Positively Criminal (16 page)

“Let go of my arm and stop dragging me all over the parking lot!”

“If you would cooperate, I wouldn’t have to drag you. Pick up your feet, Dara.”

Jake suddenly felt sorry for his partner. Drunk was one thing, determined was another.

“Listen here, Detective Turner. First of all, I am not drunk. Yes, I was drinking but I’m over twenty one and that’s not illegal.”

“I didn’t say it was illegal.”

“Secondly,” she continued, “I was drinking tea. Long Island Iced Tea.”

Jake bit back a snicker. Dara, one; Mace, 0.

“Give me your keys,” Mace demanded.

“No! I could drive home just fine if I wanted, but I’m staying.”

“Have you heard
anything
I’ve said?”

“Yes. You’re just an unreasonable bully.”

A split second of silence crossed the wires before Mace spoke, this time must softer. “I am not a bully or unreasonable. You don’t belong here and if something goes down, just what do you think you’re going to do? Fight hand-to-hand combat?”

“I have a stun gun in my purse.”

“Good plan, except you have to be way too close to the bad guy to use it.”

Jake brace himself for Dara’s argument but instead, he heard Mace’s voice again.

“Listen Dara, those perverts in there can’t touch the dancers but you’re fair game. Please go home where you’re safe. We will protect Bri, I promise. Call me when you get there so I’ll know you’re tucked in for the night, okay?”

Jake almost fell off his bar stool when he heard Dara’s defeated sigh.

“Oh, alright. My car’s over there.”

“That’s my girl.”

Jake raised an eyebrow while several quiet snickers sounded in his earpiece.
Big mistake
. Poor sap. Mace would never hear the end of this – he would make sure of that.

Jake heard a slamming car door before Mace’s aggravated voice graced the wires. “Damn females! If any of you say one word about this —”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” a voice answered.

“I didn’t hear anything,” another agreed, “and my earpiece is full of static.”

“I heard every single world,” Jake drawled.

“Let’s focus, gentlemen,” Majors interrupted. “Back to business.”

“Hey, Turner.” Jake just had to have the last word. “Let us know when she calls in.”

***

Five nights later at nine-o’clock on the dot, Jake scanned the interior of the dimly-lit club, mentally kicking himself in the ass for the hundredth time for allowing things to end up like they had. Activity in the club appeared normal – girls on stage and on the catwalk surrounding the bar provided a roomful of men entertainment for the evening while they drank themselves into oblivion. Still, he couldn’t ignore the incredible ache in his gut. He knew damn well this whole plan was a tragedy waiting to happen but convincing a certain red-headed vixen had proven fruitless.

He moved his gaze from left to right. Just as he’d been briefed, agents covered the area, poised for impending danger.

He glanced at the agent sitting beside him. “My earlier protest of this whole fucking operation stands, Majors.”

“Relax Detective Rawlings, we’ve got it all under control. There are agents all over this place, including one outside the dressing room.”

He raised both eyebrows. “Not inside?”

“We didn’t know quite how to explain that tactical maneuver.”

“Security breezes in and out of there all the time, Majors. These women aren’t shy.”

The other man smirked. “You want me to place an agent
inside
Bri’s dressing room?”

“I’ll do it.”

“No can do. Yours is a familiar face around here.”

“How the hell are you gonna make sure no one grabs her?”

“I offered to put a chip on her but that proved difficult.”

“Why?”

“Do you really need specifics, Rawlings?”

Jake held his tongue. No, he didn’t and even more, he didn’t even want to entertain the thought that Majors or any other agent might search Bri’s body for a place to hide a chip. The one and only thing that kept him from pummeling the other man was the device already embedded in her bracelet – the one he planted without her knowledge.

“If one sequin goes missing from her costume, you have me to deal with.”

“Sequins?”

“Blue,” he mumbled. Tiny little sparkling stars, strategically sewn along her top to outline her firm, tight breasts and on her g-string in a perfect vee, leading to the treasure between her legs. Although now hard, Jake cursed his arousal. “I’m dead serious, Majors, one misplaced sequin will render you dickless.”

“Your concern is duly noted.” The agent had balls enough to smirk while he nodded at the catwalk. “There’s your girl.”

Momentarily distracted from his anger at Majors, Jake turned his attention to Bri, scantily dressed in the aforementioned sequins. Although his vision remained colored red, anger couldn’t be blamed; no, pure, raw arousal deserved full credit.

He watched in sheer, silent agony while she moved her body in time to her signature heavy metal music, teasing and taunting every man in the room with each sway of her barely-covered ass. His traitor of a cock hardened as he took in her equally blue hooker heels that boosted her height at least four inches; how she kept from breaking her neck, he didn’t know – didn’t really care at this moment. As long as he pictured them on her feet as she wrapped those tan, smooth legs around his hips in a fit of passion, all was right in his world.

He pried his eyes from her body long enough to glance at his watch.
Good
. Approximately two minutes left, then he’d drag her by her blonde curls back to his house and toss her into his bed where she would be safe. Even if he had to bound and gag her to do it.

He stole a glance at Majors and frowned when the other man appeared a little too
interested
in the activity on stage.

He cleared his throat – loudly. “Don’t you think you should focus on your security team?”

The agent shook his head and grinned as he scooted his chair back from the table. “You realize I’ve seen her naked, right?”

Jake’s eyes cramped with his narrowed stare. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Relax, Rawlings.” Majors slapped him on the back. “I’m just trying to keep you on your toes.”

Jake balled his fists to resist reaching for the weapon on his hip while a thin sheen of sweat crept across his forehead. He glanced at the door and his partner raised an eyebrow when their gazes met. Maybe he should’ve taken Mace’s advice and worked the door instead.

Catcalls and high pitched whistles drew his attention back to the stage in just enough time to see Bri’s ass disappear behind the curtain.
About damn time
. He stood from the table and then stomped away from the table toward the side stage door. He was gonna wring her neck, then handcuff her to him and swallow the key, just as he promised. Damn, stubborn woman!

“Hey, handsome.”

Without any other choice, he was forced to pause in mid-stomp to keep from barreling over the half-naked brunette in his path. Before he could apologize for almost taking her out, she placed a hand on his shoulder and pressed her incredibly tight, creamy breasts against him while she whispered in his ear. “You look like you could use some fun.”

“Not tonight, sweetheart.”

“Really? I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

“No doubt but I’ll have to pass.”

Those breasts moved about half a millimeter when she lifted a leg and pressed it against his hip. “You sure about that?”

Very gently, he brushed her leg from his body, reached for his own hip, unclipped his badge holder and then flashed the gold at her. “Positive. I’m on duty.”

Her dark red lips split into a sultry smile. “I won’t tell if you won’t.”

He had to grin at her tenacity. “Seriously, not tonight.”

She tossed her long, wavy curls over her shoulder and smirked. “Your loss, big guy.”

Extremely annoyed by the interruption, Jake made a beeline through the stage door until he stood in front of Bri’s dressing room. His fists ached as he pounded on the door. “Bri, I’m coming in.”

The silent seconds only fueled his anger and when she failed to answer, he shoved the door so hard it slammed into the wall and splintered down the middle.

“Bri?” The empty room taunted him. “Where are you?”

He stood in the middle of the room while anxiety burnt a hole in his gut. He flung a nearby hairdryer at the wall and watched the plastic pieces scatter in the air.

“Hey!” Mace took a quick step to one side as he stepped through the doorway.

“Damn it Turner, she’s gone! Where’s her backup?”

His partner frowned. “Hold on a sec.” Mace stepped further into the room.

“She’s not here,” Jake spat, “I’ve already checked.”

“Rawlings, shut the hell up!”

Both stunned and pissed off, Jake ran a hand across his jaw.

Mace moved toward the back of the room. “Did you hear that?”

“No.”

“Over here, from this locker.”

Mace opened the locker door and the agent assigned to Bri fell to the floor, bound and gagged.

Now beyond angry, Jake yanked the tape from his mouth, ignoring the colorful language he assumed to be in reference to pain.

“Start talking.”

“I was hit from behind.” Mace untied the agent’s hands and feet and helped him to stand. “I woke up in there.” He glanced at Jake. “Without my weapon.”

“Sonuvabitch.” Jake pulled his phone from his pocket and stabbed buttons until a blinking red dot appeared on the screen. His stomach churned. “Turner, call Majors. She’s headed west on Houston Avenue.”

“On it.”

He listened to Mace explain the situation to Majors while fear threatened to take him to his knees. Five nights – he’d endured this hell for almost a week before the idiot made his move. The red dot continued to move along the mapped route.

“They’ll follow us,” Mace said finally.

He allowed his eyes to leave the screen only long enough to toss his keys at Mace before they headed out the door. “You drive.”

Jake squeezed the phone and watched the light blink as it moved along a map of Primrose. Blood seared his veins as it sped through his body.

“Focus, Rawlings.” Mace’s voice held clear directive as they piled in the cruiser. “We’ll find her and take them down.”

“I’m focused.” He buckled his seatbelt. “Damn bastards are going down, even if I have to roll heads to do it.”

Mace grinned and started the car. “If anyone asks, I didn’t see anything unusual about the takedown.”

“Left on Elm. Looks like they’re headed for the warehouse district.” Jake allowed a smirk to move his upper lip. “You know suspension’s a bitch, right?”

“I kinda know that firsthand, partner.” Mace’s grin spread into a full-fledged smile. “Like I said, I didn’t see anything.”

Jake kept his eyes glued to the red cursor and barked out directions as Mace kept them on course.

“Rookie mistake number one.” Mace chuckled as they turned yet another circle. “All this does is cause seasickness.”

“Didn’t count on a bug,” Jake mumbled. And, for the first time since he planted it, he didn’t feel one ounce of guilt. In fact, he may just leave it there – just in case she ever decided to take matters into her own hands again.

***

Goosebumps danced on her skin as Bri squeezed her eyes closed, feigning sleep while she attempted to get a feel for her surroundings. The surface beneath her appeared to be hard and cold, but with her hands bound in front of her she couldn’t tell much else. She wiggled her legs, both encouraged and curious when she discovered them unbound. Did she walk here on her own? Question marks pummeled her hazy brain while she lay perfectly still and attempted to take a mental inventory of her body parts, relieved that other than a mother of a headache, she appeared unharmed.

She took a deep breath and then frowned. The atmosphere smelled musty and dirty, much like an attic used for storage of antiques. The sound of faint, male voices floated in the stale air from somewhere outside, far enough away to assure her she didn’t have company. Cautiously, she opened her eyes.

Although it was dark, she blinked several times to clear her vision to see enough to know she lay inside a four-walled structure on a concrete bench, still dressed in her sapphire blue ensemble. The walls appeared to be steel; the floor, concrete. A lone door occupied the middle of one wall. Panic suddenly climbed all thirty-three vertebrae of her spine. What on Earth happened? Jake warned her about the dangers of dancing, but this predicament was almost unbelievable – she had an FBI bodyguard, for Pete’s sake!

Her head ached as she concentrated hard to remember the night’s events. She remembered dancing, that she’d never forget. Jake’s eyes glued to her every move prevented any memory loss – for either of them. Her traitorous nipples tightened and she almost laughed out loud; even in fear her body responded to him.