own displeasure. That’s what Sylvia wanted. It would make Alexander think she was jealous of Sylvia for having once slept with Vincent. If anyone’s ego was going to get out of control in there, it had better be Alexander’s.
“The most pleasant.”
They ordered brunch, not that anyone but Alexander had an appetite right now. Whatever the truth was regarding Nala and Vincent, ultimately they were not comfortable with Sylvia’s presence. Of course they’re not. They’ve seen me naked and fucking Sebastian, and God knows who else. That would make any casual relationship more tenuous.
“Are you kidding me?” Joseph said in her earpiece. He had probably said a few other things before, but Sylvia’s pounding blood had drowned him out. “Them?” No doubt he already had Cindy digging into everyone’s backgrounds, both hoping and honest-to-God not hoping that there was a legitimate connection.
If there was, it never came up during the course of brunch. All Alexander and Vincent talked about was how the one wanted to hire the other to create tracking and management software. That’s right. That’s what Vincent Lane does for a living. Some self-made billionaire who made software for big companies. And Alexander wanted tracking software? That was certainly interesting.
“It’s become more important than ever for me to have accurate tracking on my trucks,” Alexander said, one hand clasped firmly on Sylvia’s knee. She ignored him while she ate and drank her brunch. Men. Always putting possessive hands all over you. Especially if they’re paying for you. Or publicly “with” you. Sylvia remembered a time when she found that hot. Romantic. Like the dumb kid she used to be. “I almost had one go missing last night.” Okay, maybe she wasn’t ignoring him now. A missing truck? Stuffed full of what? Captured humans? “Gave me a heart attack and a half. I don’t have to tell you what would have happened if that truck disappeared. The cargo was worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.” Was he sweating? No, he wasn’t sweating. But Alexander did tug on his necktie. “I’d be willing to pay the same amount of money for software that makes sure that never happens again. I need to know where those trucks are anywhere in the world, GPS or no GPS. I want it in every single truck and need more than one person to be able to turn it off. No matter how much you trust a driver…”
“I completely understand,” Vincent said. His leveled gaze was almost handsome. Almost. Sylvia had lost any interest in the man after she found out he was another undercover asshole. I only have room in my loins for one, apparently. “My company completed work on a similar application for a German taxi company.”
“Yes, yes, Heinrich Brown had lots of good things to say about you. Why do you think I was in such a hurry to set up this meeting?”
“You’re doing great, Sylv,” Joseph said in her earpiece. “Keep the mic toward Alexander. I also want the camera on Lane’s face whenever you can. I want to see his reactions.”
That was all well and good, but the orange juice was going straight through Sylvia’s system. And the eggs. And whatever milk had gone into her eggs. Fuck. Sylvia had to politely remove Alexander’s hand from her knee and stand up. “Excuse me,” she said in a near-whisper. “Nature commands me to disappear for five minutes.” She flashed her sadistic date a smile. “Forgive me, Mr. Sheen.”
“No worries. We’ll be here a while yet, my pet.”
Gross. Sylvia’s expression did not falter as she went up to a waiter and asked where the restroom was.
“Going off,” she muttered before turning off the camera and mic. Neither Joseph nor the rest of his department needed media of her personal business. She did, however, leave the earpiece on. Why? Well, it certainly wasn’t for the entertainment value of Joseph chewing her out for leaving during a business meeting, but she did like the sound of his voice.
“For fuck’s sake, Sylv,” he exclaimed as she shut a stall door behind her. “Is now really the time to take a piss?”
She almost wished she had left the mic on so she could say, “That’s not all I’m doing.”
Five minutes later she was at the sink, washing her hands and touching up her makeup. Why? Well, she didn’t need to touch up her makeup, but she also didn’t want to rush out and spend more time with Alexander and Co. Spare me. Sylvia would check out her eyeliner and lipstick, and they would deal with it.
The bathroom door opened. Sylvia now stared at the reflection of Nala Nazarov, who barred the door with her body and crossed her arms. Hard to believe they were close to the same age, let alone that Sylvia was two years older than Nala – after all, this girl looked like a child. Or at least that’s what prissy-ass Sylvia went ahead and thought as she looked at that puffy face and holier-than-thou stance.
“Can I help you?” Sylvia asked. “The stalls are over there if you need to use them.”
“What the hell are you doing here?”
Sylvia turned, clutch still open and spilling her eyeliner onto the counter. “I should be asking you that. I’m working.”
“So are we.” Nala did not move.
“Fancy that, then. We’re both working. Awkward, but it’s a small city. We were bound to run into each other again.”
“Yeah. Bound.”
Sylvia went back to touching up the last of her makeup. No sense entertaining Nala’s weirdness when there was an investigation to get back to. Otherwise Joseph would start chewing her out, and it wouldn’t be the kind she was into.
“You know much about that guy?” Sylvia asked.
“Who? Your date?”
“Hmph. Yeah.”
“I know almost nothing about him. Only that Vincent was recently contacted about doing business with him. This is their first formal meeting in real life.”
Does that mean they’re not “working” together? That would be rich. “Look,” Sylvia muttered. “That man is no good. If you thought Xavier Crow was a clusterfuck of bullshit, then you don’t know much about Alexander Sheen.”
Nala’s reflection bristled. “Do tell.”
“I’m not one to tell much. Only know that your boyfriend might not want to get too involved with him. Especially regarding those trucks.”
“Hmm.” Nala was lost in thought. Sylvia finished up her makeup and turned around, ready to head back to the table. “Sounds dangerous.” Was that a glint in her eye? Childish. Nala would be the type to be thirsty for excitement.
Sylvia chuckled. “You bored these days?”
“Oh my God, I am so bored.” There went that bad girl façade. Nala really was nothing more than a college student now. A bored college student, apparently. “Nothing of note has happened in my life since earlier this year. Do you know how boring life quickly gets when you’re not worrying about your next fucking meal?”
Sylvia rolled her eyes. “Unfortunately.”
“You taking this guy down?”
“In a matter of speaking. I’m not at liberty to discuss much. But…” She leaned in toward Nala’s ear. “If you’re really that bored, you might have your boyfriend do some of his own digging into Sheen’s black market goods.”
“If we find something? You want us to tell you?”
“Fuck no.” Sylvia snorted. “Take it to him.” She pulled Joseph’s card out of her wallet and handed it to Nala. When she glanced at it, she hooted in surprise.
“Figures,” Nala said with a sigh. “You two are working together? Interesting.”
“He approached me.”
Nala attempted to contain a smile, but it spilled out of her face with a puff! that made her sound even more like a child. “I bet he did. You’re a popular woman, aren’t you?”
“It’s a gift,” Sylvia said dryly. “A terrible gift that plagues women like me.”
“So dramatic.”
Sylvia opened the bathroom door and spared Nala one last look. “Seriously. Watch out for that guy. Some really nasty stuff.”
“Tell Joseph hi for me.”
“I’m sure he’ll love to hear from you.”
Nala started laughing. “At least we’re not the FBI.”
***
Sylvia’s day-long date with Alexander was borderline surreal. Even if she didn’t know what he was up to, it would still be a giant, surreal mess. The man was the kind of possessive that sent up red flags like a bad soccer match. Whenever they were alone in the back of his limo, his hand continuously massaged the inside of her thigh, and he wordlessly encouraged her to touch him however she liked. This probably created no shortage of ire in the espionage van following them around town. Or at least every time Joseph said a damn thing, it was laced in Why the fuck are you touching him?
Ah, now that was more along the lines of what Sylvia liked when it came to “possessive.”
“Relax,” she cooed, sidled up next to the Alexander in the back of his limo. Where they were heading, she had no idea. “There’s plenty of me to go around.”
As usual, that was directed at both Alexander and Joseph. The one serenely smiled while the other grumbled in her ear.
At this rate, this guy is gonna wanna fuck. Strange how that bothered Sylvia more than usual. She was good at detaching herself from her job, especially if she did not care for a client. These days, that happened more often than not. Yet this was different. Setting aside the heinous crimes Alexander was committing, he was still handsome, suave, and rich. If all he wanted from Sylvia was some hanky-panky for a few days, then it was no skin off her back. A girl had to make a living, after all, and this would have set her up for more than a few months. If I had an Alexander once a month, I could quit both my jobs. Not like she claimed most of her escort money on her taxes.
But the level of detachment she had to practice now was almost unreal. From the moment he planted a soft kiss on her throat, she was gone – mentally. Her brain took her back to the night before, when Joseph left those same kind of kisses on her… and harder, more ardent ones. Passion had been imbued into every single kiss. Alexander? Everything he did was for his benefit and no one else’s. Not that Sylvia expected anything else, but…
I don’t want to be with this man. Not even for work. What a hard realization to deal with. If I needed more evidence that I’m not meant for this career, this is it.
Even so, it was more than her own neck on the line. Sylvia needed to stay in Alexander’s good graces for the sake of the investigation. It wasn’t only about her. It wasn’t only about Joseph, or his team. It was about all those victims who had their lives ruined because this man figured out he could make millions more trafficking people than mere animals.
If Sylvia had to put up with some kisses and groping, then both she and Joseph would fucking deal with it.
“Do you really have to touch his dick?” Joseph tsked in her ear. I didn’t, asshole. She had flirted with his thigh. The man wasn’t even hard! “Just… never mind.”
On one hand, Sylvia wanted nothing to do with Sheen. On the other… she may be able to get something out of this. Like making Joseph so jealous that he ravaged her later. Yeah. I am an expert at playing that game. Used to be she made crazy good money off of playing that game.
The limo ran the gamut of meetings that day. As the day wore on? Alexander became increasingly handsy with his date. Sometimes he held her so close that she could feel his sweat seeping from his skin. Other times he kissed her in front of other guests at meetings and parties. One display was sure to hit the internet later that day: Alexander dipped Sylvia in front of a group of local politicians and kissed her so hard that applause rang.
“For fuck’s sake,” Joseph grumbled.
Worth it, though. Or at least from the investigation’s point of view. The more at ease Alexander became around Sheen – and the more champagne she gave him – the more information she was able to gleam. First they met with Sheen’s “local accountant,” a man Joseph declared completely off their radar until that moment. Then they met some “handlers.” Men who talked in such obvious code that Sylvia was almost able to decipher it. “The goods are always delivered on time. I don’t know anything about that truck last night. What about those tigers?”
Sylvia’s powers of observations could not be curbed by the grabs to her ass and promises of fun Alexander kept shooting her way. “Tigers” meant women. “Cubs” meant children. Occasionally the word “Bengal” was dropped. This one took longer, but Sylvia eventually – and horrifically – realized that this meant older teenage boys. Thailand was where most of the supposed shipments were routed through once the trucks made it to Mexico. From there, Alexander’s accomplices delegated the goods across Asia, going as far as Eastern Europe in some cases.
It made Sylvia sick to hear, but she did not let it show on her face. She occasionally threw out a glib comment about how much she loved going to zoos and wildlife sanctuaries to make sure Alexander knew she was ignorant. But she was also careful to not overdo it. When he was talking to these people, she was definitely meant to be seen, felt, and never heard.
“I’ve got many plans for you tonight,” he said in the limo, after they left an early supper with gleeful investors. “Remember what I had in mind last night? We need to catch up.”
Sylvia turned the flirtations as far up as she could stand. “I live to serve, sir.”
“I’m sure you do. I’ve heard nothing but good things about you, Sylvia. From both your madam and from… well, former clients of yours.”
“I’m glad to hear that I get so many glowing reviews.”
“It’s what keeps a healthy business alive.”
“Indeed.” Sylvia giggled. The fakest giggle in the world, but it often worked on sex-addled men. Even those like Alexander Sheen. “Keeping clients like you happy is my top prerogative. There isn’t much that I won’t do. But… if there is something rather extreme you have in mind, I need a good amount of time to prepare.”
“Nothing extreme, I assure you.” He pulled her close, a growl tickling her ear, right next to her mic. Joseph and his fellow agents were about to hear something salacious enough to make their grandmothers have a collective heart attack. “Unless you count me ramming this sweet cunt of yours with everything in my arsenal extreme?”
“Ooh, Mr. Sheen.” Was Sylvia blushing? Only because she was slightly embarrassed that her new casual boyfriend had heard that? “Everything? Pray tell… what does that entail?”
“I’m a pragmatist in the bedroom, Sylvia. I prefer my women to be… ready… for me.”
Sylvia gave the bulge in his pants a thorough look over. “Uh huh. With a friend like that? I would need to be prepared too.”
Guys like Sheen were a dime a dozen. They thought themselves so cute that they wanted to fuck her with inanimate objects before finally sticking their cocks in. Except men like Sheen, specifically, probably did not have pleasant objects in mind.
They pulled up to his hotel. The doorman helped Sylvia out, but it was Alexander who then took her arm and half-hauled her into the hotel lobby.
This is how it’s going to be. Sylvia could only roll her eyes. Hope that by the time he’s done with me I still have some stamina leftover for Joseph… There was a thought. Not the first time recently Sylvia dealt with two men in one night. But it was the first time in a long while the first guy attempted to wipe her out and the second guy was kinda-sorta more than a mere lay.
Joseph was silent while Sylvia was taken up to Alexander’s room for whatever he had in mind. The intimidating bodyguard stayed out in the hallway. He spared Sylvia no look when she disappeared into the hotel’s executive suite.
“Before we begin,” Sylvia said with her best diplomatic tone. “A girl should like to use the restroom. Sir.”
Alexander had already removed his jacket and hung it up. “A girl is allowed. Don’t take too long, though. We have lots to catch up on.”
Groan. Sylvia needed a conference with herself anyway. As soon as she had the bathroom door locked behind her, she turned on the fan and hid in the far corner.
“Joseph,” she hissed, hoping the mic in her ear picked her voice up. “Joseph!”
“Hm?”
Don’t sound like that. Good to know he was fucking alive, though. “Help me out here.”
“With what? You’re doing a great job, Sylv.”
Was he seriously doing this with her? Seriously? “I don’t want to do this. You’ve gotta get me outta here.” She couldn’t cancel the date and walk out. Not only would that ruin her cover, even if she faked an illness, but it would also be dangerous. The man out there had become increasingly possessive as the day wore on. Should Sylvia try to get out of sex? Because Alexander was not going to be satisfied with a mere handjob. Let alone a blowjob! Fuck! He wasn’t going to be happy unless Sylvia was too messed up to walk.
I used to charge so much for that. And I actually had fun. Whatever Alexander paid the fake escort agency was never going to touch Sylvia’s hands. She definitely would not enjoy this.
“You don’t wanna do what?”
Was he being glib on purpose? Or did Joseph exude that smarmy attitude when he was a jealous fuckhead? “I don’t want to have sex with him,” Sylvia mumbled. “Please. You need to do something to get me out of here.”
“All right. I’ll see what I can do. We’ve got plenty of info from him today anyway. Kline is already following the leads.”
Sylvia breathed a sigh of relief. “Did she find anything last night?”
“I’m not at liberty to say.”
Because I’m not a real agent. Just a stupid civilian in way over her head. Maybe this job was better suited for an agent who didn’t mind having crazy sex with a sociopath. The agent was probably better at getting into Sylvia’s character than she was right now. I need a gun. They trained me with a gun but didn’t give me one. Not that Sylvia did great during her training…
A knock came to the bathroom door. “Are you all right in there? I ordered us some wine.”
Shivers nearly crippled Sylvia. She caught her mouth turning into a sour frown in the mirror. “Everything’s fine!” She had never forced such a good mood before. “I’m freshening up for you, sir! I’ll be out in a couple more minutes.”
“I look forward to it. I’ll go ahead and pour us some wine.”
And then do what? “C’mon, Joseph, do something,” she mumbled.
“Working on it. Well, Jim is working on it. I have no idea how to hack into shit unless it’s with an ax.”
“Don’t take your time, boys. I’m actually kinda afraid that I’m going to step out there and be overpowered by him.” Been a while since Sylvia saw it that way. Shit. So, if he has sex with me… shit, shit. This was not the headspace she wanted to be in. She didn’t want to think about a client assaulting her because she suddenly had a change of heart about her job.
Would she had felt this way if he had contacted her independently, outside of the investigation? Or was this turn of events from knowing what Alexander Sheen was involved in?
No.
It was because of Joseph.
“You’re going to be fine, Sylvia,” he reassured her with his smooth, deep voice. Was that a slight accent? Or wishful thinking on Sylvia’s part? “I won’t let anything happen to you in there. If necessary, I’ll come in there myself.”
“No, don’t do that. I’ll go through with it if I have to. Don’t blow our covers. I feel like I’m really close to getting something out of him. And not sex. God. Please, hurry up.”
“Hold tight, Sylv. Distract him. I think we’re close, though.”
Great. Distract him. Distract the giant asshole who wanted to fuck her with little regard for her humanity, let alone her pleasure. That was winning.
“There you are,” Alexander said once she emerged from the bathroom. He held two glasses of wine, one lifting in her direction. “I’ve been waiting for you. Quite impatiently.”
She tacked on a smile and accepted the glass of wine. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting. But when a girl’s gotta go…”
“Far be it from me to get in the way of nature. I only know too well.”
“Oh?”
Alexander drank his wine, eyes leering at Sylvia’s chest. Uh huh. There was a reason she picked a cleavage-heavy dress for today. “When it comes to my line of work, one can never be too wary of nature.”
“Right. The tigers and cubs.”
Silence settled between them. An awkward, uncomfortable silence in which Sylvia worried she had somehow blown her cover. “Transporting wild animals is a dangerous gig, even if I’m not directly involved. If something goes wrong? It’s my ass on the line. That almost happened last night.”
“I bet that guy got fired.”
“Once we found him…” Alexander sipped his wine. “You could say that.”
Chills. Sylvia did not like those implications.
“Tell me, Sylvia.” He gestured to her jewelry. “Where did you get such lovely diamonds?”
She pretended to be flattered. “An old lover.”
“Maxwell Carlisle?”
Sylvia grimaced. “No. Not him.”
“Good. I’ve heard many things about Mr. Carlisle, but gifting fake diamonds to beautiful women was not one of them. He always had an eye for jewels, based on what I know about him.”
Bristling. Shuddering. Swallowing, hard. “He certainly did.” Sylvia finally drank some of the wine. “Unfortunately, I don’t have most of the ones he gave me anymore.” She had either given them away or thrown them out her bedroom window after breaking up with the asshole.
“I’m sorry to bring it up. I wanted to make sure that you knew these supposed diamonds you keep wearing around me are fake. I can tell all the way from over here.”
Like law enforcement can afford real diamonds, duh. Sylvia looked away. “I’m sorry if they offend you, sir.”
“Offend me? I’m merely looking out for you.” Alexander put down his glass and reached into his pocket. “Here. Let me make you richer.”
One of Sylvia’s eyebrows went up. “Sir?”
He revealed a diamond ring. No, not an engagement ring, but something almost as valuable. It twinkled in the lamplight, ready to grace Sylvia’s ring. “Here. Give me your hand. I insist that you have this.” Alexander grinned, deviously. “I promise that it’s real.”
Sylvia held out a shaky hand. “Thank you so much,” she whispered. “This is really too kind of you.”
“Consider it a bonus.” Alexander slid the ring onto her right index finger. Most men did not anticipate how dainty Sylvia’s fingers were. Maxwell got my ring size totally wrong when he bought me an engagement ring. Had to get it resized before I could wear it on the right finger. No, not memories she wanted to drag up right now. “You’ve been a delight to be around, even if we haven’t indulged in… well, what I’ve paid for.”
“Thank you, sir.”
His hand remained locked with hers. This is it. He’s going to pull me in for a kiss, and then there’s no turning back. Sylvia steeled herself. Where the fuck was Joseph?
Joseph apparently was not around, but he had his ways of getting her out of there.
A bright red light flashed in the center of the hotel room. A screech as obnoxious as trains on squealing tracks peeled in Sylvia’s ears. If that wasn’t dramatic enough? The sprinklers burst.
“What the hell!” Was that her? Alexander? The both of them? Sylvia held her hands over her face to protect it from the cold water raining on her. She thought far enough ahead to grab her clutch before the bodyguard pounded on the door.
“Sir! There’s a fire, sir! I insist that you evacuate!”
Cursing, Alexander grabbed his jacket the moment the electricity went out.
To say the next few minutes were a bit chaotic was an understatement. The bodyguard broke into the room, making off with his boss and leaving Sylvia to fend for herself against smoke and fire. Except there was no smoke, and there was no fire, no matter how loudly the alarms throughout the hotel went off.
“This way, please!” A hotel staff person urged Sylvia to go down the stairs. Damnit, we’re on the fifth floor! At least it was a small, upscale hotel that didn’t have too many rooms. Enough floors to make hustling down five flights of stairs in heels an absolute nightmare if she wasn’t careful.
She found Alexander and his bodyguard in the lobby. They barely paid her any mind as every guest and staff person in the hotel was sent onto the sidewalk.
“Do you see any smoke?” An older woman wearing a hotel bathrobe held her glasses up. The sun had long began to set, creating a glare above the building. “Because I don’t see any fire.”
Joseph. Sylvia looked around. The van was nowhere in sight. “Did someone pull the alarm?” she asked no one in particular. The man beside her shrugged.
“You’re welcome,” Joseph said over their line.
Relief consumed her. Relief that she didn’t have to deal with Alexander, and relief that there wasn’t an actual fire threatening the historical hotel.
Nobody knew that yet, though. All the staff – and the fire department, once it showed up – knew was that the alarm had gone off. Sylvia could only figure that Jim or someone hacked into the system and fired off the alarms. That’s some real spy shit… She was rather impressed.
“So,” she said to Alexander, who was in the middle of a discussion with the hotel manager. “This sucks, huh?”
He waved her off. Even better.
Sylvia kept her smirk to herself until a few minutes later, when the hotel staff declared that the building was safe from danger. By then, Alexander was embroiled in an argument with his own protective detail. Both bodyguards implored him to get rid of Sylvia and to relocate hotels for the night. Something about “You know how the Mexicans are right now. They’re still mad about the payment that got caught up in the wires last month. You didn’t piss them off, did you?” Yeah, those damn Mexicans…
Wasn’t Joseph half-Mexican?
“As soon as you can get away,” he said, “meet us five blocks from there. Head south. We’re on Salmon.”
Sylvia nodded. “Perhaps it is best that I go,” she said to Alexander. “I know you’re not getting your money’s worth from me. Speak to my madam and she may be able to arrange a partial refund.” She hoped that Cindy Kline had some lines to feed Alexander, because he was never getting that money back now that it was logged as evidence. The poor baby.
“All right, fine.” Alexander held his hands up to his security team. “I understand. We’ll go to our backup hotel.” He turned to Sylvia. “I’m sorry that something has happened twice in a row now. You would almost think that the universe is conspiring to keep us apart.” He wrote something down on a tissue from his pocket and handed it to her. “My personal number. I don’t hand this out easily.”
Sylvia nodded, accepting the paper. “We still have Friday, sir.”
“Yes. I’ll see you Friday.” He narrowed his eyes at her. “On Friday we will have some quality alone time together. Don’t worry about me, Sylvia. I’ll get my money’s worth eventually.”
She was rather afraid he would say that.
***
“You saved my ass back there,” she said to Joseph once she was back in the van. The place was sweltering. No windows open, and that many electronics going on a hot July day? No amount of fans could keep that place cool, and it was too expensive to keep the air conditioner running for so many hours. By the time Sylvia climbed in, it was already eighty-five degrees in there – and it was probably getting started. “Now take me home so I can shower and get that guy off me.”
Joseph was the only one in the van, although Sylvia had seen Jim standing outside having a smoke break. They had nodded to one another before Sylvia hopped in. Now she was alone. With Joseph. The man who was jealous enough to make it known all day.
The man Sylvia was hoping would go home with her. Or at least take her home with him.
She didn’t care if they didn’t have sex. All she cared about was spending some time with him. There was something oddly comforting about the uptight agent who wasn’t really that uptight once he let his guard down. For some reason, he fancied keeping it up around Sylvia.
Not now. The moment she sat down in Jim’s chair, eyes flitting toward the monitors replaying what she filmed that day, Joseph covertly brushed his hand against her leg. Intentionally. That was a boyish grin attempting to break his stone-cold law enforcement demeanor. But he wasn’t going to lavish Sylvia with the attention he probably wanted to smother her with. There were cameras in the van watching them, after all. If they were going to be a public couple one day? It wouldn’t be until the investigation was formally over.
Then there was that whole escort thing. Genevieve Stone was not going to be impressed about that, no matter what her relationship with her son was. (Perhaps it was even worse that they were not close, and thus Joseph was not likely to get his way.) The Montoyas would probably raise a stink as well if they found out about Sylvia’s past.
I couldn’t be seen working at the strip club either. She’d be downgraded to waitressing at the Italian restaurant only, and unless her new boyfriend here was willing to move her in with him or give her a healthy allowance… yeah, right.
“I bet it was torture watching me out there,” Sylvia said, removing her equipment. She left the fake diamonds on the desk she rested her arm against. All she had left was the diamond ring Alexander had given her. Like I’m keeping this. First chance she had, she was selling it. Sylvia did not need those kinds of mementos in her life. If she hadn’t kept Maxwell’s crap, then why would she keep Alexander’s? I’d rather have a cubic zirconia from Joseph. She did like to think, however, that he would spring for the real stuff since he wasn’t, ahem, poor. He may not be inheriting his family’s business, but he was still the son of a billionaire and another millionaire. Yeah, I looked into his mother’s family. Joseph was her only heir, too.
Damnit. Sylvia really needed to stop letting her imagination run away with thoughts of men and their riches. This was how she ended up in two toxic relationships that had managed to kill the last of her naiveté.
“It was torture.” Joseph lowered his voice. “Kline is following up on those leads. Jim is going back to the office and backing up the data we collected today. Me…”
Sylvia chuckled. “What are you doing, Agent Montoya? Something really important?”
“I like to think it is.” Ah, there was that smile cracking his hot face. “I’m going to take you home and make sure you know what to expect Friday.”
That’s what he said when voice and film were running in the van. What he implied with those dark, handsome eyes? “I’m going to fuck you again, like I did last night. And the night before. I want you, Sylv. Hope you want me too.”
Yeah, she wanted him. Every time Alexander flirted with her, touched her, insinuated a sexual relationship about them… she thought of Joseph. He may not be perfect – yet – but he was leagues above any of the men Sylvia had been with since coming to Portland a year ago. And he was even better than most of the men she saw through her career.
“Then you better take me home.” Sylvia refrained from touching him. There would be plenty of time to start touching him in his car.