INTO DANGER (Secret Assassins (S.A.S.S.) Book 1) (32 page)

“What are you going to do—cancel him?” asked Marlena.

“What is it to you? Unless you really want him around...”

Marlena went back to typing. She couldn’t have a man around. It hadn’t worked before. She’d given everything she had, only to be called all sorts of names for not giving up her job, then betrayed for being too trusting. But the idea of Stash no longer there left an empty feeling inside. Could she walk away when this was over?

“Better think quick before you lose him,” Tess advised softly. “Then he’s fair game, right?”

“Don’t even think of it right now,” Marlena countered just as softly. “He’s mine.”

“For now,” agreed Tess calmly. “Now, let’s hurry up and do this, shall we, darling, so I can get the laptops separated? Dangerous to have two of a kind together for too long.”

Marlena smiled. Tess, as usual, had the last word.

––––––––

W
hatever Cam did or said must have worked. Patty Ostler came back into the cramped office with him. Her hair was tightly pinned again; her silk blouse returned to its impeccable neatness. Her stormy eyes warned Steve not to mention the earlier incident, and he wisely took heed, trying to sound as businesslike as he could.

It wasn’t easy, especially with Cam acting without a shred of regret. In fact he looked damn pleased with himself. Steve took in his friend’s smug openness and Patty’s cool remoteness. Cam had a small ketchup stain on his unironed shirt. Patty didn’t look as if she ever ate with her hands. He needed a haircut, what with that long tied-back mane. She probably never had a hair out of place. He seemed to take great pleasure in annoying her, whereas she took great pains to show nothing but cold disdain. What a pair.

Steve gave an inward sigh. Who was he to say that a relationship between the two wouldn’t work? He certainly had enough problems dealing with his feelings about Marlena. And what a pair he and his mermaid would make, too. Hot and sweaty, constantly yelping, never boring, filled with wonderfully, incredibly, mind-blowing...Let’s not start with the M words again, he cut through his daydreaming. He needed to keep his mind on work.

He’d just given a short take on what had been going on with TIARA and their current assignment that had started with Marlena. He’d followed his gut, trusting Cam. After all, he’d worked with the man for a year, long enough to know Cam was exactly what he looked like and how he behaved—a half-wild party animal who used only half the IQ he had when it came to work, but also someone who saw more than his teammates gave him credit for. Cam never seemed to mind going along for the ride, never taking the initiative. Steve supposed ambition was second to having fun, a code Cam certainly lived by.

Patty Ostler was sitting on the edge of Cam’s chair, a serious expression on her face. From Steve’s angle, he could see she was agitated by Cam standing right behind the chair, and every time he moved or shifted position, she nervously tried to see what he was doing back there without showing it.

Steve rubbed the smile off his face. “So can you help me?”

“I prefer we use the proper channels,” she said, “but since you brought up the leak issue, I suppose that’s not a wise idea.”

“Patty doesn’t like to do things that aren’t according to the rules,” Cam chimed in, leaning his elbows on top of the leather seat.

It didn’t seem possible, but the woman managed to edge even further forward in her seat. Steve wondered whether she would fall off it if Cam let go of the chair.

“That isn’t true,” she said, looking at Steve as if he’d spoken. “I don’t want to circumvent rules just because some people want to do things their way. There are certain procedures which must be followed. If not, chaos ensues.” To make her point, she looked around Cam’s half of the office.

Cam snorted. “Coward.”

Patty’s lips pursed for an instant, then she straightened her shoulders. “Agent McMillan, I cannot work with that man making noises around me.”

Leaning on his elbows, Cam leaned further forward and whispered something in her ear. She flushed, then glared stonily at Steve. She looked ready to scream.

Steve tried to play peacemaker. Not too good with computer know-how, he needed their cooperation. “You can use my desk, my laptop, whatever. I just need an hour or two of your time at most. This isn’t really breaking any procedural rules, Patty. The only thing I didn’t do is make a formal request, so that there is no paper trail. If I access information from my own computer, with your help, then I’m not requesting classified access from your department, right?”

Patty nodded cautiously. “Right.”

“And if I catch whoever is leaking information from your department, then you have actually stopped possible chaos in your life. You know what Internal Investigations can be like. They’ll tear your department inside out if they want.”

Patty shuddered. Cam discreetly gave Steve the thumbs up, mouthing “Yeah,” showing approval that Steve had brought up the thing Patty hated most—chaos in her surroundings. Steve tried not to grin back at his incorrigible friend.

“All right,” she finally said. “I’ll do this. It sounds like your girlfriend is in danger.”

Steve blinked. Girlfriend? He’d been so busy chasing Marlena Maxwell in so many ways, he hadn’t really thought of her as his girlfriend. It occurred to him he’d referred to her in the oddest terms. His mermaid. His woman. What he felt for her was more primitive than a bland “girlfriend.” He wanted so much more from Marlena than a mere relationship.

He studied Cam and Patty again. Cam was lazily rocking the chair, trying to get his lady interest’s attention. And succeeding. She’d half turned in her seat, and Steve couldn’t see her expression, but Cam was enjoying the view, amusement lighting up his mischievous eyes as he looked down at her upturned face.

That was what he should do with Marlena. Keep her off balance. However, he had to concede it was much tougher to keep his mermaid in that state. He shook off his daydreaming. Geez, thought Cam had it bad. He couldn’t function for an hour without thinking about Marlena and what he wanted to do with her.

“So,” he said aloud, regaining the other two’s attention, “who do you think could access Marlena’s files without your knowing it?”

Cam and Patty proved to be a wealth of information. They didn’t have much time since Patty had to go back to work, but Steve managed to upload enough files to read. He couldn’t print them, of course, so that meant staying at the office a lot longer than he wanted. No matter. Harden hadn’t returned his message.

As she was leaving, Patty turned to Steve. “Thanks for the ticket. I’ve been wanting to see the show, but everything sold out months ago.”

From behind her, Cam made a cutthroat gesture to Steve. “No problem,” Steve smoothly said, having no idea what she meant. Cam was obviously behind it.

“Should I walk you back to your office, my love?” Cam offered, opening the door.

“When hell freezes over,” she returned sweetly, and walked out.

Cam closed the door and sighed. “Isn’t she romantic?”

Steve cocked a brow. “Mind telling me about the tickets?”

Cam grinned. “Oh, that. Patty wanted to see this opera thing but couldn’t get the tickets. I told her you had an extra one, if she would come back here to talk to you.”

Steve shook his head. “Man, I don’t know about you. I don’t even like opera.”

“Me neither. But that’s beside the point. My Patty does. It’s called Turandot or something like that. Any idea what it is?”

“How would I know? If it’s sold out, how am I supposed to get her a ticket?”

“Not a ticket. At least three. I’m going, too.”

“Are you mad? I’m not playing third wheel to you and Patty Hell-Freezes-Over.”

“So bring Marlena Killer-Figure.” Cam wrapped his arms across his chest. “I help you get your woman, you help me get mine. It’s a cool setup, I think.”

“How the hell am I going to get four tickets to a sold-out opera I don’t want to see?”

“Your problem, man. I merely plan the setup.” Cam grinned again, not at all fazed. “I’m only worried about myself. I have to get all knowledgeable about opera and singing, and get all spruced up in a penguin suit.”

Steve pinched the bridge of his nose. “Why go to all that trouble? Be yourself.”

“Ah, then it wouldn’t be a setup, would it? Come on, man, help me out here. Patty will see what she wants to see.”

“And what’s that? A penguin-suited garbage disposal?”

“Excuse me. I’m going to be the perfect gentleman, you’ll see. It would give her the idea I can change, be someone she likes. Adores. Wants. Needs.” Cam went off on a tangent, gesturing like an actor.

“Okay, end it there, man. I get the meaning.” Steve sniffed, then went back to his notes. “Geez, an opera. Why couldn’t it be a football game or something?”

“An unexpected twist, don’t you agree? And I set it all up, smart me. Clever me. Devious me.” Cam continued gesturing.

Steve laughed, then plucked his lower lip thoughtfully. A setup.

***

M
arlena heard the click of the suite door opening and shutting. Even though she had been expecting him, it was both disturbing and exciting to know it was Stash without checking. It didn’t take long for him to find her.

She glanced up with feigned casualness from the magazine she’d been leafing through. It was unsettling, this sudden need for a man’s presence. She didn’t know what to say, what to do. She could only come up with a parody of herself in an apron, duster in one hand, dinner plate in the other.
You’re getting hysterical
. The only option left was to sit there and wait.

He strolled into the media room without hesitating, as if he’d known she was there all along. He carried a familiar-looking knapsack with him, which he tossed onto one of the armchairs. He looked tired, and she fought the urge to jump up and kiss him. Ugh. It must that apron-wearing image infecting her common sense.

She nodded toward the chair with the knapsack. “This is a familiar scene. Moving in?”

Steve sat down across from her, his dark eyes glinting. “Yeah. You want me to make you a martini, sweetheart?”

“You want me to make you breakfast?”

“I ate every green bite, didn’t I?” he asked with a slight smile.

Marlena glanced at the magazine on her lap. “You see, I’m not made to be a housewife.” Now why did she blurt it out like that?

“I can read upside down, Lena. You’re looking at a recipe.”

She slammed the magazine shut. It had been a whim when she saw the recipe in the cooking section. A whim, that was all.

Steve watched, fascinated, as Marlena tossed the magazine onto the table and settled back against the sofa. In a flash she became someone he was already quite familiar with—the lazy-voiced, bored woman with the mocking eyes. He was beginning to recognize her defense mechanism. Once again he had gotten too close.

“I was just reading,” she told him, spreading her arms across the back of the sofa. “After all, I’m on a team now, got to wait for people, can’t just go off and do stuff on my own.”

It was a dig Steve chose to ignore. “I have information that might be of use,” he said.

Her blue eyes narrowed slightly. “Continue.”

Steve smiled and shook his head. “First you have to tell me something.” When she arched her brows in silent inquiry, he continued, “What’s du Scheum to you?”

She was silent for a moment. Then, she drawled, “Personally? Or just in general?”

“Both.”

“Why?” she asked, crossing her arms. “What does that have to do with you?”

“Everything, Lena. I don’t want to find you in his arms when I sneak into his bedroom to kill him.” Steve saw he’d startled her with his threat. The blue of her eyes deepened to almost violet as she stared at him. “Is there something between you and him?”

“Are you going to kill off every man I ever slept with?” she challenged.

“No, just the future ones.” He sat up, determined to press home his point. “It’s me and no one else, Lena. I’m not going to have you playing pearl necklaces with other men.”

“Do you think you can stop me?” Marlena got off the sofa and looked down disdainfully at him. “Do I ask you about your women? Or your past? Do I look like the type you can dictate terms to?”

“Come here,” Steve ordered softly.

Marlena stiffened at the quiet command. How dare he play territorial male with her? She should just leave him sitting there. He held out a hand, and after a slight hesitation she took a few steps closer and placed her hand in his. “Don’t think this is going to be a habit,” she warned, as he pulled her onto his lap. She should resist, but she didn’t.

“Tell me about du Scheum,” he said in the same tone of voice.

She had never taken the time to study his face before. She wanted to dissect every little thing that made him so different from other men. The way his eyes glinted with a knowing gleam when he looked at her. The way the dimple in his chin deepened when he smiled. How he plucked his lower lip when he was deep in thought. How one dark eyebrow, a little higher than the other, gave him that rakish air that hid the serious side of him. Little things like that.

It was a face she enjoyed looking at, even when it had that stubborn expression she was beginning to recognize. When Steve McMillan wanted something, he went for it and hung on like a bulldog.

“It was a long time ago,” she finally said. She ran her fingers lightly up his chest. “We’re just close friends now. I was an orphan trying to get out of the projects and Pierre took care of me. He gave me a future.”

His dark brows knitted together with displeasure. “He was too old for you then.” He stroked a possessive hand up her back, digging his fingers into her hair. “And you can wipe that smile off your face.”

“Stash darling, it was a long time ago,” Marlena repeated, still smiling. She traced the frown on his forehead with a finger. “Besides, without Pierre you’d never have met me. He was the one who sent me to GEM.”

“What is he? The boss in Charlie’s Angels?” Steve asked sarcastically. “He goes looking for hot chicks like you and T and then he gives the thumbs-up to recruit them?”