Promise Renewed (18 page)

Gina wasn’t in the expansive living area. The door to the bedroom was shut. Her massage had to be over by now. He knocked softly.

“Come in,” she said.

Though the overhead light was off, the room was flooded with the gleam from several nightlights. They were everywhere. Two in the bedroom, one in the bath. Gina's gun lay on the table beside the bed where she was engulfed in one of the hotel’s fluffy white robes. Her hair was damp, her face free of makeup. She looked more beautiful than ever.

“What’s with all the nightlights and the gun?

“It’s the way I sleep.”

The look in her eyes defied him to question further, so he changed the subject.

“You look better without all of the Meg Farley get-up.” He couldn’t seem to catch his breath. “Did you enjoy your massage?”

“It was wonderful. I could get accustomed to the pampering.”

He chuckled. “What about the rest of this?” He waved his arm to encompass the suite.

She made a face. “Not interested. Too much upkeep.”

“That’s one way of looking at it.”

They were making small talk, avoiding any mention of the fact there was only one bed in the suite.

“I was going to suggest we divide the bed into two sections, but if you sleep with lights on that’s out,” he said.

Darin opened drawers and closets until he found what he wanted. “I’ll sleep on the couch.” He pulled extra bedding and a pillow from a closet.

She stood to take them out of his arms. “I’m smaller than you. I’ll be more comfortable and I’ll take my lights with me.”

“Nope. This will do just fine.”

Gina shrugged. “How about we take turns?”

They would discuss the subject later. “I’ll get my shower and be out of here in no time.”

Fifteen minutes later she was still sitting on the edge of the bed. She looked irresistible. The urge to crawl into bed and curl up next to her swept over him like a Texas tornado. He went weak with the wanting.
I have a job to do and can’t be distracted by the most desirable woman I’ve ever met.

It sounded good. All he had to do was get the hell out of this room.

Instead of walking toward the door, he walked over to the bed, leaned over and kissed those incredible lips.

Gina gasped.

“Just practicing,” he teased. “You said yourself our cover has to be foolproof.”

****

When the door clicked shut behind him Gina let out a long, shaky breath. Another swift kiss and she was hot all over. The first time she might understand. But every time the man kissed or even touched her she felt something. Was this normal? If so she’d been abnormal her entire life.

What would happen if she carried this a step further? What if she actually slept with him? She shuddered at the thought. She couldn’t. After years of therapy one would think her fear would be a thing of the past. In some ways it had helped tremendously. She no longer thought the abuse in her childhood was her fault. Elton Griffin was the perpetrator, she and Maddy his innocent victims. But neither of them had healed enough to let a man into their lives. Her two experiences were such disasters that no man had turned her on since. Now she was attracted to Darin and didn’t know what to do about it.

Nothing. They were on a job. Too much hinged on its success. If they screwed it up by letting personal feelings get involved, they shouldn’t be cops.

With that thought she curled up in bed and let the tears fall.

She traced her lips with a finger. He tasted so good—felt so good—smelled so good. How could she turn away from him when she wanted to do just the opposite? Maybe it was a good thing she was his partner and fraternizing was forbidden. She was too scared to take this further anyway.

The bed was luxurious, soft, and inviting. She should be able to fall asleep immediately. Instead, she lay there tormented by the fact that even if they weren’t on a job nothing would change. She wanted what she was afraid to have—afraid that if she had it she would shrink in terror and scare the poor man to death in the process.

It was early morning before her exhausting thoughts allowed her to sleep.

****

Darin didn’t do much better.

He was up at dawn. After folding the linens, he placed their breakfast order. Opening the door to Gina’s room he saw she was asleep and quietly put the linens back in the closet. It wouldn’t do for one of the help to see them and report it to the wrong people.

He put on his robe, applied the fake scar, put on his wig, and waited for breakfast.

A white envelope on the floor by the door caught his attention. Were they being contacted already? Was the sting going down now? He prayed so.

He sat down to open it. His mouth went dry as he read.

Jumping up he ran into Gina’s room. She was still sleeping peacefully. He walked over to the side of the bed. She was beautiful. Her blond hair curled and spread over the pillow. Dark lashes lay against perfect cheekbones. He brushed a stray hair from her face.

The next thing he heard was the click of a revolver. Close. Shock kept him as still as a statue.

“What the hell are you doing?”

He swallowed hard. It wasn’t often a gun was aimed at his head. Plus, he’d never seen a more beautiful, snarling woman holding one. The look in her eyes told him she wasn’t kidding.

When he regained his voice Darin managed to say, “That’s my line.”

She lowered the gun, put it back on the table. “Never sneak up on me again.”

“You can bet on it.” He watched as she visibly gathered herself together. The episode had frightened her as much as it had him. But what set her off?

“I didn’t mean to frighten you. I’m sorry.”

She brushed her hair back with impatient fingers. “Never mind. But I’m serious about anyone sneaking up on me.”

“I promise to knock, ring a bell, yell, stomp my feet, or make noise anyway I can think of to announce my presence from now on.”

Her lips twitched.

“You okay?”

“Fine.”

“Wanna tell me what that was all about?”

“No.”

He shrugged, then turned to leave the room.

“Why were you standing over my bed like a burglar or something worse?”

Maybe he
had
just scared her. They
were
in a strange place, and they didn’t know each other well. “Someone slipped this under the door. Read it.”

“Understand you are interested in the purchase of goods my company may be able to supply. If interested, call the number on the enclosed card.”

“They bought it,” Darin said. “All we have to do is make believers out of them.”

“We need to let the FBI know.”

He punched the diamond on his Rolex, announced himself and read the note. “We’ll make further contact when we know where and when we meet.”

Double-clicking turned off the transmission. He looked at Gina. Her red silk pajamas did things to his libido. Then he remembered the gun aimed at his head.

“Do you usually wear silk PJ’s?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Nope. But Meg Farley does.”

He wanted to ask what she did wear, but thought better of it. He headed for the living area. “Better get dressed. Breakfast will be here any minute.”

They heard a soft knock at the door.

Gina flew out of bed. “It takes me an hour to get dressed in that get-up and fix my hair. You’ll have to go to the door.”

Darin opened the door to let in a valet with a breakfast cart covered with dishes exuding the wonderful aroma of delicious-smelling breakfast foods.

As he tipped the valet, his stomach rumbled.

“Breakfast is ready,” he said knocking loudly on the bedroom door.

“I’m not.”

“Come and eat while it’s hot. You can dress later.”

A minute later, he called out again. “C’mon. It smells too good to eat cold.”

“I’m really not hungry.”

“Pretty please?” She was probably embarrassed by the gun incident. He would be, too.

Still in her robe, she came out of the room and took a seat at the table. It didn’t take long before they put a good-sized dent in their eggs benedict, soft, melt-in-your-mouth rolls, and dark, hot coffee. There was no way either could do more than taste the selection of fruit and pastries.

He smiled to himself. There was nothing wrong with Gina’s appetite.

“I ate too much,” she groaned.

“You need to eat. You’re too thin.”

She chuckled. “I won’t be if I eat many more meals like this one.”

He picked up the phone. “Time to make an appointment.”

“I’ll get dressed.”

An hour later, they were at the elevator. Darin didn’t know who was more nervous. He’d put his gun in his right boot and made sure the mike was working on the Rolex. He was as ready as he could be and hoped he wouldn’t start perspiring.

Gina looked wonderful. Her long shapely legs in black tights and her enticing cleavage would distract every male who looked their way.

They were to meet a man by the name of John in a motel on the north side of town. Their Mercedes was waiting when they walked out of the hotel.

The drive was quiet. Darin’s thoughts wandered to the episode earlier. What had happened to make Gina edgy enough to pull a gun and look as if she would use it? He’d like to know what that was about.

His thoughts turned to the upcoming encounter. He had to admit he was nervous. Would he meet the drug lord himself? If so, which one? Darin didn’t think he would show his face this soon, maybe not at all. He would have to be pretty damned convincing to get the drug lord in a position where his team could put cuffs on him. Everything depended on their acting ability and their disguises, if he could entice the drug lord involved into the open, and whether they would be recognized.

If the mole fingered them they were dead meat.

Darin didn’t want to have a shoot-out with Gina present. Hell, he didn’t want to have a shoot-out, period. Though Gina was a trained professional, he wanted to protect her. Although after this morning he didn’t think protection was necessary.

His growing feelings about his partner worried him. A partner he’d kissed more than once on a made-up excuse. Which wasn’t typical either. He simply liked kissing her. Liked the feel of her soft lips under his. He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

She couldn’t stay his partner. Once this was over he was going to pursue this attraction.

It didn’t take nearly long enough before they were at the motel. The FBI driver got out and opened the door, his expression somber. His eyes though, were full of concern.

At the motel, they walked down the first floor hall to room 1012. Why they didn’t call it room 101 or room 112 was beyond him.

Darin checked to make sure the mike was on and knocked on the door.

A voice said to come in. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door.

Chapter Fifteen

When they walked through the mobile metal detector at the door, Darin held his breath.

He let it out silently when it didn’t go off.

Two men stood in the middle of the room. Darin recognized them as Kamu, Chavizi’s bodyguard, and Paz, his intel guy. Now he knew the man they were dealing with. Kamu looked like a refrigerator on steroids, Kaz like a two hundred and fifty pound businessman who, Darin suspected, could and would take the gun tucked in his waist and use it without a qualm. Both were dressed in designer suits, shirts, and tie.

Since the room wasn’t large to begin with, it was crowded. A bed, a TV on a long, maple table that had six drawers, and two chairs took up most of the space.

No one said anything.

“I think we’re in the wrong room, sugar,” Gina said in her East Texas drawl.

“Maybe, sweet one.” He looked the two men up and down. “Either of you contact me?”

“Didn’t expect a broad,” Paz said, his eyes suspicious, dark holes in a too-large face.

Darin put an arm around Gina’s shoulder. “My wife is an equal partner in our business. You deal with both of us or we don’t deal.” He looked them up and down again. “C’mon, sweet one.”

He started for the door.

“We didn’t know you were a team. We’re not accustomed to dealing with anyone other than the buyer.”

Darin paused, Gina’s hand in his. “And I don’t deal with anyone other than the man in charge.” Darin gave them a long, lazy look. “I don’t think it’s either one of you guys.”

“Why don’t you tell us what you’re looking for?”

“How do I know you’re not cops? How do we know this isn’t a set-up?” Darin made sure his voice sounded low and gruff—made sure his left eye twitched.

Kamu rolled his eyes. “You don’t have to worry about us. We’ve been working this area for years.”

“You sell drugs. Right?”

The men stared, but ignored his question. “We have to make sure you’re not wearing a wire.”

They walked toward them. Darin caught the eager look in their eyes when they looked at Gina. “You can check me out if you must. Don’t touch my wife.”

“How do we know she’s clean?”

Darin grinned. Made sure the grin wasn’t pleasant. “Obvious, isn’t it?”

Tights hugged her legs and fit loosely in her boots. A snug T-shirt with a low neck showing enough cleavage to be interesting left no space for a hidden wire.

“Yeah!” Paz said. “She couldn’t hide much in that outfit.”

Darin willed his body still when Kamu ran his hands briefly up and down his body. He didn’t bother with the boots. “He’s clean.”

“I’ll give you a list of what we have. You can let us know if you’re interested.”

He handed Darin a list of drugs that boggled his mind. He’d been with the narcotics division for years and never seen the like. If Kamu and Paz were here, Chavizi was definitely the head of this outfit. If the authorities could get their hands on him it would be a major coup. If he or one of his henchmen was Hunter’s killer, all the better.

“We’ll go over the list and give you a heads up. Can we reach you at the same number?”

They nodded.

“Good. When we make the deal, we expect to see the man in charge.”

“We’ll see what we can do.”

“I don’t think you understand. Either we deal with him, or it’s no deal.”

“We’ll get back to you.”