CHAPTER SIX
Thursday Evening
Sam walked into Lucky’s domain, looked around, and saw her working in the corner. The guy who he’d seen earlier wasn’t there, and he hoped to get an answer as to who he was and what he meant to Lucky before the end of the day. “Hey, Lucky.”
He watched her head spin around and blonde hair fly across her shoulders as she greeted him with a frown. “What are you doing here?”
“I just got done talking to Jason about the asset he helped out with a couple of months ago, and since we didn’t get a chance to speak earlier, I thought we could go have a drink or something.” Venturing further into her domain, he decided to gamble and grab a seat next to her. “Are you almost done for the day?”
“Yes, in fact, I should order an Uber in a couple of minutes.”
“I’ll take you home.”
“Not necessary,” she replied as she turned back toward her keyboard.
“We live close to one another, so let’s grab something to eat and then I’ll take you home.”
“You live in Bucktown?”
“Yes, less than a mile from you, in fact.” He smoothed out his tie and then smiled at her and prayed like hell she’d spend some time with him. “Maybe we should try the Bristol or Club Lucky for dinner. Do either of those appeal to you?”
“Sure, but we ate together last night, and I think that fills our quota for the year.”
“I disagree,” he replied as he lifted his hand and pointed at the monitor. “What are you working on?”
“Something for a client. Don’t worry; I’m not trolling the FBI network.”
“I didn’t think you were and I’m not your enemy.” When she rolled her eyes and then turned back, he took her hand. “Let’s go to Club Lucky since it’s your namesake and have something to eat.”
“Why are you harassing me?”
“Because it’s the only way you’ll pay any attention to me.” Seeing her eyebrows raise almost to her hairline made him laugh. “I’m giving you one-hundred-percent honesty and no longer denying the attraction I feel. You’re more than I deserve, but it’s not going to stop me from trying.”
“I think you saw a man kiss me and suddenly decided I was interesting, for some ungodly reason. Whatever attraction you allegedly feel for me is highly suspicious.”
“Who is that guy anyway?”
Slapping the table with her hand, she narrowed her eyes. “And there it is.”
“Is he your boyfriend?”
“Not anymore.”
“Do you want him to be?”
“Not really.”
“Are you going to tell me anything more?”
“No way, it’s none of your business.”
Seeing her fine features scrunch up and her frown made him want to hug her, and since he wasn’t hiding anymore, he rolled his chair closer and dropped his arm around her shoulder and brought her close. “Let’s get out of here and go have a fun evening.”
“You and fun are not words I put in the same sentence.”
When she didn’t resist his embrace, he tightened his hold. “Not today, Lucky, but who knows about tomorrow.”
Giving him an elbow, she moved away and started typing commands into her keyboard. “Fine, but only because I have an almost empty fridge and don’t feel like going to the market.”
“I promise spending time together won’t be half as painful as you think.”
“You’re right; it’ll probably be double.” Shooing him away with her hand, she said, “Don’t hover.”
He stepped back and laughed. “You smell good, Lucky, so I’m not going to make promises that I might not be able to keep.”
Looking over the top of her glasses, she studied him. “Who are you and what have you done with the Sam who is always throwing jabs?”
“One and the same and the only reason I ever made comments was because I didn’t like the idea of men looking at you.”
“That’s the biggest lie, and I hope when you get struck down by God that I’m nowhere near you.”
“Shouldn’t be a problem since it’s the truth.” Watching disbelief wash over her face, he decided to change the subject. “I know you’ve got a set up that’s at secure as the NSA, but I was wondering…”
Looking up, she slid her hands on her hips. “Spit it out, Sam.”
“Have you ever been hacked?”
“Why would you ask?”
Standing, he pushed his chair under the table. “My gut is telling me someone is jealous of your skills and might be setting you up, and it’s not happening within SAI because your team is extremely loyal, so that leaves the Intelligence Branch.”
“I don’t interact with anyone over there, so why would they want to float my name around?”
“I don’t know yet, but I will.”
Turning back to her keyboard, she didn’t ask any more questions, which he knew meant she was going to take what he said under advisement and do some digging. He wasn’t sure if his line of thinking was moving in the right direction, but if it was, it meant he and Lucky had more to worry about than a couple of mobsters and her complete refusal to see him as anything more than a nuisance.
Which of those was going to be the biggest challenge wasn’t immediately evident.
***
Buttoning his suit coat, Sam moved around his car to open Lucky’s door and enjoyed the first signs of the changing season. The warm temperatures of the day always plunged dramatically during this time of year, and he appreciated Mother Nature’s slow slide into fall.
Before he could get to the door, Lucky opened it, and the only thing he managed to do was hold her hand as she got out. When she gave him a funny look, he figured she wasn’t used to dating men with manners. Which might be something that worked in his favor, and truthfully, he needed all the help he could get.
“Doesn’t look too busy,” he commented as he closed the car door and then cupped her elbow. Leading her toward the restaurant, he opened the door and waited until she walked in. More strange looks were thrown his way, and he almost laughed because the snarky woman he knew Lucky to be was nowhere in sight.
They were led to a table, and he took her coat, hanging it on the hook near their booth, and did the same with his own. As he took a seat across from her, he noticed for the hundredth time how beautiful she was. Her heart-shaped face framed by blonde hair and beautiful navy eyes had caught his attention from the moment he’d met her, add to that a body that was his idea of perfection; well, it was no wonder he’d fumbled as badly as he had.
“Thanks for the ride, Sam. My car is still in the shop, and I should get it back by next Monday.”
“Happy to do it.” He took her hand and held it. “I can give you a ride tomorrow as well, so you don’t have to grab an Uber.”
“Not necessary, but thank you.” She slipped her hand away as the waiter came up and handed them menus.
At least she didn’t kick me when I took her hand, he thought as he took the menu from the waiter. “What would you like to drink, Lucky?”
The waiter grinned and held up his hand. “Since you share the name with the restaurant, you have to have the Always Lucky martini.”
“Sounds good, but I usually drink whiskey, what do you recommend?”
“I’ll have the bartender make you the Club Lucky Manhattan.”
“Perfect, thank you.”
“And for you, sir?”
“I’ll have the Always Lucky martini since that’s how I feel.”
The waiter looked between the two of them and winked. “With a beautiful woman sharing a meal with you, that sounds exactly right.”
After the man left, he watched Lucky frown as she took her napkin and spread it on her lap. Mimicking her, he did the same. “Should we have some calamari to start?”
Leaning forward, she motioned for him to do the same. When he did, she gave him an impressive stink eye, so he decided to speak first. “I behaved badly and it’s going to take a long time for me to fix, but know that I won’t give up until I do.”
Her mouth opening and closing like a fish was not the reaction he expected. Where were her zingers and quick, sassy retorts? Taking her hand again, he held it tightly. “I’ve pulled my head out of my ass, and I can see that it’s shocking.”
“You have no idea,” she replied as the waiter approached with their drinks.
They both sat up, and when Lucky picked up her drink, Sam noticed her hands shaking ever so slightly. Which made him feel like pumping his fist in victory. If she didn’t have any feelings left, then his words wouldn’t have affected her, and since they did, he had a small prayer she was going to give him a chance.
“Are you ready to order?”
“We’d like to start with the calabrese calamari, then have the caprese salad, and for dinner, we’ll have the chicken vesuvio and penne arrabiata with broccoli.”
“Perfect,” the waiter replied and then walked away.
“A little heavy-handed, isn’t it?” Lucky asked as she drummed her fingers on the table.
“You may have forgotten how many meals we ate together last spring when we were working on the Belikov and Firtash thing. I noticed what you ordered, and I think what I chose for our meal is exactly what you would’ve chosen.”
“Be that as it may, don’t think I’ll let it happen again.”
He lifted his martini and gave her a wink before he took a taste. As the cool vodka slid down his throat, he felt himself relax. Not only because of the alcohol but because she said, happen again. That was all that mattered. Setting his drink down, he smiled. “You can order next time.”
Giving him a nod worthy of an empress, she then picked up her drink. Deciding they had nothing but heavy shit to discuss, he picked up his drink again and kept his mouth closed. Better they enjoy their meal for as long as possible before they started in on treachery and mobsters.
“Not that I give a fig what the FBI thinks, but I have to admit I’m curious why they think I’m getting into their servers.”
Or not, Sam thought as their calamari was delivered. “The director’s cryptic comment made me think they have some intel suggesting that’s what occurred, but as I’ve thought about, I’m not so sure it’s actionable intelligence. Owen and I were talking yesterday, and he made a comment about someone in IB being jealous of you, and it made a lot of sense. The intel you developed about the threats against Stazi is what allowed us to take down Belikov. It would’ve taken them a year to develop what you did in a matter of weeks, and it made them look bad. Maybe someone got their knickers in a twist and is ready for a little revenge.”
“Makes sense. Is that the same Owen who is friends with Jason and works out at our gym all the time?”
“Yes, I believe so.”
“He’s one good-looking man,” Lucky said as she picked up a piece of calamari and popped it into her mouth. “Not classically, of course, but damn, he pulls off the whole shaved head and muscle thing beautifully.”
He ate a couple of pieces of calamari as well and tried to tamp down his envy. Owen was an excellent agent and a good friend, and the last thing he needed to do was kill him because Lucky thought he was attractive. Draining his martini, he signaled for another round. “I understand Jason and Owen grew up together and are close to this day.”
“They are; I see them hanging out all the time along with Owen’s sister Tegan. In fact, I think Jason has a thing for Tegan and doesn’t have the guts to do anything about it.”
“We are talking about the man who’s as big as a freight train, right?”
Waving her fork around, she snorted. “He may be a retired SEAL with more deadly skills than most and the idea of him being ‘scared’ of anything or anyone is ridiculous. But…when he’s around Tegan, he stumbles over his words and says the stupidest things.”
Their new drinks were delivered, and Sam knew exactly what Jason felt like because he’d pretty much made an ass out of himself since the moment he and Lucky had been introduced. “Back to the idea of why the FBI thinks what it does…”
“I'm one-hundred-percent honest with you, Sam. I’m very good at what I do so I don’t need to hack into the Intelligence Branch. If I need raw data, I can get it a lot faster than they can; what I can’t do is connect the dots like an experienced agent. I can make guesses at what I’m looking at, but we both know I don’t have the in-depth knowledge to make sense of what I’m seeing.”
“You have great instincts, Lucky, and the way I saw you analyze and interpret the Firtash and Belikov intel tells me you’d do just fine without any help.”
“It was you who put the puzzle together, not me.”
The empty plate that sat between them was cleared and replaced with one filled with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. Picking up the large fork, he put some on a plate for Lucky and then did the same for himself. When a loaf of hot bread was delivered, he broke off two pieces and put one on each of their plates. Motioning toward her, he said, “Manga.”
“I see that you like to order, serve me food, and then tell me what to do.” Picking up her fork and knife, she cut into a tomato. “Makes me wonder if you’re this bossy in all areas of your life.” Putting her food into her mouth, she stared at him as she chewed.
“You will eventually discover that I am a man who likes to be in control…in all areas.” When he saw her swallow and narrow her eyes, he decided he’d said enough. She threw the ball in his court, and he did the only thing he could and return it decisively. Moving in his seat, he attempted to relieve some of the discomfort that came from picturing what his control was going to look like when they ended up together.
“Sometimes, the person who thinks they have the power is the one who has none.”
“Guess we’re eventually going to find out,” he replied with a feral smile. Seeing the color in her cheeks move across her throat let him know she understood the underlying meaning perfectly. And since she hadn’t given him a verbal lashing, he figured she didn’t hate the idea. “I don’t like the idea of someone trying to pin something on you, and I’d like to figure out who’s responsible as soon as possible so it won’t distract us. My team is going after some heavy hitters, and I can’t be worried about you while I’m doing it.”
Lifting an eyebrow, she set her utensils down and then wiped her mouth. “Not for one second of one hour of one day do you ever have to worry about me. I’m one of the best hackers in the world, and it won’t take me long to discover who is up to what. I also work for a company filled with deadly operatives who would be at my side within seconds should I need it. So. Don’t. Ever. Worry. About. Me!”
He shook his head and then slid his hand under the table and pressed it to her knee. “Not possible, Lucky. I’m well aware of how talented you are and the men you have at your disposal, but none of that means shit because I want to be the one you count on.” Seeing the shock roll over her features told him she hadn’t seen that one coming.
The truth was, neither had he.
But he spoke from his gut, with no thought as to the possible repercussions. All her talk about not needing him chapped his ass, and the sooner he could get her to see him as not only an ally but her very own personal champion, the better.
He picked up his fork and proceeded to eat the delicious food in front of him. The fact that she was staring holes into him as he ate bothered him very little. He said what he had to, and she was just going to have to accept it. Seeing the waiter approach with the steaming plates of chicken and pasta, he smiled. “Here comes our dinner.”
The restaurant served the entrees family style and that was one of his favorite things about the place because he liked to have a variety when he ate and sharing food with a woman was one of the best ways to achieve that. Their salad plates were taken away, and just as he was about to pick up the serving utensils, his hand was slapped. “What?”
“No one serves that main dish except me. Women in my family have been doing it for generations, and I will not be the exception.”
“Understood.” He watched her place a large portion of the chicken on a plate along with the peas. Tilting the plate, she ladled up a generous portion of the sauce, poured it over, and then scooped up some penne and deposited it on his plate.
“We’re not eating this in the right order, but if we don’t eat it now, it will get cold,” she said as she served herself.
“Pasta is the primo, and the protein is the secondo,” Sam said as he cut into the chicken.
“Correct,” Lucky replied as she took a bite of chicken.
“Does your mom serve all the meals traditionally?”
“She does on Sundays, though I’m not sure what she and dad do during the week since we’ve all moved out.”
“Are your folks still in Buffalo Grove?”
“Yes, they live in the house that I grew up in. My oldest brother works with my dad in his plumbing business and lives about a mile away from my parents, and my other brother lives in Edgewater. He’s got a construction business and just bought a big house that he’s going to redo, and my oldest sister lives in New York.”
“What does she do?”
“She’s an attorney.”
“Always good to have one in the family.”
“What about you, Sam?”
“Two brothers who still live in Everett, one is a doctor, and the other is an engineer at Boeing.”
“You clearly were the one that craved excitement.”
“Six years on Delta and three on HRT sure gave me what I was looking for.” Adjusting his leg, he gave her a jaunty grin. “The last op being the exception.”
“You’re alive and, considering you were a Tier One operator, that’s a damn miracle.”
He nodded and then went back to his meal. He knew she was aware of his prosthetic because she’d made him show her back in May when she’d seen him in a pair of shorts. When he’d snapped it off, she’d been fascinated and not repulsed. She kept talking about how cool it was, and when she’d gently placed her hand over the sock that covered the stump and told him how lucky he was to be around still, he’d almost lost it.
He’d thought about that day a lot over the last several months and always remembered how Lucky’s kindness and honesty impressed the hell out of him. She didn’t shy away from his loss or give him bullshit platitudes. She’d simply given him the gift of her grace and acceptance.
And now that he was facing the last of his fears about what the rest of his life was going to look like, he prayed he could find a way to get Lucky interested in sharing it with him.