Bouncer (Bad Boys in Big Trouble Book 2) (21 page)

Jessica didn’t comment. She turned away to intently study the terrain outside in the fading sunlight as if there would be a pop quiz later.

“What is really up your ass? Why are you so mad at me?”

She shrugged, her gaze fixed out the window as if the scenery was a breathtaking spectacle. It wasn’t. It was one broken-window-filled building after another on the edge of forlorn that should likely be torn down.

“Look, I need to know.”
I want to know.

Jessica’s head whipped to the side and he got a glimpse of her profile. “You pursued me with only one thing on your mind and unfortunately it wasn’t sex.”

“That is not true! Wait. I didn’t
only
want sex, but—”

She huffed. “I don’t believe you.”

Reece narrowed his gaze. “This seems like a trap where I can’t possibly say the right thing, which is unfair.” Did she think he was only after her because of Arthur? Would that generate so much anger? She acted like this was personal.

“Unfair? That’s rich. I’m shocked you could get it up so many times for someone as inexperienced as I am in bed. You likely deserve a medal for successful and repeated performances. A big one. I can mention it to Arthur, if you’d like.”

Reece had just merged onto the interstate, but slammed on his brakes and stopped the car at the side of the road on an iffy shoulder with his flashers going. Luckily, traffic wasn’t heavy, but more than one car honked at him as they sped by their now stationary vehicle.

“Oh my good heavens! Do you have a death wish or something?” she asked, both hands clinging to the dashboard.

He snapped off his seatbelt and turned, almost climbing into her space. “Do you really believe that I’m faking my desire for you for the sake of my job when we’re in bed together?”

Eyes wide, lips parted, she stared at him as if hoping the answer to that question was a resounding negative. “Perhaps the thought did cross my mind once or twice.” She swallowed hard and appeared to be waiting, as if she needed to hear him tell her his innermost feelings. It wasn’t something he was adept at, but the ludicrous idea that he wasn’t attracted to her was…well, insane. He’d never once thought she was inadequate in bed. Why did she think such a thing?

His tone was a bit loud and aggressive, but he intended for her to hear him. “I believe I told you that I care deeply about you. I have felt this way since I changed your flat tire. Even so, I want to be with you. The truth is, I love you, Jessica. I can’t even explain how much trouble even saying those words causes me on countless levels of my complicated and frustrating life, but it’s the absolute truth.

“I never faked anything with you. Not once. Not ever. Nor will I. If you come away with anything else tonight, please be assured that you are it. The only one for me.”

Finally out of steam, he twisted as he sat back down and put the car in gear. He reached for his seatbelt and watched the mirrors to assess traffic so he could re-enter the nearest lane. They were probably going to be late unless he sped there.

Her fingers landed on his arm. “Wait. I
am
sorry. I mean it.” When he looked at her, happiness and supreme relief filled her expression. “Turns out I’m more insecure than I thought about my general appeal and being a know-nothing virgin for our first time.”

“You knew plenty,” he whispered.

“Last night when Arthur called me out and assumed I was keeping the FBI at bay for him, I was caught off guard. I went straight to the idea that I’d obviously never be able to attract a man like you if you didn’t want something else from me.”

“A man like me? I’m nothing special.”
I’m an undercover idiot who should never have admitted my true feelings out loud.

“You are. Every woman in line to get inside your club is in love with you. I saw it when we entered together the other night. Every woman I’ve ever seen looks at you like you’re their perfect fantasy man.”

“That’s not real. They only want something from me.”

“Elsa said that, too. She tried to talk me out of my melancholy last night, but I was unconvinced. I was certain I was only a means to an end.”

Never let her know you are undercover DEA. Especially never let her know that your higher ups wanted exactly that.
Reece abandoned his seatbelt, put the car in park and faced her. “Are you convinced of how I feel for you, yet? Or do I need to prove it to you?”

Her brows narrowed. “How can you prove it?”

He grinned. “Come here and I’ll show you. It’s not like we haven’t christened the front seat of my car before.”

“We’ll be late.”

Reece laughed. “Oh, you think I care about that? You’re so cute.” He brushed his fingers along her cheek in a gentle caress. He wanted to grab her, pull her to his lap, and recreate the memory of their last sexual encounter, but settled down in favor of making up.

Jessica met him over the center console. Her mouth trembling, she kissed him like she was relieved. Reece took it as a good sign and kissed her back with as much passion as he could muster, which was a lot and might make them really late if he didn’t release her and put the pedal to the metal for the rest of the trip. He didn’t care if they were late. But he should.

As of earlier today, his DEA chain of command was ready to close up this undercover assignment. When he’d reported that he was close and explained all the details of tonight’s meeting, they’d stepped things up in light of this new get-together with Bickley.

There was a team in place to take Arthur down tonight if he produced the means by which he collected his clients and their information. Bickley would also be swept up in the melee and turned over to the FBI.

Right before he picked Jessica up, Reece had learned that Cecil Bickley was a very high value target for the FBI. There was a unit gunning for him, but Reece didn’t know who it was. Perhaps this was the special project Jessica had been working on. He wasn’t sure. He kept the information on a back burner. No one save his handler, Miles, knew his role tonight.

Regardless of what Jessica said regarding the FBI following him—because they were—tonight would be a two-for-one special. There’d also be some interdepartmental collaboration if everything went the right way. It was the kind of cooperation that happened more often than the average civilian was aware.

She broke the kiss. “We can go back to your place tonight.”
Maybe. If I don’t wrap up this mission and leave. Or fuck it up with the same result.

“What about Elsa?” he asked, retreating back to his own seat reluctantly.

She shrugged. “Maybe I don’t care about hostess of the year anymore.”

He nodded and secured his seatbelt. “Well, I’m probably supposed to go back to work after this, but since I’m not bucking for employee of the year either, I’m going to hold you to that afterhours party for two.”
Unless everything changes tonight.

He carefully pulled back into traffic, gunning his speed a little past the limit. He didn’t want a ticket, but needed to make up a bit of time.

“How long do you think this will take?”

“No clue. It’s my first time at this particular rodeo.”

“Really?” She sounded surprised.

“I swear. Usually I’m just a security specialist, which means very good door opener, making it a completely glamourous job where women I don’t care about fake their attraction to get inside faster.”

Jessica turned partway in her seat to face him. She didn’t speak for a long spell, as if trying to decide something.

Before he could decipher where her mind was at, Reece glanced in the rearview mirror and noticed a big, black SUV tailing him. If it was Elsa and Gordon or the FBI in general, that would be difficult to explain to Arthur, not to mention his chain of command. He should try to lose them, knowing his handler and on up wouldn’t want the FBI’s direct interference. It was likely foolish to believe the FBI
wasn’t
in the middle of a plan to take Bickley down.

He sped up, using a few tactical moves to lose them. If Jessica had a tracker on her person, losing the SUV wouldn’t matter. They’d follow. They’d better not interfere though. Both Bickley and Arthur had to reveal their criminal intent for this to be a success, not just one party. If the FBI jumped the gun to get Cecil before Arthur was proved complicit, the past year of Reece’s life was wasted. Well, the part of the past year that didn’t involve meeting Jessica.

Reece glanced at her. “Tell me the truth. Is the FBI following us?”

~ ~ ~

“What?” Jessica almost swallowed her tongue. “The FBI?”
Of course they are. How do you know?
“Of course not. Why would you ask?”

“I thought there was someone following us.” He sounded matter of fact, but he couldn’t know for sure, could he?

She turned to look out the back window, searching for the black SUV, but she didn’t see it. “I don’t see anyone.”

“That’s because I lost them.”

Shit. Shit. Shit.

“Good for you.” Acting like she was oblivious to anyone besides Reece was very hard work. And she’d already made a fool of herself because of rampant, crazy, girly insecurities that had no place in her frame of mind tonight.

Reece was a pawn in her mission to take down Cecil Bickley. That was the way she was supposed to look at him, but she found it nearly impossible. Once Pierce had learned for certain it was Bickley at the club, he’d been filled with something very near bloodlust. He wanted the man caught as soon as possible.

“At any fucking cost,” he’d said repeatedly today.

In this case, the cost might be Reece. If Bickley produced dirty money for Arthur to clean, everyone in the room was going down. If they managed to get it on audio or, better yet, video, Pierce planned to storm in and take his long sought after target whether the business had been concluded or not. In fact, she wouldn’t be surprised to see Pierce bust the door down, rip Bickley’s still beating heart from his chest and take a bloody bite. He was downright scary where Bickley was concerned.

Perhaps her imagination was a bit fanciful, but Pierce had made his feelings crystal clear.

Failure was
not
an option tonight.

Reece placed her hand on his thigh, gripping her fingers as they drove to their destiny. It was possible Reece would become collateral damage. He might be arrested with Arthur, though Pierce didn’t care about any of Arthur’s offenses.

If Reece kept his cool and didn’t make a big effort to protect or aid Arthur, she might be able to help him. She’d been surprised when Reece said he’d never before been a part of Arthur’s illegal criminal activities or meetings with special guests looking for shiny new money. She planned to be a witness in his defense if he needed it.

He was a bouncer or rather a security specialist when he put on airs. He didn’t know who his boss really was or what he did for a living, did he? Perhaps they could get Bickley without Arthur revealing his specific criminal activities. A pipe dream, certainly, but one she clung to.

Jessica had spent the day memorizing scenarios so that Pierce’s greatest challenge could be addressed and his imminent arrest realized. Cecil Bickley had to go down tonight. Pierce had given her a very sophisticated ear bud. It wasn’t as good of a transmitter over distance, so the FBI van had to stay close to be of any use as surveillance to record evidence of criminal activity. She also had some old-school technology in the heels of her stylish new government issue shoes.

Reece hadn’t texted her the location, since he was picking her up, but Pierce had a contingency plan if the surveillance van lost her. He assured her he’d have more than one vehicle with an eye on her for this unusual field trip. A disguised Elsa and Gordon in a second vehicle were to stay ahead of Reece’s car and lend backup assistance as needed and as they were able.

Pierce had been practically giddy with the idea that his dream of apprehending Cecil Bickley was about to materialize. If Bickley hadn’t gotten off on a technicality during his last arrest and disappeared in the wind the moment he left the courthouse, Pierce wouldn’t have been as dedicated.

Elsa told her Pierce had worked very hard to make a case the last time, but had been thwarted by a couple of foolish mistakes during a DUI arrest and sloppy processing by local authorities.

Jessica wanted the mission to be successful, and not just because Bickley was an ass.

Pierce, Seth and, if her bad luck held out, Neil, were in the SUV Reece had lost. Pierce hadn’t wanted Neil in the same state during the takedown, but some sort of pressure was being applied. Apparently, Neil’s uncle had made a firm request on his nephew’s behalf to be at the conclusion of this particular mission so Neil could share in the glory of the arrest. Whatever.

Jessica figured Neil was due for a doozy of a mistake, likely of biblical proportions.

For Pierce’s sake, she hoped Nimrod Neil held out until after the arrests before being his usual idiot self. Or perhaps Pierce had left him behind at FBI headquarters, bound, gagged and deposited in a broom closet as he’d threatened under his breath earlier. She’d love to see that.

The memory made her smile. Reece noticed and smiled back, giving her a look that said he loved her. Well, it was foolish, but she loved him too. It was especially foolish to recognize that at best, her bouncer boyfriend would have to get a new job tomorrow. At worst, he’d be in jail as an accessory to money laundering.