Chapter 6
—I never expected her.—
“You’re clear,” Gage said into Leighton’s earpiece.
Leighton didn’t break pace as he strolled down the quiet street in the Garden District. He’d left the hotel an hour ago and gone on a faux tour of the city by himself, only coming to their safe house—one of them—once he knew he wasn’t being tailed.
Gage had set up a security perimeter around the entire street. It was subtle and no one else would notice it, and they would remove most of the cameras when they left town, but it added an extra layer of security for all of them.
He opened up the wrought iron gate and instead of heading up to the front door of the three-story Victorian house, he walked along the side of it and headed around the back as he’d been instructed. Then he jumped up onto the raised back porch and opened the back door into the huge kitchen to find everybody eating and talking.
Gage had called a meeting and, since Lucy had texted him to move their lunch a little later, he’d jumped at the chance to see everybody in person and find out what the next plan of action was. Other than him hoping to find Hazel’s family friend. He knew that Gage had cloned Lucy’s phone, so he had his fingers crossed that the hacker had found something interesting because he’d sounded excited when he’d called Leighton.
“You’re acting like a child,” Skye said even as she tossed a blueberry at Axel’s head.
“It’s not childish to miss your wife.” The former hit man did look close to sulking, however, as he took the blueberry and popped it in his mouth.
Colt frowned at Skye. “Wait a minute, I thought you said Hadley—” Colt was cut off as Skye quickly kissed him.
“What did you say about Hadley?” Axel asked.
“None of your business,” Skye said, returning to her plate. “Besides, you know she’s safe and having a good time. She and Darcy are having sleepovers every night. They’re probably doing each other’s hair and having pillow fights. That should give you spank-bank material for, like, ever.”
Axel snorted. “Women don’t actually have pillow fights.”
Skye lifted an eyebrow and took a handful of raspberries and dumped them on her plate. “Just shows how much you know about women.”
Axel stilled for a long moment then said, “Wait a minute, are you serious about that? Do women really do that?”
Skye howled in laughter. “Oh my God. I think you get the name of ‘dumbass’ now instead of Gage.”
“Hey!” Nova said from across the table, frowning over her glass of orange juice. “Only I get to call him that.”
Gage shot a look at Leighton as he stepped farther into the room and simply shook his head as if exasperated with all of them. “Now that Leighton is here, we can finally get down to business. Have you eaten?” Gage asked.
He nodded, since he’d gotten breakfast at the hotel, but he headed for the coffee maker anyway. He clapped Savage on the shoulder once and murmured a greeting to the other man, who was being fairly quiet. Olivia had opted not to come on this mission because she hadn’t wanted to be away from their daughter.
“As you guys know, I cloned Lucy’s phone. And what we thought about her is definitely wrong. She’s not involved in her uncle’s operations. Or it would appear not, according to this.”
He pressed a couple buttons on his laptop and then an audio feed streamed over the computer speaker. They were all quiet as they listened to the conversation she’d had with her uncle. According to Gage, she’d called her uncle around four in the morning. No wonder she’d moved their lunch back.
“Damn,” Skye said as the conversation ended. “She doesn’t seem to have any idea what a monster her uncle is. It’s not like he’s going to do an actual investigation. If anything, that Atkins guy was likely working for him. Or for Broussard.”
“Yeah, no kidding,” Leighton muttered. “Do you know who this guy is?” he asked, looking at Gage.
“Yeah. I ran a search on his name and started a file on him. Kuznetsov might just move him to another hotel or city. From what I can tell, the guy’s lifestyle is slightly more lavish than it should be with what he makes doing security. But it’s not obscene. He’s not one of Kuznetsov’s inner circle. Not even close. And he doesn’t have a direct link to Kuznetsov. He appears to just be a local, lived here his whole life, so again, only guessing here, he was likely recruited to do some extra work and look the other way where these women are concerned. Probably not even recruited by Kuznetsov. I can’t imagine him pulling in someone so small-time.”
“We should still get eyes and ears on him,” Colt said, pushing his plate away.
“Agreed,” Savage said. “It sounds like he’s being fired so I can tail him today, maybe plant a bug in his place or on his phone.”
Colt nodded and the others started working out logistics of the day, while Leighton tried to get his head on straight.
Lucy wasn’t at all who he’d assumed she was. And if she knew nothing about who her uncle was, if she found out, it was going to shock and upset her. But…he wondered if they could use that to their advantage.
Even as he had the thought, he felt sick. He didn’t like using innocent people.
But in the end, they had to save Maria, had to save as many women as they could. Because despite what Lucy had seemed to think during the phone conversation with Kuznetsov, the women definitely weren’t volunteering for anything.
* * *
The November weather was perfect as Lucy strolled down the sidewalk with Spencer Johnson. Thankfully he hadn’t minded when she’d pushed their lunch back.
She’d taken him to one of her favorite local places and was pleased that he’d enjoyed it, and he’d been incredibly polite to the staff. It wasn’t that she’d expected otherwise, but sometimes you never knew with people. And they usually showed their true selves when interacting with waitstaff. She’d cut more than one date short because a man had been rude to their waiter or waitress.
“I’ve never had chicken and waffles before. I never would have thought to put them together,” Spencer said.
“It’s one of my favorites,” she murmured, looking over at a two-story revival-style home in the Garden District. He’d wanted to walk around here and she could admit she was enjoying the downtime. Not to mention her company was sexy and smart. And had sad eyes. God, his dark eyes were like this beacon, calling to her. “So is this real estate purchase for business or just for you?”
He lifted a shoulder, his very sexy mouth curving up just the slightest bit. “I’m undecided. Originally it was just supposed to be a business purchase. But it would be nice to own a home here.”
She nearly snorted because, yeah, it would be incredible to own a home here, especially in the Quarter or Garden District. “I love it here.” But the homes were so expensive. The truth was, if she asked her uncle, he would likely buy her a home in the Garden District. Or if she wanted to, she could actually purchase one with money from her trust, but she’d barely touched it since she’d come of age.
There were far too many reasons she hadn’t touched it, none of which would make sense to anyone else but herself. But she liked paying for things with her own money. Well, money that she earned, because that money in the trust was hers as well. She shook those thoughts off because they had the ability to take her down a dark path. And that was the last place she wanted to be mentally right now.
“Where do you live?” he asked. “I mean, not your address obviously, but what part of town?”
“I’m in the business district. I would love to have a place here though. Or maybe even in the heart of the Quarter. But I fear I would literally never sleep if I lived there.”
He chuckled softly and took her elbow gently as they stepped over an uneven section of sidewalk. An oak tree had grown up under it and was pushing the concrete pieces upward, little cracks spidering out in all directions.
Once they stepped over it, he didn’t let go, and she found that she liked it. His hand was warm, strong, and gentle at the same time.
“It’s certainly a party down here, isn’t it?”
“It is during certain times of the year. And most of the Quarter is always busy and lively. But it’s not like that everywhere. It’s honestly just like anywhere else. People have their lives, take their kids to school, go to work…you know, just like everywhere.”
“Maybe, but there’s certainly a lot of history here.”
“That’s very true. It’s one of the reasons I didn’t mind moving here for my job.”
“How did you end up with a job here, if you don’t mind me asking? I know the hotel is pretty new.”
She didn’t like to tell people that her uncle was the owner, mainly because they made assumptions about how she got her job. “After college, I had a few offers and I ended up picking this one. There were a lot of reasons. The city is definitely one of them. I like the area and I like that there aren’t really harsh winters here.” Maybe if they got to know each other she would tell him about her familial relationship with the owner, but very likely this was just a casual lunch. For some reason, the thought of that made her a bit sad. And she wasn’t sure why. She barely knew Spencer.
“Well, it’s clear you’re doing something right. At least that’s what I’ve heard.” His voice was butter smooth, all deep and sexy and doing strange things to her insides.
She could listen to him talk all afternoon. She was having a hard time remembering why she’d decided that this shouldn’t be a real date. “Really?”
He nodded once. “I don’t stay at a hotel unless I know about the management style.”
That was a little surprising, but it also told her a lot about his own business style. It was smart, especially for a man who appeared to be quite wealthy.
“I probably should’ve asked this earlier,” he continued. “And I know you said this is absolutely not a date. But I did want to ask if you’re dating anyone?”
The question took her off guard as they reached the end of the street. “You’re right, this isn’t a date.”
He grinned ever so slightly. “Well, for the record, I’m single. And I’m definitely not dating anyone.” His words were matter-of-fact.
She shouldn’t respond. Nope, she should just change the subject because this was definitely wading into personal territory.
“I’m not dating anyone either. Not that it matters,” she tacked on. Part of her liked that he actually asked. And whether or not he was telling the truth about being single, she couldn’t know for sure. But the file that Nathan had given her on Spencer Johnson indicated that he was very much single. And he was so straightforward about everything, she found she liked his demeanor. “I might change my mind about going on a date with you,” she said, surprising herself.
It was clear she’d surprised him as well but he covered it quickly with a grin. Not a smug, obnoxious one but a very subtle, very sexy smile. He nodded once to the left and asked if that was the right direction.
Nodding, she fell into step with him and was pleased when he took her arm again. The sidewalk was uneven on this street as well. Mardi Gras beads still hung from trees even though Mardi Gras was in the beginning of the year. It didn’t seem to matter. They were tossed about everywhere, year-round. She found she loved the sight of the bright beads glinting in the sunlight.
“So what changed your mind?” he asked, his voice dropping just an octave.
She shrugged, smiling. “You did.”
“All right, then. I’ll take it. How about I take you out tomorrow night?”
She wondered why he didn’t ask about tonight, but then she remembered that she’d told him she was working. Clearly he listened when she spoke. “Perfect. I can meet you out somewhere. And since it’s a date, you can pick the place. Unless you want me to?”
“I know you’re the local, but I have a couple ideas.”
“Sounds good.” God, the man was sexy, and she liked that he was taking charge.
They stopped in front of one of the houses he’d wanted to see. He’d told her that later in the week, he had a day planned with his real estate agent to see places, but there was an open house on a place he wanted to visit today.
The four-foot-high gate was open and as they stepped through together, she tripped in her heels. That was what she got for going for the sexy footwear.
Spencer steadied her, his big hands moving to her waist as he pulled her close. She inhaled, noticing for the tenth time how good he smelled. And as she looked up into his dark, haunted eyes, she had the strongest urge to kiss him. Just lean up and press her lips to his and wipe away that sadness that seemed to linger.
“I really want to kiss you now,” he murmured as if he’d read her mind.
“Yeah, well, the feeling is mutual,” she whispered, instantly wincing. Normally she kept things locked down, but it was impossible to do so now. Or to care that this wasn’t supposed to be a date as her fingers pressed lightly against his rock-hard chest. He was gripping her hips far too possessively, and she found she liked it just a little too much.
Taking her by surprise, he leaned down and gently brushed his lips over hers, his lips soft and perfect. He tasted like the after-lunch coffee they’d had, with just a hint of chocolate.
Before she could truly enjoy him, lean into him, he pulled his head back and let out a muted groan. “I should’ve waited until our date, but now I won’t be obsessing over what you taste like.”
There was something about the way he said taste that sent a surge of heat straight to her core. She wasn’t some virgin but she felt her cheeks flush and her nipples tightening against her bra cups as they stood there staring at each other. What was this man doing to her?
She slid her hands up his chest, wanting another taste of him. A real one.
“Are you two here for the open house?” A female voice brought her back to reality, and she quickly stepped back from Spencer.
She wasn’t some teenager making out in public with some guy she barely knew. Not that she’d ever done that anyway.
There are consequences to your actions. She could practically hear her uncle’s words from her teenage years ringing in her head as he lectured her about staying away from boys.
Putting on a smile for the real estate agent who’d interrupted them, she let Spencer take the lead, since he was the one looking at the place. As he spoke to the woman, it gave her a moment to compose herself and get her head on straight.
Maybe…she could indulge in something with him. He didn’t live here, so it would just be a fling. Which would be better for her in the end. She knew better than to have stupid emotional attachments.
Because people always disappointed you.