Cat Got Your Tongue? (25 page)

Her expression changed, softened, and she lowered her eyes. “It’s because they have this power that I do my job.”

Cole stroked her chin with his thumb and gave her a small smile. “You’re the bravest woman I’ve ever met, you know that?”

“You don’t have to sweet-talk me, you know. You’ve already got me into bed.”

He laughed and stepped back as the front door burst open to reveal a young couple sporting a baby, several bags of groceries, and an intense argument. Cole and Alex stepped aside, watching the couple disappear into the building.

“Let’s get out of here,” he said, reaching for the door. “Think there’ll be a cab in this area?”

“No need. We have our own entourage of muscles waiting across the street to give us a ride home.”

Cole raised an eyebrow, grinning. “You knew all along they were there?”

She rolled her eyes and walked outside, immediately pinning her gaze on the SUV parked further up the road. When she looked back at Cole, a small hint of a smile played on her lips. “I’m brave. Not stupid.”

She had Eddie Jones on speakerphone before they reached the car.

“Alex, you still alive?” Eddie’s voice boomed through the phone.

“I’m calling you, aren’t I?” Alex replied with a dry undertone. “Can you talk?”

“For a minute.”

Alex frowned at the hesitation in his voice. “Where are you?”

“Waiting for a shipment due any moment and I’m so damn excited I could split my pants. I have a buyer that’s paid mega dough—”

“Eddie,” Alex interrupted, gaping at the phone, “you remember which side of the law I’m on, right? You really shouldn’t be telling me this.”

“Come on, Alexis. With your savvy and the skills you’ve learned from your mother, you’d make a damn fine cat.”

“Thievery is not my forte, but thanks anyway.” Alex ignored the look Cole shot her and climbed into the car, barely glancing at her partners. “I need to ask you something. Do you know who the buyer is for the two hundred million dollar order of artwork that’s been issued?”

Silence.

“Eddie?”

“Shit. I already told you I don’t know. What’s this about?”

“I reckon the voices on that disk belong to the buyer of those paintings. Have you heard of someone that goes by the name of James Bond?”

“Yeah, I have.”

Alex straightened, glancing at Cole. “You have?”

“Yes, Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig.”

Her shoulders sagged and she frowned. “Very funny, Eddie. Seriously though, you know a buyer that calls himself James Bond?”

“I’m not one for ratting out my buyers, Alex. If I turn on the buyers, then I’m out of work.”

Alex rolled her eyes. “Firstly, if you don’t know who Bond is then technically he’s not your buyer and secondly, perhaps it’s time you quit while you’re ahead. Your cuteness wouldn’t fare well in prison.”

“Yeah, yeah. A couple of months back, your mother started dating again, and she seemed quite sweet on him. She was very tight-lipped about her personal life, but she once mentioned his name to me.”

The mention of Alex’s mother brought an instant shift to her mood. She frowned and drew in a quiet breath before responding. “Which was?”

“James.”

“Shit. You sure about that, Eddie?”

“Yes.”

“Do you think it’s possible he’s the same man as the man calling himself James Bond?”

“Could be. I’m not sure,” he replied. “Just thought you should know. Oh, and FYI, I figured out who sent that disk to me. Your mother.”

Alex’s jaw dropped. “How do you know that?”

“Long story but I reckon she sent it to me ʼcause she knew I would warn you.”

Cole saw the relief wash over her, and he fought the urge to reach out and draw her into his arms. She wouldn’t want a show of affection in front of her partners.

“Okay, thanks for letting me know.” Alex ended the call and glanced at Cole with a disgruntled expression. “Did you hear all that?”

He nodded. “Your mother’s more involved in all this than we initially thought. Maybe the connection to James is a coincidence though.”

“No.” Alex looked out of the window with a pensive frown. “There’s a connection in everything that’s happened and I’ll find it.”

Wednesday morning—3:07 am

The shrill sound of the ringing phone woke Alex with a start. She snatched it off the nightstand and frowned when she saw the time: 3:07 a.m.

“Hello?” she said, casting a quick glance at Cole. He hadn’t moved, but his eyes were open and he was watching her in silence.

“Alex?”

Alex gasped and bolted upright, the sheet falling away from her breasts. “Mom?”

“You have to get out of the house!” her mother screeched.

“What do you mean?” Alex frowned. “Where are you? Why haven’t—”

“Alex!” her mother screamed, cutting her off. “Get yourself and the men out. Now. There’s a bomb!” The phone went dead.

“Oh, God.” Alex scurried off the bed. Cole was already up and handing her a robe as he shrugged into his. “She says there’s a bomb.”

“Let’s go.” He grabbed her hand and headed for the door.

The word “bomb” seemed to shake everyone from a slumber instantaneously, and within seconds they were all charging down the stairs to the front door. Warren and Charles were at the hotel so that only left the night guard.

The five adults charged outside, crossed the road, and came to an abrupt halt on the pavement.

“How the hell do you know there’s a bomb?” Dan grumbled, pulling a T-shirt over his head.

“My mother called,” Alex replied, her eyes on the townhouse in front of them.

Everything seemed to be fine, no explosion yet. Could her mother have been wrong?

“Your mother? She’s been AWOL for weeks and calls us at three in the morning to tell us to haul ass?”

Alex heard the anger in her partner’s tone but chose to ignore it. Her mother wouldn’t have called unless she’d had a good reason to. Hearing her voice had shaken Alex to the core.

“Did she say anything else?”

“No, just that we had to get out. Now. And she sounded terrified.”

“We have to take Jennifer’s threat seriously, so I’m going to call the cops,” Bradley said, reaching for the phone in Alex’s hand.

Alex gave it to him, thankful when he didn’t comment on her shaking fingers. “Please don’t tell the cops it was my mother that called.” All three men looked at her, but she raised her chin in quiet determination. “If the bomb squad does find a bomb in Cole’s townhouse then that makes my mother involved in all this mess. I need to find out how she knew about it and how deeply her involvement goes before the cops get wind of it.”

Bradley nodded and dialed.

The bomb squad, several police cars, and an ambulance arrived within minutes. The street ruptured into a hive of activity and Dan and Bradley grew uneasy.

“We should get you both out of here,” Dan said. “Between the bomb and the growing crowd, it’s not safe.”

Cole nodded and Dan swiftly organized them a lift to the Coleson Hotel.

At 3:55 a.m. the call came. The dogs had sniffed out an explosive device in Cole’s townhouse on the first floor—a time bomb with a cheap wristwatch as the timer set to detonate at 4:00 a.m.

****

Alex waited until Sullivan left before going in search of Cole. She had opted to stay away, leaving Cole and her partners to tell the detective about what they knew.

The bomb they’d found had been small and homemade and although not deadly, it would have been effective in causing slight damage to the first floor of the townhouse. The whole mess screamed of an inside job, but Alex suspected their intruder had simply slipped in unnoticed between the builders and the painters.

She found Cole in the living room of the penthouse suite, staring out of the window at the commotion on the street below. He wore a white shirt, the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and jeans. Despite his dark eyes and brooding expression, he still took her breath away.

“The media?” Alex moved closer, joining him at the window to peer down at the street. The press had caught wind of the bomb in Cole’s townhouse and that, combined with his previous burglary, made for hot news coverage. Several reporters lurked outside the entrance of his hotel, waiting for further news.

When Cole spoke, his voice was low and edgy, almost as though he chose each word with care. “These guys have messed with you, my artwork, my house, and my life. They’ve sent a message to the world that I can be played, and I’ve told you before how that ticks me off.”

“They’ve sent a message to my world that I can be played, Cole. This changes everything I’ve ever known.”

“Well, maybe it’s time you changed the way you worked, Alex. You can’t sit on the fence forever.”

Alex sighed, not in the mood for another argument. “Just remember that all the information we have was discovered because of the way I work. You’ve filled Sullivan in on what we know—or most of it anyway—and he’s still munching donuts, none the wiser as to who’s behind this.” Alex turned away but he grabbed her wrist.

“No, don’t go.”

Something in his voice stopped her and she tilted her head to look at him, trying to gauge his mood.

“I’m sorry.” He pulled her into his arms. “It’s been a hell of a day.” He kissed her head and drew back to look at her. “Are you okay?”

“I’m mad as hell and a lot of that is aimed at my mother right now. I need to find her.” Alex exhaled slowly. “If she knew there was a bomb in your house, then she’d know who’s responsible for putting it there.”

“She saved our lives, Alex.”

“I know. I realize she’s been a close step behind us with everything that’s happened, but I don’t understand why she’s not making contact with me.” Alex turned and looked down at the reporters below. It had grown dark and yet they still waited.

Before Cole could reply, there was a soft knock on the door, and her partners stepped inside. They’d opted for their black work gear and both wore matching jackets marked with their company logo. With dark hair, grim expressions, and muscular shoulders, they looked menacing and intimidating.

“Are you ready?” Dan asked from the doorway.

They’d received the all clear from the bomb squad and were headed back to the townhouse to get some clothes and other effects. They’d decided to move to the hotel for a few days until things settled down.

If they ever did.

With a brief nod, Alex went to retrieve a jacket from the closet in the bedroom. When she returned to the living room, her partners were already in the hallway and Cole stood waiting in the doorway. She gave him a warm smile when he reached for her jacket and helped her into it. Instead of releasing her, his arms came up around her and he buried his face into her neck, kissing her softly. They fell silent, still, and she leaned her head back against his chest.

It was such a sweet moment, and Alex closed her eyes and savored the brief flash in time where everything felt right. Beneath Cole’s rough, stern businessman exterior, existed several layers of the most exquisite charm and tenderness that had slowly started chipping away at her armor.

“Warren has the car ready,” Dan said, approaching them from behind.

Alex shook herself out of her reverie, opened her eyes, and frowned. Damn, the billionaire was making her soft.

Cole kissed her cheek and pulled back.

“Alex, you stay with Cole. We’ll be right behind you,” Dan instructed once they were inside the elevator. “The media’s in a frenzy outside.”

He wasn’t wrong.

The media descended on them like a pack of hungry wolves. Cameras clicked and lights flashed, accompanied by several eager reporters and photographers grasping for a story of their own before the night ended.

Sensing the excitement and the danger that accompanied it, the two agents surrounded the couple and ushered them down the stairs toward the awaiting limo.

“Cole! How about a photograph of you and Alex?” a reporter shouted. He pushed forward, breaking through the barrier of security men, and rushed toward them.

The perimeter breached, the excited crowd pressed forward and all chaos broke out. The photographers swamped around the couple, enclosing them within the chaos they themselves had created.

Dan and Bradley elbowed their way around the couple, ushering them into the limo.

“Go. We’ll catch up with you,” Bradley shouted, slamming the car door shut and turning to ward off the crowd. The limo lurched forward and out of the hands of the starved media.

“Your fans really want a piece of you tonight.” Alex turned in her seat to look at the crowd they’d left behind. She winced as she saw her partners and several security guards trying to subdue the excited media, something they often faced in their line of work. They’d handle it, they always did, and it wouldn’t take long for her partners to make a quick getaway to follow the limo. Crowds didn’t frighten either of them; it just annoyed them and made it difficult for their shields.

Cole clenched his fists, seething with anger, and she reached for his hand. It amazed her how much she’d come to like the feel of him and embraces from him were becoming less terrifying for her.

“Don’t be such a grouch,” she said with a teasing smile. “The media just wants a little piece of a good looking, charming, and exuberantly wealthy billionaire.”

“That’s just it,” he grumbled and pulled her closer. “It’s not simply the business side of me they’re interested in but also the personal side of me. It’s almost as though they want the entire blueprint of my life. It gets rather stifling after a while.”

“They’re interested in you and your personal life. For many people, knowing what the billionaire’s up to provides their evening’s entertainment. We—oh, my God!” she gasped, bolting upright in her seat.

“Whenever you say that I know trouble’s coming.”

“That’s just it!”

“What?”

Her heart started racing, and she flew to the edge of her seat. “The blueprints.”

“What blueprints?”

“The blueprints of your townhouse!” she cried. “Steven Bryson said that Bond has the blueprints of your townhouse and is familiar with the layout. Why has he been studying them in such detail? What’s he after?”