CHAPTER 15
Trey didn’t let himself rest that night. All hell would be breaking loose in the basement after Jimmy’s extraction.
He only hoped they didn’t connect the team’s infiltration to his and Carly’s visit. But why should they? The Smiths were simply newlyweds having sex. Nothing suspicious about it.
Though the guards in charge of Jimmy would most likely pay a hefty price for watching the X-rated feed on the monitors instead of their captive. They might even pay with their lives.
His mind circled around and around the possibilities and consequences until just after dawn when he felt Carly slip out of bed. She padded to the bathroom and he heard the shower start.
As the exhaustion began to catch up with him, Trey flung one arm over his eyes. He hadn’t slept at all and now, sleep deprived and distracted as hell, he had to be at the top of his game for the meet.
He needed to convince the target to trust him and hopefully build a long-lasting relationship. He also had to try to not get him and Carly killed in the process.
The terrorist they were after was an extremely powerful and very bad man. They didn’t want him dead. If they had, Jimmy could have taken him out long ago.
The good guys wanted the target’s boss and the best way to locate him was by getting admitted into the inner circle by doing business with him.
Finding John Smith and his computer had been a stroke of luck and the timing couldn’t have been better, given the fact their only mole, Jimmy, had been compromised.
Trey told himself he only had to get through this one meet. After that, someone at CentCom should be able to handle all future correspondence electronically. They’d get the info they needed to find the leader.
Hopefully the guy he was dealing with wasn’t big on speaking by phone and Trey wouldn’t be brought in again unless the bad guy requested another face-to-face.
If that happened, he’d come alone with the team. No way was he bringing Carly here again.
Listening to the water still running in the shower, he pictured it sluicing off Carly’s body and remembered the feel of being inside her last night.
Trey relived the taste of her, the scent of her. He had to physically shake his head to rid himself of the memories.
The voice inside, his own this time instead of Matt’s, reminded him once again a distracted soldier was a dead soldier . . . accompanied by a dead civilian in this case.
Dammit. Why did this Smith guy have to be such a ball-less bastard he would bring his wife along with him as cover for an arms deal?
Trey was going to have to get his mind fine-tuned again and fast. This was already a risky mission without the distraction of Carly.
Add to that the fact Jimmy had been extracted right out from under the target’s nose and their chances for success plummeted. Every bad guy in the vicinity would be on high alert after last night’s escape.
Every one in the area would be under suspicion. If only they could call off this meet, but that would only further alert the terrorist bastards.
Where the hell was Matt’s voice when he needed it? He could use a little encouragement and an update about now.
Glancing at the bedside clock, Trey realized Carly had been in the shower for a very long time.
Certain they were still under surveillance, he chose his words carefully. “Baby? You okay in there?”
When she didn’t answer his heart leapt into his throat. Had they gotten to her? How? He’d checked the room the best he could, but knowing there were video cameras, he hadn’t been as thorough as he should have.
Trey grabbed the doorknob with a suddenly sweaty palm. It turned easily. He opened the door and peered through the steam.
“Baby?” He tried to keep the panic from his voice.
She didn’t answer and his pulse kicked into a higher gear.
With trepidation, he pulled open the shower curtain a few inches. Carly stood with both hands and her forehead pressed against the wall with the water hitting her in the back.
She turned her head enough to look at him. “Is everything all right?”
He finally let himself breathe again.
This wasn’t something he was prepared for. With all his agonizing about his own feelings, he’d barely considered Carly might be going through something herself.
Guilt overwhelmed him for invading what little privacy she had. The door hadn’t been locked because that was one of the rules he’d laid out for her on the flight over. He needed to be able to get to her at all times in case anything happened.
Oh, something had happened, all right. He’d had sex with her not once, but twice. Hot, passionate, emotional sex that broke every rule in this very serious game they were playing.
“I was just concerned about you. You okay?”
“Fine.” She paused and swallowed. “How much time do we have?”
“A while. Take as long as you need.” He reached out and ran a fingertip down the side of her face.
She nodded and he let the curtain drop back into place. It wasn’t until he’d closed the door behind him he heard the water stop.
They’d deal with this somehow later, but right now he had a meet to prepare for and she was going to have to find an outfit in a stripper’s suitcase that would be appropriate for an appointment with a terrorist.
When exactly had this poor woman’s life become so complicated? Unfortunately, he knew the answer. It was right about the time Task Force Zeta had walked into her bar.
With a sigh, Trey opened John Smith’s laptop and was cruising around in the files when the bathroom door opened and Carly came out in a white robe and a burst of steam.
He thought it best if he left her alone for a bit and tried to instead refresh his memory regarding the emails that had passed between Smith and the target.
Though he found his glance kept straying to watch her move around the room. He wrestled his attention back to the laptop.
The two men never came right out and named what this meet was about in any of their correspondence. That would make things trickier, but Trey knew from the research Matt had included in his folder that Smith had been dealing small arms with some minor players in the terror world.
They also suspected Smith could get his hands on weapons-grade uranium if the incentive was high enough. Trey had a feeling that particular commodity was what this little rendezvous was about.
If only he were here alone, things would be so much easier.
Trey thought he was doing a pretty good job of ignoring Carly and concentrating on the information until she threw the clothes in her hand to the floor with a huff.
“What the hell am I supposed to wear?” She turned and looked accusingly at him, as if it were his fault Candi hadn’t packed the proper clothing for a meeting with a terrorist.
He’d done a lot of undercover ops in his years with the team and never once had he gotten stressed out over choosing an outfit, but she was a woman. He had first-hand experience and could definitely attest to that.
All woman.
A really, really hot woman.
Laying the laptop on the bed, he walked over to the suitcase. After a moment of careful consideration and searching, he handed her a short black skirt and one of John Smith’s white button-down collared dress shirts. Now for the shoes . . .
His eyes landed briefly on the heels she’d worn last night. Those held way too many memories for both of them. He didn’t need further distraction during this meeting.
There must be another pair in there somewhere. Candi was a stripper. Shouldn’t she have packed more than that one pair of high heels?
When he didn’t find another pair, and boy did he try, he picked up the ones on the floor and thrust them at her.
“Here. Put all that on. You’ll look fine.”
She looked doubtfully down at the bundle he’d handed her and carried it all into the bathroom.
When she emerged again, she was looking pretty damn hot in the outfit he’d picked. She wasn’t supposed to look hot. He’d given her the white men’s shirt to cover her up, but somehow with the sleeves rolled up and the top buttons left undone to show a bit of skin, she made the damn thing look sexy.
All he needed was for the target to take a fancy to Carly. Then Trey would be forced to kill him with his bare hands.
That might get him into trouble though since they needed the man alive. He considered that for about a second and then decided if the scum touched Carly, he’d still kill him.
His contemplation of the possible ramifications of going against a direct order and killing the one person this entire operation hinged upon was interrupted by Matt’s voice saying, “Trey. Our goose has flown the coop.”
“What?” Trey asked Matt, but looked at Carly when he said it in case surveillance was still in place.
She frowned at him. “I didn’t say anything.”
“Oh, I thought you did. Sorry.”
Matt continued, “You heard me right. Elvis has left the building. Packed up, took most of his goons and pulled away in a big limo about ten minutes ago.”
Just when Trey was deciding what to do with this information, the phone on the nightstand next to the bed rang. He shot Carly a look he hoped told her to be ready for anything and then moved to answer it.
He put the receiver to the ear with the implant so Matt could record the conversation. “Hello?”
“Hello, my friend.” The voice coming through the phone line sounded smooth. Too smooth. The kind of voice that made a person’s skin crawl.
“Hello. It’s nice to speak with you.” Years of training kept Trey sounding calm.
“Yes, yes. You too. I trust you had a good night?” Did the bastard sound smug?
“Yes, thank you. The room is lovely. My wife and I are enjoying it very much.” He swallowed hard and glanced at Carly, regretting all over again the bastards had seen them together.
“I’m sure you are.” There it was again, an amused, knowing lilt to the bastard’s voice.
Trey had no doubt the target had a copy of his and Carly’s bedroom escapades in his slimy hand. He hoped that was all he held in his hand at the moment. The thought of him taking physical pleasure while watching Carly on video had Trey mad enough to spit fire.
The target continued, “I must apologize, my friend.”
You’re no friend of mine.
“Oh? Apologize for what?” Trey asked.
“I was called away suddenly. I’m not sure for how long I’ll need to be away.”
The coward was running scared. Jimmy disappearing without a trace had made him nervous, made him realize he wasn’t untouchable.
It was probably bad for the successful continuance of the mission, but somehow Trey was taking great satisfaction from it.
The fleeing bastard went on talking, “I’ll not be able to make our meeting this morning. I’m afraid you traveled all this way for nothing. However, please stay and enjoy the room for as long as you and your beautiful wife wish. Order whatever you’d like from the hotel and whenever you are ready to leave, contact the front desk. They will arrange transportation to the airport.”
Yeah, right. Like Trey was really going to get into the limo with that armed bruiser again now the target was suspicious.
He wished the guy would stop talking so they could get the hell out of there. In particular, Trey really wanted him to stop referring to Carly.
“That is very kind of you. My wife and I appreciate it. Will I be hearing from you again soon?”
Come on. Give me something, you schmuck.
“Yes, my friend. I’ll be in touch as soon as I’m settled. I look forward to doing business with you in the very near future.”
“I look forward to it also. Have a good day.” Trey was starting to get itchy.
His gaze strayed to the open suitcase and the clothes all over the floor.
“You too, my friend.” The line went dead.
Trey hung up the phone and grabbed the laptop. “Pack the bag, sweetheart. We’re going home.”
Carly’s eyes opened wide, but she didn’t question him and did what she was told, obviously as anxious to get the hell out of there as he was.
She packed the clothes into the suitcase so fast, he’d barely gotten the laptop put away and the toiletries from the bathroom and she was finished. She only stopped long enough to rip off the skin-tight skirt and pull a pair of leather pants out of the suitcase.
Good idea. All she’d have to do was kick off those shoes. Much easier to run in pants should bullets start to fly. Though with neither of them in body armor, he really hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
He swallowed and tried not to stare at her ass in the thong as she yanked on the pants right there next to the suitcase. That was another clue Carly was as anxious to get out of there as he was. She’d dropped her skirt while standing in front of him without batting an eye.
In record time, Carly was changed and zipping the suitcase.
Impressed, relieved and feeling so many other things he couldn’t begin to put a name to them all, he grabbed the bag and the laptop.
Opening the door, he took one last look around the room, more than grateful to put it behind him.