Sex, Lies and Valentines (21 page)

“I’ll be here,” she said quietly. Which was the problem. She shouldn’t be here, waiting. She should be out working the case. Gathering information. Cozying up to the criminal elements and finding out how any of them had connections or a history with Black.

She’d lost objectivity. She didn’t want the case to hurt Gabriel. So instead of following her instincts and doing exactly what needed to be done, she was wearing blinders and pretending it wasn’t an issue. She wasn’t running this case on logic. She was running it on emotion. And by doing so, she was putting the only thing she had, the only thing that defined her, on the line.

Her reputation as an FBI agent.

“I’m blowing it,” she told Pippi. “I’m so busy playing house, I’m not working the case. I’m so worried about hurting people, I’m ignoring my job.”

And in the end, the job and shared custody of a cat were all she’d have. Swallowing hard, Danita steeled her shoulders and reached for her cell phone.

Ten seconds later, “Hi, Hunter. I need some help.”

THE COMBINATION bachelor and bachelorette party was a work of art. Sexual art, that was. Danita was in awe of the decorations. Cupid, or was it Eros in this case, hung from the ceiling in all his naked and well-endowed glory. His wings weren’t the only thing unfurled.

Waiters made their way through the crowd with trays of tidbits, each clearly labeled with their aphrodisiac qualities. And instead of gifts, there was a large, wire-sculpture tree festooned in ribbons, each holding a wish and tidbit of bedtime advice for the happy couple. “Sexual Healing” played from the speakers.

Apparently wishing the bride and groom a fertile life together was Cassiopeia’s latest party theme. Danita wondered if the happy couple wasn’t wishing Tobias had let the mother of the bride pay for part of the wedding instead of going overboard on all the wild parties.

“Subtle,” Gabriel said, his hand warm on her waist as he grinned at the spectacle. “It must be serious love for Caleb to put up with this.”

“Would you?” she asked, laughing as she looked up at Gabriel’s still slightly stunned expression. “Put up with this kind of thing? The circus of a wedding, the in-law weirdness? Everyone wishing you well and offering sex advice?”

“Well, a man can’t ever rest on his sexual laurels. Learning new things keeps the love life spicy, right?” The look he gave her was pure heat. “Like last night. The things I learned about you definitely added to my sexual repertoire. I wonder if I could fit it all on one of those little strips of paper.”

Danita laughed and grabbed Gabriel’s arm as he moved as if to head over to the wishing tree and jot down his advice. “Stop. I’m sure your brother doesn’t care about my preferences.”

“No. But I do.”

Her heart melted. The man was an expert at making people believe lies, but she knew when he gave her that look, his gorgeous eyes looking so sincere and his smile sweet, that he was being completely honest with her.

“You’re a sweetheart, do you know that?” she asked, thrilled to see the baffled embarrassment wash over his face. “And because you are, I’m going to let you go be manly and talk to your old friends while I circulate and play the curious fiancée.”

“You mean you want me to get out of your way so you can work.”

Because he was smiling instead of looking offended, Danita leaned forward to give him a smacking kiss on the cheek. “Of course.”

“Fine.” She’d just started to turn away when his hand snagged her shoulder. “But you can do better than that.”

His kiss was anything but a fun smack of the lips. Hot and silky, his lips slid over hers in sweet seduction. When he released her mouth, Danita could only blink up at him as she tried to regain her breath. What had they been talking about?

“Have fun,” he said with a wink before he headed toward the crowd surrounding Caleb. To offer all sorts of brotherly torment, she was sure.

Which would keep him happily entertained while she worked the room. Something she’d much rather do without him, since she’d been beset by minor, unfamiliar feelings of guilt for the last hour. Ever since she’d called Hunter, outlining the case so far, and Gabriel’s suspicions about Ham. Suspicions she wasn’t sure she believed, given all of the evidence to date. How much was a real hunch, and how much was Gabriel grasping at straws for proof of his father’s innocence?

Before she could dwell on her decision, she was enveloped in a musky herbal hug and the soft silk of a vivid purple caftan.

“Danita, darling. Welcome. What do you think of our fertility festival? Isn’t it a wonderful blessing for my sweet Pandora and her beau?”

Cassiopeia led Danita through the room, chatting and pointing out the party delights. Which was perfect because it let Danita scope things out under the cover of being a good guest.

Then something caught her eye. The creepy innkeeper looked like he was about to explode.

“Excuse me,” she murmured to Cassiopeia with a quick, apologetic smile. Without waiting for acknowledgment, she hurried across the room.

Ham was arguing with one of the goons. A goon who, by all rights, shouldn’t be here. The guy at the store’s spring solstice celebration was one thing, but at a private wedding party? He’d clearly come to talk to Ham.

Or, noting the fury on his face and the worry on Ham’s, to argue with the innkeeper.

Excitement surged. They knew Ham was the key. Everything she’d found on him since Gabriel pointed the finger at him assured her that if they figured out his role, they’d bust this wide-open.

She took a surreptitious step closer, wanting to hear the argument.

She caught the words
problems
,
timing
and
not enough cash yet.
She debated how she could turn this to their favor. As fast as it started, though, their argument was over. Ham looked shaken and a little ill. Trouble in paradise? She felt disloyal to Gabriel for thinking it, but she was sure Ham wasn’t the ringleader. The guy clearly didn’t have the personality to be a master criminal. Which left her original suspect.

Her stomach clenched in despair as she tried to decide which would suck worse. Pinning the crimes on Tobias Black, a man she’d come to like a great deal. Or the look on Gabriel’s face when she arrested his father.

LATER THAT EVENING, tension draped over Gabriel’s shoulders like a tight-fitting jacket. Not even watching Danita play momma to the cat had soothed his headache. Instead, it’d only added to the stress since the view made him wish for a future. One that included Danita and the cat. And, God help him, maybe even a home and commitment.

He shuddered. Before, just the thought of commitment would be enough to make him want to run like hell. Now it only made him want to search for exits, just in case.

He stood outside Ham’s office door and wondered if this was the right thing to do, or if it was an exit in disguise. He hadn’t told Danita what he was doing. He couldn’t. He wasn’t about to tiptoe along the line of the law, he was about to dance all over the wrong side. And Danita was FBI.

It didn’t matter. He had to do it. Had to finish what he’d started and clear his father’s name. Quickly so he couldn’t change his mind, he pounded on the door.

“C’min.”

The office was a mess. Clearly someone had a paperwork issue. Piles here, stacks there, the entire room reeked of desperation. Something was falling apart. The manor? Or something else? Whatever it was, Gabriel would make sure it worked to his favor.

“Ham, old buddy,” he greeted with a smile filled with fake charm. “I’ve got a favor.”

“Gabriel?” Flustered, the older man shoved one hand through his graying hair while pushing papers together on his desk with the other. His cheeks flushed, whether from the bottle of gin at his elbow or whatever he’d been doing, Gabriel didn’t know. “What can I do for you?”

“The question is really what I can do for you?” Gabriel set the briefcase on the desk, but didn’t open it. As expected, Ham’s eyes locked on it. His brow furrowed over eyes suddenly gleaming with greed. His fingers spasmed on the papers and he half reached for the leather case before he could stop himself.

“No,” he said with a grimace. Then he shook his head and said, louder and more assured, “No. I’m already employed, Gabriel. I don’t double-cross. I’m not crazy.”

“Double-cross?” His tone was pure offended surprise, but only the offense was fake. “Ham, you say that like a man over his head.”

The spasm wasn’t so easily controlled this time as the older man gave a shudder. His eyes shot around the office, his lips white. Was the room bugged? Ham’s actions, his overall air of drowning in misery, it just gave a little too much credence to the idea that he was a lieutenant, not a general.

Fear that the rest of the FBI’s charge might hold true as well, that his father was involved, trickled down Gabriel’s spine. Refusing to let it take hold, he went into challenge mode.

“Since it’s just you and me here,” he snapped, “let’s cut the bullshit. We both know my father has nothing to do with this gig. He’s done a lot of things, but he doesn’t scare people.”

“You’re fooling yourself if you think your daddy’s lily-white, Gabriel. He’s not even shades of gray.”

“We both know Tobias Black’s criminal days are done. What I don’t know is why he’s being set up to take the fall. Since it suits me to no longer have to compete with his reputation, I don’t care why. What I do care about is making sure that I’m in charge of the new cartel.”

“I told you, that’s not an option. Everybody is equal partners, with only the boss in charge.”

“The boss hasn’t heard my offer yet.”

“I’m not telling you who it is. I’m not making an introduction.”

“But you will. Just as soon as you pass on my message,” Gabriel said, patting the briefcase for emphasis, “your boss is going to be the one asking to meet with me.”

Ham’s eyes shifted to the bottle at his elbow with longing before he heaved a sigh. “Look, take my advice as someone whose known you most of your life and thinks you’re a good guy. Get out of this. Take your charm, your girlfriend and your briefcase and head out. It’s a no-win situation. Especially for you.”

“Why me, especially?” Gabriel waited, tense, while Ham gave in to the shakes and swigged a quick drink of gin straight from the bottle. “Because the identity of the boss will cause me, especially, a problem?”

Ham’s grimace had nothing to do with the cheapness of his drink. Gabriel’s stomach clenched. Real or act? Was the guy trying to make it seem like Tobias was the boss? Or was he really worried that the boss was someone out of Gabriel’s league to deal with?

He had to find out.

Dropping his friendly act, Gabriel slapped both hands on the desk and leaned across the paper-strewn antique to glare into the other man’s face.

“I’m not walking. I have a stake here. In this deal, in this town and in the direction fingers are pointing. So leaving isn’t an option. Nor is sitting in the backseat.”

“The front seat is already occupied,” Ham said, leaning back so his chair squeaked and giving Gabriel a blurry look. “No room for anyone else.”

Time to play his cards.

Gabriel straightened, laid the briefcase flat and unlatched it. Lifting the lid, he turned it so Ham could see the contents. The old guy swallowed loudly, then grabbed the bottle of gin for another swallow.

“I’m not taking bribes,” he said. His words were loud and clear, cementing Gabriel’s suspicion that the room was bugged.

“No bribe, my friend. This is a down payment. It’s been pointed out that everyone else brought something tangible to the table. Guns, drugs, etcetera. I’m simply doing my part. I’m bringing cash.”

“What makes you think we need cash? The boss is plenty loaded.”

“Everybody needs cash,” Gabriel said with a laugh. His hand on the table, he knew it was time to step back and let the game play out. “This is a down payment on my contribution. Fifty thousand now. A mil after I meet with your boss.”

“I’ll pass on the money, but that don’t mean anything,” Ham said, his eyes fixated on the briefcase. “Likely you won’t even get a response. You’re willing to pay fifty large to be ignored?”

“I’m willing to bet fifty large that I won’t be.” Gabriel leaned across the desk again, all semblance of friendliness gone now as his smile went scalpel-sharp. “And Ham, old buddy? If you think about double-crossing me, if you even consider taking this money for yourself and forgetting to pass it and my message on?”