All In (4 page)

4

LISA BEE WAS TRYING
to sleep but kept tossing and turning. There was something about this place, about Morocco, about Mahmoud’s villa, about the very sea air, that was turning her on in a way she hadn’t been turned on in years. With each breeze from the ocean, her breath kicked up a notch, and she could feel her nipples harden every time they brushed against the silk sheets. There was no way she would be able to sleep, not with her body coming alive. She hadn’t been with anyone in a very long time; in fact, she had wondered if she’d completely lost her sex drive. But now she felt it coming back with abandon, and it scared her. She could smell the scent of freshly brewed coffee and decided to go hunt it down.
Maybe some caffeine will give me the ability to think straight.
Moving the sheets aside, she threw on a short satin light pink robe and went down to the kitchen.

When she got there, she found Mahmoud and Jackson talking on the porch. Before her lay a pot of tea with mint leaves, a pot of coffee, and a selection of wildly colored fruits she’d never seen. Tightening her robe around her waist, she made herself a cup of coffee, grabbed a handful of what looked like berries, and stepped out, smiling at the sight of the sea and the vibrant outside light. Beautiful colored lanterns hung all around the porch, lit by the glinting of the sun’s rays. The sun also sparkled upon the chairs and tables, composed of intricate mosaics. The floor and walls boasted expertly crafted tile work that portrayed ancient Egyptian gods. It was breathtaking.

Lisa Bee tucked a strand of her tousled red hair behind her ear and joined the men, aware of how her bare skin was responding to the combination of the silk robe, the ambience, and the men’s voices. She was comfortable around Jackson because he was such a close friend. And Mahmoud . . . well, there wasn’t much she wouldn’t be willing to show
him
. He wasn’t her type, exactly—he was too suave for the likes of her. But he was awfully nice to look at. Looking at him, out here on his porch in this beautiful paradise, she felt sexy in all the right ways.

‡‡‡

LISA BEE WALKED OUT
on the porch wearing next to nothing, and Jackson nearly lost his mind. Everything she did nowadays turned him on, but
this
? This was too much. He could feel himself blush—
actually blush
—and tried to avert his eyes. But then she flashed a sexy little smile at Mahmoud, and Jackson began to see red. He was so upset that he clumsily grabbed his coffee and spilled it in his lap, scorching his thighs and part of his jock. He yelped and leaped up, seemingly to the great amusement of Mahmoud, who stood and said, “Allow me to get you some napkins, old friend. Perhaps Ms. Bee will be kind enough to help you clean it up.” Lisa Bee laughed in turn and said, “Oh, Mahmoud. You know Jackie! He prolly
has a line of women just waitin’ to do that!”

Mahmoud went inside and Jackson was speechless. He could get any woman he wanted, and he often had. He was a dynamic and untiring lover. And he loved women of all shapes and sizes. But he had never truly given his heart away. And now, when he was ready to, he choked. Repeatedly. It had gotten to the point where he couldn’t even speak around her anymore.

“What is it, Jackie?” Lisa Bee said with a smirk. “Cat got your tongue?”

“Very funny,” he replied. “Just tired, I guess. And if you’re the cat, well . . . I wish you would.”

“Oh,
ha-ha
. You’ve probably got some poor sweet young thing waitin’ in your room right now.”

He was about to reply when Mahmoud returned with napkins, and Lisa Bee blushed. Jackson cut his friend a look of fury, but Mahmoud smiled back at him with a twinkle in his eye. What did that mean? Was Mahmoud into her?
Get it under control, Oreida.
Lately, it seemed like everyone pissed Jackson off, and everything made him jealous. The way Lisa Bee looked at Mahmoud made him furious. The way he could see the outline of her curvy little body in that pink robe made him steam. The way she thought he was just a player made him want to break every colored lamp in this place. And the fact that Mahmoud was so damn slick and unruffled made Jackson want to hurt his friend.

He’d started to wipe at the coffee when Lisa Bee sidled up next to Mahmoud and said, “So, honey, did you build this place? It’s one of the most beautiful homes I’ve ever seen.”

Mahmoud began to answer and Jackson lost it. Seeing the way they were looking at each other, and how Lisa Bee was posing for Mahmoud, made him crazy. He knew Mahmoud well, and he knew that his friend was the one man who could give him a run for his money on every level.
Well, not this time,
he thought. Throwing the napkins aside, he said, “No, he didn’t build it, he bought it. He doesn’t know how to put together a cabinet, let alone a home. He inherited a fuckload of money, and that’s why he gets to live like
Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,
okay? Not like it took him any fucking work.”

There was an awkward silence. Both Mahmoud and Lisa Bee looked at him with surprise. Then Mahmoud said, “Yes, Ms. Bee, I did inherit the money. I got it after my parents and sister were killed by the men we are currently pursuing. And I’d gladly return it for the chance to see my family again.” Glaring at Jackson, he stormed out.

Lisa Bee held her robe tight around her and shot a look that hit straight to the center of Jackson’s soul before she said, “I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with you, but you need to pull it together.
Now
. Lives are on the line. And we don’t need any extra drama. If you want to act like a teenager, maybe you should just go home.” Then she, too, stormed out, leaving Jackson with a coffee-stained crotch and a sick feeling in his gut. Why’d he go after Mahmoud like that? He knew enough about his friend’s history to understand that it was a sensitive subject. Sighing, he sat back down and put his head in his hands, trying to figure out how to get himself back on track and make it right with the two people who meant the most to him in the world.

‡‡‡

AN HOUR LATER,
they all met around Mahmoud’s gorgeous wood dining table inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Susannah and Chas looked rested and refreshed, Tyka and AJ were both beautifully put together, the Boss looked like a new man, and Mahmoud was as sharp as always. Only Jackson looked like a disaster, and Lisa Bee, who was wearing a velour jumpsuit, pale pink with appliquèd hot pink flowers, looked pretty pissed off. Jackson kept trying to catch her eye and was failing miserably, primarily because Lisa Bee refused to look at him. He had half a mind to give himself up, be the man he was in this part of the world and show her what he was like when he was fully in command, but he had given the role of point to Mahmoud, and he didn’t want to let his old friend down. Certainly not now, not after the ass he’d made of himself earlier.

Comprehensive documents laid out in front of them detailed the plans to find Susannah’s father and the head of the crime ring; in addition, Mahmoud served a gorgeous Mediterranean-style brunch that he had prepared himself. Lisa Bee smiled up at him when he served her and said, “And he can cook, too? Hire him, Bossman, and
fast
!” At this, Jackson nearly lost his shit. Everyone was murmuring words of support and laughing so loudly that no one noticed him spill his coffee on his lap
yet again.
No one except Mahmoud, of course, who took the opportunity to throw a few more napkins at Jackson’s face.

When everyone had taken a bite or two, Mahmoud took his place at the head of the table. He had a PowerPoint setup and a screen on his side of the dining room so he could point to the enlarged versions of the documents. He looked to Jackson and there he held an olive branch in his look—did Jackson want to take over? Jackson shook his head to indicate that Mahmoud should continue as they had planned. He’d take over later . . . later, when it was helpful, necessary, and when he wasn’t thrown off his game like he was now.

“Okay,” Mahmoud said, buttoning his suit jacket and commanding attention, “here’s what Jackson and I came up with. John, you may step in at any point. I also put a call in to Fritz earlier—Jackson put us in touch—and she’s good to help with anything we may need on her end. She said to keep her in the loop.”

‡‡‡

THE BOSS NODDED
his assent. He was trying to be on his best behavior after finding out that he’d mistaken Fritz’s secretary, a man, as his FBI contact, for the past few years. Apparently, it was something that Fritz had made the most of by humiliating the Boss, and he, properly chastened for his mistake, looked forward to meeting her face-to-face. That being said, he was a bit uncomfortable with anyone else talking to her—it made him feel like he wasn’t in control of the operation. Frankly, he wasn’t in charge; Mahmoud was. And he was beginning to wonder if there was any point in being here at all.

‡‡‡

MAHMOUD PAUSED, LOOKING
around the table, trying to assess if they were all on the same page. Then he continued, “So here are our two main goals: Find Buzz Carter and make sure he’s safe. And two, track down the head of this ring and put it out of business once and for all. It’s a global empire involving many different operations, so we’ll need all of us to track down several leads. The hope is that by following these leads, we may root out this evil at the core.” At everyone’s nod, Mahmoud went on. “Please refer to the first set of papers, marked ‘South Africa.’ Chas and Susannah, if it’s all right with you, I think you should fly to Johannesburg and go to your father’s last known location. We have reason to believe he’s been based there. In those documents you’ll find more specific details about Buzz’s patterns, as well as local contacts we know in the area, and a safe house where you’ll be staying courtesy of an old friend of mine. You can go whenever you are ready; we have a jet waiting at Ibn Battouta Airport.”

Mahmoud looked at Susannah, who was trying to eat but failing miserably. Clearly, the chicken, apricot, and almond tagine was lost on her, as she was entirely distracted by the situation at hand. He could understand her reaction, based on his experience with his own family. It was the reason Jackson had allowed him to take point: so he could have some control over a situation in which he felt powerless. In addition, it helped Jackson hang on to the looser persona he adopted when working for FTP.

Susannah was looking through pictures of her father, which were out of focus but clear enough. “I’m sorry,” she said, “I wasn’t prepared to get so emotional. He looks just the way I remembered.” She paused and looked at Chas. Then, with resolve, she said, “We’ll leave right after breakfast.”

“Great,” Mahmoud replied. “John, you and Ms. Fingers will stay here, set up mission control, and connect to each of us. Ms. Fingers, I have a very good speaker system ready and waiting.”

AJ smiled at him. “And here I thought you didn’t notice my copious charms,” she said.

Mahmoud flashed her a rare mischievous grin. “As my father was fond of saying, when the wine is a fine vintage, be careful how you open it, and drink slowly when you do.”

“I do hope you’ve got a decanter big enough, sweetheart,” AJ said with a husky chortle.

“I assure you, it is quite big enough,” he said with a wink, and everyone groaned. The Boss shifted in his seat and said, “Oh, Mahmoud, now we know you belong with us. Nicely done.”

“Everything I’ve learned has come from Jackson,” Mahmoud said, fully extending the olive branch to his friend. “Even though he can be a bit of a prick sometimes.”

There were varied murmurs of assent, and Jackson glanced at Lisa Bee, then looked down.

Mahmoud went to continue but was interrupted by the Boss standing up. “Here’s the thing, Mahmoud,” he began. “This all looks like a great plan, but I feel like I’m not really needed here. I think I should return to the States, deal with stuff going on in the office, and operate from there. I can be more effective if I’m a point person for you guys stateside, and it looks like you’ve got things covered anyway.”

Lisa Bee jumped right in. “Should I go back with you, Bossman? I can do office stuff, and we can take care of any outstanding business together—”

Mahmoud cut her off, shooting a glance at Jackson. “Actually, Ms. Bee, we think we could really use you here, if that’s okay—Jackson has told me that you have great skill with keeping everyone on task, and he could use your help uncovering some local leads. We need someone here who knows the terrain, which is where Jackson comes in—he’s going to manage the local mission. He’ll take you around town to follow up on some stuff, and together you can make sure we’re covered in Tangier. You’ll also keep an eye out for any signs of the head of the ring, who we suspect shows up from time to time to check on his network. In between, Jackson can be a tour guide. Sound good to you?”

‡‡‡

THE MEN MET GAZES,
and a conversation passed between their eyes. Initially, Jackson had planned for Mahmoud to stay local with Lisa Bee and for him and Tyka to go hunting abroad. Clearly Mahmoud had sensed the need for a change. Jackson nodded at Mahmoud so slowly it was almost imperceptible. He’d have to thank him later on for having his back, even when Jackson had acted like such an idiot earlier on the porch. That was the thing about Mahmoud, he was family. And like Jackson always had
his
back, Mahmoud always had Jackson’s.

Lisa Bee still looked pissed. She wouldn’t look at him and it was really frustrating. He’d have to figure out how to get back in her good graces. Play the friend card,
right
? Or be open about his feelings? He was totally conflicted, and felt it was getting in the way of his work. So he continued to let Mahmoud run the meeting, because he didn’t think he could trust himself to stay on task.

“Well, Ms. Bee?” Mahmoud pressed. “What do you think?”

Lisa Bee exhaled a deep breath and said, “Whatever. So long as Jackson takes his chill pills and keeps his libido to a dull roar.”

Everyone laughed, not noticing the sudden clench in Jackson’s jaw. He swallowed hard and responded, “I’ll cage the tiger if it’s too much for you to handle.”