Lou leaned against the car window, half listening to Armand and his cousin talk. For some reason the cousin kept calling Armand ‘Reggie’ which seemed an odd sort of nickname. Maybe it was his middle name?
It struck her that, despite knowing Armand for so many years, she still knew little about his background. What had he done before coming to Stump River? He’d managed to avoid revealing much last time she’d asked. The way he’d coolly handled the situation tonight made her think there was more to him than met the eye, just like Ryne. And, just like Ryne, he wasn’t one for sharing personal information.
“Are you falling asleep?” Roxi gave her a nudge and she sat up straighter.
“If I was, getting jabbed by your elbow put an end to it.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay. What did you want?”
“I want to apologize. I shouldn’t have given you so much wine. If I hadn’t, you wouldn’t have gone to the bathroom and been kidnapped.”
“True. But I should have made you come with me as a bathroom buddy.”
“A bathroom buddy?”
“Yep. My mother always said wear clean underwear and take along a girlfriend as a bathroom buddy.”
“Did she really say that?” Roxi gave her a doubtful look.
She widened her eyes and tried to appear as innocent as possible.
Roxi gave her a gentle smack. “Hey, wipe that innocent look off your face. That’s my routine!”
They both laughed then Roxi spoke again.
“It’s still hard to believe everything that happened was because you and Kathy got your purses tangled up.”
“I know. Fate can be a funny thing.” She fell silent, contemplating how one event had led to others. It had been a scary few days and yet it had brought Armand back into her life, so it hadn’t been all bad.
He was a good man; kind and patient, willing to help his friends. Yes, he could be annoyingly stubborn—just look how long it had taken him to finally respond to her—but he was an amazing lover. Remembering their nights together had her shifting in her seat; the feel of his hands stroking her, the rasp of his beard, his weight pressing down…
“Lucy?”
She looked around and realized they were at her apartment building. Armand was holding the car door open, his hand extended to help her out.
“Sorry.” She exited the vehicle and gave a little wave to Rudi as he drove off. The man hadn’t said much to her, mostly speaking in hushed tones to Armand, but he seemed a nice enough sort.
Roxi was already heading inside and they followed suit, Armand putting his arm around her waist holding her close to his side.
“How’s your arm?” She peered across his chest at the stained sleeve.
“Fine. Just a scratch, remember?”
“I still want to examine it.”
He chuckled. “And I definitely want to examine you.” His hand slid lower and cupped her rear, giving it a light squeeze before speaking in a more serious tone. “How are you doing?”
“I’m fine.”
He gave her a doubtful look.
“Okay, I have a few aches and pains and looking through only one lens in my glasses is giving me a headache.”
“I’m sorry they broke.”
“You didn’t like them anyway.”
“True. Tomorrow I’ll take you shopping and help you pick out a pair that suits you. No more hiding behind large glasses or too much makeup.”
Hiding? Was that what she’d been doing? She hadn’t seen it that way but maybe there was some truth to his words. It was something she’d have to think about…when she wasn’t exhausted from being kidnapped. “Thanks. But don’t go getting too bossy. I get the final say about what I buy.”
“Of course, I’d never make you do something you didn’t want to do.”
As they reached the top of the stairs, Roxi came hurrying out of the apartment.
“Excuse me, gotta run.” Roxi squeezed passed them.
“Where are you going? Are we out of food or something?” She looked at her roommate in amazement.
“Nope. There’s someone I need to talk to.”
“This late? Aren’t you tired after everything that’s happened?”
“Me? Never.” Roxi started down the stairs and then stopped. “Oh, and if you two want to celebrate, don’t worry; I’ll crash somewhere else tonight.” She gave them an exaggerated wink and then ran down the stairs.
Armand grinned. “I’m definitely warming to your roommate.”
“Because she’s leaving us alone to do the wild thing?”
He gave her an odd look and then laughed. “You have no idea how wild I can be.”
“Really?” She grinned. “I can hardly wait.”
Roxi sat on the floor outside Dante Soldoti’s hotel room. She cracked her gum loudly as she considered the man.
Soldoti. Ha!
Detective Soldoti. Double ha!
The man had more last names than the phone book. However, whatever he was calling himself, she was still pissed off and was going to make sure he knew it. In this business, information was money and he needed to pay up. She’d led him to that flash drive, the equivalent of the mother lode, and she wanted some cold hard cash in her hand.
It had been the right thing to do, helping get Lulu back, even if it did mean she lost a lot of money. Getting the information about the scent mask from Soldoti had meant she’d had to provide something in exchange so she’d told him about the flash drive and how she thought it was connected to the subversive group. Normally she could have sold that info to him and made a pretty penny from it.
Oh well, she’d do it all over again for Lulu. However, if there was a way to mitigate the financial damages, she was going to give it a try.
She checked her watch and sighed. He’d be back, she was sure of it. A friend of hers cleaned rooms here and, if need be, she could probably get access to his room. She’d try this way first though. No need to tip him off that she had connections within the hotel. Staying one step ahead of guys like him was crucial.
Time passed slowly. She picked at her nails, paced the hall, checked her messages and played a few games on her phone. Finally, the elevator chimed and the door slid open. Dante emerged, took a few steps and then noticed her.
To his credit, there was only a minimal hesitation in his stride; yet in that fraction of a second, she was sure he processed the situation, evaluating and discarding a dozen ways to deal with her. His expression morphed from preoccupied to surprised to neutral before settling on an affable smile.
“Roxi, I’m delighted to see you again. So soon, too.”
She pushed to her feet, her back sliding up the wooden surface of the door. “Yeah and my granny’s a porn star.”
“Really? Your granny, you say? She must be a remarkable woman for her age.” Amusement twinkled in his eyes.
“Cut the crap, Dante! You—”
He held up a hand. “Let’s take this somewhere more private, shall we.”
She considered the request and then nodded. As he unlocked the door, she sent a quick text message then held up her phone.
“I just told a friend if they don’t hear from me in twenty minutes, to come looking for me here. They know I’m with you, too.”
“I commend you on your safety precautions.” He stepped back and ushered her inside. “Unnecessary in this circumstance yet still clever of you.”
“Yeah, blah, blah, blah. Explain yourself.” She shoved her hands in her pocket and glanced around his room. It was disgustingly neat almost as if he’d never even been there. Rumour had it he was the best in the business, impossible to catch though many had tried. Well, it took a lot to impress her and she wouldn’t let his reputation keep her from getting her fair share.
“Explain what?” He removed his jacket and folded it neatly on the end of the bed.
“You know damned well what! I led you to that flash drive full of information!”
He cocked his head and considered her words. “Not exactly. You asked for information about scent masks.”
“And I gave you information in lieu of cash so we were even.”
“Your information was that your friend probably had been kidnapped by shifters looking for a memory stick.”
“But that gave you no right to swoop in and take it.”
“You didn’t own it. It was up for grabs to whomever was clever enough to get their hands on it.”
“I led you to it.” Her hands curled into fists, but she quickly loosened them, trying to maintain a façade of cool logic. Being a hothead wouldn’t get her far with him; he’d use her emotions against her.
“Not really.” He folded his arms and sat on the edge of the dresser. “I had to do my own research, and quite quickly I might add. I found out who your roommate was, deduced where she worked, who might be involved, came up with a plan and took the risk of betting on the others being clever enough or gullible enough to fall in with it.”
His explanation distracted her for a minute. “Jeff, was he really working undercover with you?”
“Undercover, yes. With me, no. His assumption that I was with Lycan Link in an official capacity won’t look good on his record, I fear.” He pursed his lips and shook his head.
“Lycan Link didn’t send you in?”
He smiled. “My relationship with Lycan Link is…complicated.”
“And Kathy?”
“I assume Jeffrey has hauled her in to Lycan Link for interrogation. That was his plan when we parted ways a short while ago. He seems a nice young man. Hopefully she’ll reveal enough information about the subversive group to balance out his faux pas. If so, there might be hope of salvaging his career.”
“This subversive group, they’re the smaller canines and feline shifters, correct? Foxes, coyotes, lynx and such? They feel Lycan Link has been ignoring them in favor of the larger species.”
He arched a brow. “Are you asking me or telling me? Asking requires payment, cash or in kind, as you very well know.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Damn you, Dante.”
He chuckled softly. “If you only knew how many times I’ve heard that phrase.”
A snort escaped her. “You almost sound proud of the fact.”
“Perhaps.” He stood up. “However, back to the matter at hand. You feel I cheated you out of that memory stick. You had hopes of selling it yourself.”
“Exactly.” She jutted her chin and planted her hands on her hips.
“I like you, Roxi. I feel we potentially have years of business ahead of us. Souring our relationship so early isn’t wise or profitable.”
“What do you mean?” She watched him carefully as he reached into his pocket. His words sounded promising, but rumour had it that you could never completely trust him.
“I’ll pay you for the memory stick, a cut rate, of course, since you didn’t hand it directly to me. However, the sum will recognize your part in my acquisition of it.”
“How much are we talking about here?”
He named a generous sum that made it difficult for her to control her expression. She waited a beat and then nodded. “That’s…satisfactory. I could have made more but, as you said, we’ll likely have future business dealings so I can afford to be generous with you.”
He burst out laughing and began to peel bills from the roll he held in his hand. “You’re my kind of businessperson, Roxi.”
She took the money he handed her and examined it carefully. “This better not be fake.”
“Roxi, Roxi...” He shook his head. “Our relationship has to be built on trust.”
“Yeah, right.” She shoved the money in her pocket. “So, what are you going to do with the info on the flash drive? Sell it? Use it to break in to Lycan Link? Hack someone’s account and blackmail them?
“All interesting possibilities.”
“So? Which one?”
“Our business relationship is built on trust, but my motives are still classified.”
“My guess is blackmail. Someone you want something from, or someone who has a hold over you? Or,” she snapped her fingers, “You’ll hack into someone’s account, maybe someone who is filthy rich, find some dirt on him and then bleed him dry over the course of several years sort of like your own private pension plan.”
He chuckled. “I like how your mind works.”
“Am I close?”
He shrugged and gave her a bland smile.
“Oh well, it was worth a try.” She stuck out her hand and cracked her gum. “Good doing business with you, Dante.”
He shook her hand and led her to the door. “Until next time, Roxi.”
“Until next time, Detective Soldoti.”
Lou curled up on the sofa, leaning against Armand’s side. His arm—which really did have only a minor scratch—was wrapped around her shoulder, her head rested on his chest. The beating of his heart sounded in her ear, strong, steady, comforting. The events of the evening seemed unreal. She’d been kidnapped, trussed up like a turkey and stuffed in the trunk of a car, yet she’d managed to escape all by herself…for the most part. Armand appearing had certainly been helpful, but now that she knew Jeff had been an undercover cop, she wondered if she’d really needed to fear him or not. How far would Jeff have gone to maintain his cover? He’d indicated to Kathy that he’d follow along, yet he’d left the door of the utility room unlocked. It just goes to prove you never know who you could trust.
“What are you thinking about?” Armand’s voice rumbled from his chest and tickled her ear.
“I was thinking that I handled myself pretty well.”
“You did. As I said, you wear a badge of courage.” He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and trailed his thumb over her scar. “Many would have been having hysterics after such a situation.”
“You were pretty calm and capable through all of this as well.”
“I’m used to handling the unexpected at the bar.”
“Hmm…” She sensed there were things he wasn’t telling her but let it go for now. “I wonder what will happen to Kathy. We worked together for quite a while and I never once suspected her of being involved in anything shady.”
He shrugged. “I’m not sure. I imagine she’ll be questioned as to how she came to have the USB drive.”
“Probably. I still feel bad. And the way she was talking towards the end, I don’t think she’s very stable. In her mind, she must have thought she was doing the right thing.”
“I applaud your kind heart, but in all likelihood, she would have killed you after getting what she wanted.”
“Yeah, there is that. Jeff, however, I really need to apologize to him.”
“For what?”
“At one point, before I knew he was an undercover agent, I was so angry that I wished he’d chop off his finger next time he did one of his knife tricks.”
Armand gave a shout of laughter. “That was rather mild. I’m sure others would have wished him damage to another body part.”
She grinned as she realized his meaning.
He was quiet for a while, his thumb gently stroking her arm. Eventually, he spoke again. “I was scared I would lose you tonight. That we wouldn’t find you or that even if we did, I wouldn’t be able to save you.”
“I was scared, too.”
“I never want to feel that way again.” His hand moved up, tilting her chin so he could reach her mouth. He kissed her gently, his lips barely brushing over hers, back and forth, back and forth, before pressing closer.
She turned, wiggling around for better access, taking the lead and kissing him back fervently, her tongue slipping into his mouth, tasting and stroking, retreating and encouraging him to follow.
He grabbed her hips, arranging her so she was straddling him, stroking her back then cupping her head, holding her close as their kiss grew more frenzied. Passion crackled in the air and she began tugging at his shirt, eager to feel him, to run her hands over the muscled planes of his chest and…
His phone rang.
“Ignore it.” She nibbled on his lip and he groaned.
“It’s probably Ryne.”
“I don’t care.” She licked his neck and he shivered.
“Ahh… Lucy…” He swallowed hard then pushed her away. “I have to talk to him.”
“Now?” She let her lip form a pout and batted her lashes, shamelessly using her eyes to try to convince him to follow her wishes. “Are you sure?”
He gave her a quick kiss and then resolutely picked her up and set her beside him. “I’m sorry, this is important.”
“Okay, but hurry.” She sighed heavily.
“I will.” He gave her one more kiss and then stepped into the hallway to talk, pulling the apartment door shut behind him.
She couldn’t begin to imagine what he and Ryne were up to, but her mother had always said everyone had a right to their own secrets so she’d not push him for answers. It didn’t mean she wasn’t curious, though. Just like with Ryne, it would seem there was a lot more to Armand than met the eye.
Leaning her head back, she amused herself by creating wild scenarios in which the two men were spies, part of some secret organization. She yawned and pulled her legs up on the sofa. The room was blurry due to wearing her old spare glasses, the indistinct shapes perfect fodder for her musings. Maybe Melody was part of this mythical group. And even Bryan and Daniel and…
Armand entered Lucy’s apartment a short while later, having updated Ryne on what had occurred that evening. As expected, Ryne had teased him about the need for a DC to be dispatched to the bowling alley in case anyone questioned what they had seen.
“I thought you said bears didn’t get in trouble the way wolves did.”
“I blame the presence of the zombies.”
Ryne chuckled and then they’d gotten down to the important matters. Ryne said he was going to pass along the information to his contact, Reno Smith, and was quite sure the matter was over and done with.
“This subversive group is likely a small minority.” Ryne had stated. “Reno said Lycan Link has been working hard to unite all shifters. I suppose that’s their issue. There are always a few who feel they aren’t being treated fairly.”
“It’s difficult to meet the needs of everyone,” he’d agreed. “But small minorities should have their voices heard, too. They need to know they can trust Lycan Link to look out for them and such trust does not always come easily.”
They’d talked briefly about a few other matters including how things were going at the Broken Antler, and then Armand had ended the call stating he would be home soon.
He then began to check flights back home and booked two seats. His plan was to make love to Lucy until he convinced her that returning home was the only possible option and then whisk her away before she could change her mind. When he’d first arrived in Chicago, he’d said he was going to be decisive and act quickly, but the debacle with the USB drive had gotten in the way. Now it was time to return to his original agenda.
Tucking his phone away, he made his way back to the living room.
“I’m sorry for the delay, Lucy. I…” His voice trailed off.
She’d fallen asleep in his absence.
Damn. Anticipation of the process of convincing her had his body primed and ready, but it would have to wait until morning. The dark smudges under her eyes testified to her need for sleep.
Bending over, he gently scooped her up and carried her to bed.