Aegis 01 - First Exposure (9 page)

Avery glanced over her shoulder at the big-chested, fifty-something man in large print Hawaiian, rubbing up against a skinny, bottle-dyed redhead in a short flitty skirt and mile-high stilettos. “She looks quite a bit younger than him.”

“Oh, dat’s not Mrs. Claud. She in the booth to your right.”

Avery’s gaze shifted that direction. The late-forties brunette had her leg hooked over some man’s thigh and was playing with the open collar of his shirt. When the man pushed to his feet, she unhooked her leg, shot a wink toward her husband on the dance floor, then followed him toward that door at the back of the club Avery had noticed before.

“It looks like she’s heading off to have some fun,” the bartender said behind Avery.

“Wow.” Wide-eyed, Avery looked away again, but as she did, her gaze skipped over a table in the shadows, and she caught a glimpse of the same man Cade had pointed out in the restaurant. He was staring at her, just as he’d been then, and knowing she was being watched, her adrenaline ticked up. She pushed her glass toward the bartender. “I think I’ll have another.”

“Ramon.”

Avery’s brow lifted. “What?”

“Ramon.” He patted the black vest against his white shirt. “My name is Ramon.”

“Oh.” Avery smiled. “Thank you. I’ll have another, Ramon.”

She tapped her fingers against the bar while she waited for her drink, and wondered what was taking Cade so long. Not that she wanted to get all riled up near him again, but she didn’t particularly like being alone in this environment.

Ramon returned and set the pink cocktail on a napkin in front of her.

“Thank you.” Lifting the glass, she took a sip and wished she could order ten just to get through the evening.

Ramon leaned against the bar and moved a toothpick around in his mouth. “Don’t worry. Most of our visitors are really only here to watch, not participate. But we’ve got a few regulars who like to keep things spicy. I take it dis is your first time at a place like Indulgence?”

Avery swallowed and nodded. “My deer-in-the-headlights look gave me away, didn’t it?”

Ramon chuckled. “Nah, it was da stamp they put on your forehead when you first checked in.”

Avery looked at him a split second, then chuckled. “Touché.”

She liked Ramon. She got no beck-and-call vibes from him like she’d gotten from Patrice earlier. She set her drink down. A guy like Ramon probably knew and saw everything. And since Cade wasn’t here and didn’t seem to be making much progress with whatever he was doing, she figured she might as well do a little snooping herself. “I thought singles weren’t allowed at the resort.”

“They’re not.”

“Then what’s with the guy at the table back there? He was in the restaurant alone too. I saw him earlier today, alone then as well.”

Ramon glanced over her shoulder, and he stiffened. “Dat’s Mr. Anderson. You be smart to stay away from him.”

Avery’s stomach tightened, and she fought from turning to look again. “Why? What’s wrong with him?”

“He has certain tastes. A woman like you wouldn’t want to get tangled up with someone like him.”

Avery’s curiosity was piqued again, but instead of asking the thousands of questions that kind of statement conjured, she reminded herself why she was here. “Did he arrive today?”

“No. He lives in Florida. Man’s got some serious cash. He comes here once a month or so, and he’s got a special deal worked out with da owners. Sometimes his wife comes with him. Sometimes not. Since I haven’t seen her around, I’m guessing dis is one of the ‘nots.’”

Once a month.
Avery’s mind spun, and hope ignited deep in her chest. “When was he here last?”

Ramon shrugged and pushed back from the bar. “I dunno. About three weeks ago, I think.” He rubbed a towel across the bar, drying water spots on the shiny surface. “He doesn’t usually spend time in here. Stay away from him and you’ll be fine.” A couple moved up to the bar on Avery’s right. Ramon pointed at her. “You want another drink?”

Avery’s fingers vibrated with excitement. This could be their first real lead. “No. Thanks. I’m fine.”

Ramon smiled. “Okay. You want anything else, you let me know.”

As he moved down the bar to help the newcomers, Avery turned so she could see the man in the shadows. His skin was dark, he was medium height and weight, and his clothes were expensive, but that was about all she could see. She watched as he tossed back the rest of his drink, stubbed out his cigar in an ashtray on the table, then rose from his chair and turned away. Grabbing the jacket from the back of his seat, he headed toward the door at the rear of the club she’d watched Mrs. Claud disappear through only moments before.

Nerves bunched in Avery’s stomach. She lifted her martini glass and downed the pink liquid, then set it on the bar. A shadow moved in front of her, and though she was still staring at the door, she sensed Cade slide back onto the stool at her side.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Avery licked her lips. Whether it was the alcohol or sheer determination, she didn’t know, but she wasn’t letting this lead get away from her.

She gripped his wrist, slid off her stool, and pulled. “Come on. I think we might have found someone who was here with Melody.”

C
ade let Avery tug him through the throng of dancers toward the doorway at the back of the club. The archway opened to a hall that curved to the left. The music grew muffled, but the thump of the bass echoed throughout the small space.

“Where are you taking me?” He didn’t mind that she’d grabbed him—wanted her to grab other parts of him—but his senses went on high alert the instant they stepped into the dimly lit corridor.

“Ramon knew that guy in the restaurant. He was here when Melody was here. His last name’s Anderson. He’s from Florida, has a lot of money, and apparently is into some kinky stuff. He’s also a single, has a special deal worked out with the owner of the resort, and comes here at least once a month.”

He eyed the determined set of her chin—or what little of it he could see in the darkness. “You got all of that while I was on the phone? And who the hell is Ramon?”

“The bartender. And yes, I did.”

They turned another corner. The music from the club faded into the background. Sconces high on the walls illuminated very little, but Cade realized the walls were painted a deep red. “Ava, where are we going?”

“That guy came back this way. Several people did, actually. I think it leads to another club. I want to ask him a few questions.”

His stomach tightened, and he pulled her to a stop in front of a black door. “Hold on. Now, I think it’s cute you’re playing Nancy Drew and all, but—”

“
Playing
? I’m not
playing
anything. I came here to find Melody, or did you forget? I thought this was your job. I thought you said you were good at what you did. So far you haven’t come up with anything. I’ve come up with the only solid lead we have and—”

A man and woman holding hands rounded the corner. Avery’s mouth snapped closed and she stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest in the process. Drawing a deep breath, Cade moved back a step, allowing them to pass between. The man and woman both eyed them, said a quiet hello, then pushed open the door at the end of the hall. Low, rhythmic music drifted from the open door, followed by whispers and gasps and the distinct sound of moaning before the door snapped closed again.

Luckily, to anyone who passed, it looked like he and Avery were having an argument about whether or not they should go in that room. And while that was exactly what this was, it wasn’t for the reason most would assume.

Calmly, he stepped toward her and placed both hands on her arms. “Sorry. Bad choice of words. I haven’t forgotten anything. In fact, Ryder was running down a few leads that I passed on to him. That’s what that call was about. I don’t have anything definite yet, but let’s just say this guy you’re hot to follow isn’t our only lead. If I had to guess, I’d say he’s exactly like couple number three I described to you on the plane, nothing more. But I’ll talk to him tomorrow if you want me to, just to cover our bases.”

“And what if he isn’t here tomorrow?”

“If he’s here now, he’ll be here tomorrow morning.”

“But you don’t know that for sure. For all you know, he could have kidnapped Melody or at the very least know what happened to her. I’m not letting him get away.”

She turned for the door.

“Avery, stop.”

She hesitated with one hand on the door handle and looked back over her shoulder with a perturbed expression. “What now?”

“You don’t want to go in that room.”

“Yes, I do.”

“I’m warning you. It’s not what you think.”

“Well, big surprise, Mr. Black. I’m not what you think anymore either.”

She pulled the door open and disappeared inside. And alone, Cade cursed under his breath. No, she wasn’t what he thought anymore. The Avery he’d known as a kid was sweet, resourceful, and didn’t like confrontation. This one was independent, headstrong, and seemed to enjoy frustrating the hell out of him. And dammit, the contrast only jazzed him up even more. He knew the old Avery was still in there somewhere, but he liked this one. Admired her. And though it wasn’t the reason they were here, he only wanted to find out for himself what else had changed about her.

He tugged the door open and followed.

The room was dark. Low music echoed off blood-red walls. People stood in the shadows around a U-shaped stage. Lights shone down from above, and though Cade couldn’t quite see what they were all looking at yet, from the crowd’s heavy breathing, the way they were touching each other in the shadows, and the moans coming from the direction of the stage, he had a pretty good idea what they were all watching.

He wove his way through the crowd, searching for Avery. Most barely noticed him, as they were too focused on the action. He paused, looked around, couldn’t find Avery in the sea of dark faces. Dammit, which way had she gone?

His gaze scanned the crowd and landed on the man from the restaurant. He was near the front on the far side. Light from the stage fell over his face, accentuating his rich coffee-colored skin, his dark eyes, and the breadth of his shoulders. Cade’s mind ran back to the two men he’d overheard outside the staff quarters. This guy wasn’t big enough to be the one who’d been pacing and talking, but he looked about the right size to be the guy sitting on the stoop.

A crack echoed from the stage, followed by another moan. Cade didn’t look—didn’t need to look, he’d seen it all before, working undercover—and instead focused his attention on the voices whispering to his left. When he turned that direction, he caught sight of Avery stumbling past a couple watching the show. The woman stood in front of the man; he had his arms wrapped around her. Avery muttered apologies, and they whispered something in return, which Cade couldn’t make out, then turned their attention back toward the stage. Avery pushed her way toward the front near the wall, then stopped dead in her tracks.

Her eyes grew wide. The color drained from her cheeks. And her mouth fell open in a small “O” as she stared up at the people on stage.

Shit…
No, she wasn’t what he expected, but he didn’t want her scarred. A place like this could do that to a person. He knew that better than anyone.

He pushed his legs forward, moved through the crowd, and finally caught up with her. The wall was to her right, the stage directly at her front. He slid up behind her and slowly wrapped his hands around her waist, intending to pull her away from the scene. “Ava, baby,” he said low in her ear. “There you are. I lost you in this crowd.”

But the moment he touched her, the air changed. Charged. Grew electric. Heat wafted off her skin. Her scent overwhelmed him. He looked past her soft hair tickling his cheek and stilled when he saw what she was watching.

A woman wearing only slim black stilettos stood naked on stage. Her hands were bound behind her back and attached to a hook high above her head in a classic strappado position. Her legs were spread wide with a bar. The placement caused her to bend forward at the waist and forced her ass out and up, allowing everyone in the audience a full view. A tape gag covered her mouth so she couldn’t speak, and a muscular man dressed in nothing but leather pants walked around her, tapping a flogger against his palm as he studied every angle of her body.

He stopped behind her, leaned forward, and muttered something so low Cade couldn’t hear what he said. Then he flicked the crop out and back, striking her ass until her entire body tightened, and she yelped.

Avery gasped.

Cade’s hand flattened against her belly, and he pulled her back against him. The wall met his spine. The soft, rounded curve of Avery’s backside pressed against his hips. He knew he needed to get her out of this room—things were about to get a whole lot more intense on that stage—but the blood pooling in his groin and shooting straight to his cock was making it hard to think, let alone focus on what he
should
do next.

The man on stage slapped the flogger against the woman’s ass again, then rubbed the redness with his hand until her cries turned to moans. Then he leaned even closer, bringing their bodies into full contact, slid his hands up her hips and around her front and palmed her breasts. The woman’s eyes closed. She moaned louder and sagged against the ropes.