F-Stop (34 page)

“Plus,” Mark went on, “you all had ties to Herrera. Post, your spa in Mexico is on the border of the state of Sinaloa. You’re overextended financially and your sister finally turned off the aid faucet. Herrera sniffed you out and he’s been using that spa to smuggle drugs and people into the United States.”

He looked at Pelley. “And you, my friend, have been siphoning money from the company to cover bad investments, some of which you were lured into by Herrera to give him a chokehold on you. How nice for him that you’ve been laundering his money for him as well.”

He let his gaze drift to Prescott.

“And you set them up, Prescott.
You
were the leader in this vicious charade.
You
gave Herrera the information because you had every detail of this trip. And you did it because the businesses you went into with Eli Wright were funded on your part by drug money, as is a great deal of your corporation. At least that’s the way it looks to us.”

The room was so still a pin dropping would have sounded like an explosion. The men in question looked paler than death and the agents were listening with avid interest.

Dan moved forward, picking up the thread. “We decided to check everyone’s credit card activity for the past year. We didn’t know exactly when this poisonous little plot was hatched but that gave us a starting point. And guess what we discovered?”

“Surprise!” Mark said. “The three of you showed up at a resort in the Bahamas at exactly the same time. An unusual coincidence, don’t you think, for three people who don’t even have contact with each other? It didn’t take much of a leap to recognize a planning party. That’s when we got the idea that all three of you had a hand in this, although one of you was the designated coordinator. We had to find out which one. It will be interesting to see what shows up when we get warrants for everyone’s cell phone activities.”

“We had only one clue to follow,” Mike said. He looked at Delaware, who nodded.

“We were able to hack into your computers, all of you, and pick up the emails you received. The last one addressed a
Señor
Rasgon. We could have torn our hair out figuring out that one, until someone in our group—and at the table here—said
rasgon
is Spanish for ‘rip’. A nickname, we assumed, based on initials as many nicknames are.

But with three people carrying the same initials—Ronald Ian Pelley, Ryan Isaiah Post and Rand Ivan Prescott, a coincidence that couldn’t happen again in a hundred years—

we needed to devise a plan to ferret out the right person.” Anthony Delaware cleared his throat, drawing attention back to himself.

“I’d like you three men—Pelley, Post and Prescott—to take out your cell phones and put them on the table,” the agent said. “Now,” he snapped when no one made a move.

With obvious reluctance the three men pulled their phones from their pockets and placed them on the table. Immediately Rand Prescott’s began to vibrate.

“Answer it, Mr. Prescott,” Delaware told him. When the man didn’t move, he said,

“Fine. Then I’ll do it.” He reached across the table and grabbed the phone before Prescott could stop him. He waited until the tech standing by had plugged a cord into it and nodded, then flipped it open and put it on speaker.

“
Rasgon
?” a voice said. “Rip
?
Damn it, I’ve been calling you for hours. What the hell is going on? Do you have any idea what’s happened down here?”

“I think we all know what’s happened by now,” Delaware said. “Whoever the hell you are, I’d advise you to inform Victor Herrera he’s made some very dangerous enemies. He’d better hurry up and replace those guards who were killed today. And his other setup is down the drain. Oh, one more thing. I took the precaution of having Mr.

Pelley record the numbers on the bearer bonds. A notice has gone out internationally that the bonds are counterfeit and should not be redeemed. I think even your back alley money brokers will stay away from this one.”

“Listen,” Prescott began.

Delaware looked at Prescott. “Rip, huh? I should have figured you’d be the one leading the parade here. Big international wheeler-dealer.”

“Damn it, Rand,” Eli Wright exploded. “What the hell were you thinking of?” Prescott’s face paled. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. Or who this person is.”

“Rip?” the voice from the phone shouted. “I asked what is happening. You’d better talk to me.”

Delaware swung his gaze to the tech, who nodded his head, then the agent took the phone and pressed “Off”. Again he looked at each of the three men individually.

“You’re all guilty, you know. Prescott maybe a little more so. We’ll let the courts decide the severity of everyone’s penalty, because believe me, prison is just around the corner for everyone.” He nodded to his agents. “I think we need to take these three into custody. Get them downtown to the Justice Building and keep them separated.” As the agents went to work, Prescott was shouting again, demanding an attorney.

Dan and Mark had to forcibly restrain Eli Wright from getting in at least one punch but Sydney got her own licks in. As Ryan was being shoved past her, she reached out and slapped his face as hard as she could.

“I’m only glad our parents aren’t here to see this, you miserable little turd.” Her voice was filled with unsatisfied rage. “I hope you rot in whatever cell they put you in.” Sydney Wright looked at her brother. “I’m sickened by you,” she spat at him. “To do this to your own family.”

“Family, huh?” he sneered. “If
family
had taken better care of me, maybe this never would have happened.”

“Family took care of you long enough,” Eli said, disgust in his voice. “We should have let you hang on your own a long time ago.” He turned his gaze to Ron Pelley, his rage vibrating throughout the room. “I treated you like a friend. More than a business associate. I gave you opportunities a lot of men never get.
I trusted you,
you bastard
.”
He raised his hand as if to hit him but Dan Romeo stepped up to him and placed a hand on his arm. “Don’t lower yourself to his level. He’ll get what he deserves.”

“Whatever it is, it will never be enough to make up for what we went through.” Sydney Wright’s voice was harsh. She stood to the side, holding her daughter.

“I know that,” Dan told them. “But it’s a start. And now I think it’s time for the three of you to get medical attention and then go home. You have a lot of healing to do, psychologically as well as physically.”

When the agents and their prisoners had left and Anthony Delaware had shaken hands all around, Mark guided everyone out of the conference room.

“I think we could
all
use a little down time right now.”

* * * * *

Kat had been reluctant to leave her sister by herself, still worried about a possible concussion, but Mari was firm about what she planned.

“I’m fine,” she assured her sister. “My head’s sore but doesn’t ache and my vision’s been fine apart from when I first got hit. So please. Right now I want the longest bath in the world, some hot tea and a good night’s sleep in clean sheets.” She hugged her sister.

“I’ll be okay, honestly. You and Mike get some rest too.” She looked over at Mike, leaning against the wall. “Maybe we could all have breakfast tomorrow?”

“You got it,” he told her. “How about if we pick you up at ten. Is that good for you?”

“Perfect.” She looked back at Kat. “I know you think I shouldn’t be alone right now but honest, sis. I’m going to conk right out. Tomorrow is when I’ll need you.” Kat left her with great reluctance but she was beginning to come apart too. All the tension of the last few days had her unraveling and she didn’t want to do it in front of Mari.

She was more than willing to let Mike take her to his hotel suite, undress her carefully and stand her under a hot, hot shower. His hands felt so soothing as wordlessly he soaped her body then shampooed her hair, massaging her scalp and easing away the headache that had been building.

As the shower beat down and rinsed them off, he took her mouth in a kiss so tender it almost brought tears to her eyes. His tongue had a new possessiveness to it, his touch a sense of ownership that said
Mine.
And she was more than happy to be his.

Carefully he lifted her to stand on the triangular seat built into one corner of the shower, lifted one of her legs and placed it over his shoulder and opened her cunt as if unwrapping a special package. With the water sluicing off his back, he bent down and captured her clit in his mouth, grazing it with his teeth while his thumbs and forefingers held her open to his assault.

Kat clutched at him for support, holding onto fistfuls of his wet hair, her eyes closed as electric sensations pulsed through her and scented steam rose around them. Still trapping her clit with his lips Mike slipped two fingers inside her waiting channel and moved them in and out in a steady rhythm.

“Slick,” he murmured against the wetness of her pussy. “So smooth and wet.” He sucked harder, moved his fingers more rapidly. Kat let the need coiled so tightly inside her unwind and spiral upward through her body until it exploded in an orgasm.

She rocked on his fingers, clamping down on them, the walls of her cunt convulsing until the climax spent itself.

Mike slipped his fingers from her pussy and moved them back to touch the tight ring of her anus.

“I want you here, Kat. I want to fuck your ass more than I want my next breath.”

“Yesss.” When he lowered her leg she dropped her head to touch her forehead to his and wrapped her legs around him. “I want that too.”

The first time he’d taken her anally she’d told him she’d never done that with anyone else. It was an intimate act that she shared only with him. She sensed now that he wanted to ask her about the intervening two years but was reluctant to.

She smiled. “No one but you, Mike. Ever.”

“And no one else ever will.”

He turned off the shower and dried them both with the big fluffy bath towels hanging on the warming rack before guiding her to the bed. She stood there trembling while he ran his hands over every inch of her body, touching every single place. His fingertips trailed through the crease where hip and thigh joined, first one side then the other. His palms smoothed the skin of her tummy and moved upward to hold her breasts, fingers lightly pinching her already aching nipples.

When he cupped her cheeks and pressed his mouth to hers she opened to let his tongue thrust deeply inside. Weaving her fingers into the thick hair on his head, she held him in place, shivering with delicious expectation as one hand moved to leave a trail of heat down her body on its way to her pussy. His fingers probed her wet folds, finding the already tender nub of her clitoris and stroking, stroking, stroking. Already the walls of her cunt were fluttering again and she was sure the liquid of her arousal was soaking Mike’s fingers.

At the point where she didn’t think she could stand on her feet one more minute Mike lifted her and placed her on the bed on her stomach. Pulling her to her hands and knees, he dragged pillows beneath her to support her body then placed a hot kiss on each cheek of her ass.

“Don’t move.” His voice was so ragged she almost didn’t recognize it.

Kat closed her eyes and let the erotic sensations Mike had aroused dance everywhere on her body. Then he was kneeling behind her, his hand caressing her buttocks, smoothing over the curves. He drew his fingers through the warm crevice, withdrew them, returning to touch her anus. The gel he smoothed onto the tight ring of muscle was cool, soothing. His finger probed at her opening before working its way inside her hot, dark tunnel, carrying more gel to the tissues inside.

A dark thrill wound its way through her, clutching at her, spinning her down into a whirlpool of lust. She thrust her hips back at Mike and heard his uneven chuckle.

“Feel good, babe?”

“Mmm,” was all she could manage.

More gel, this time with two fingers, scissoring to stretch her. Make her ready for his invasion. As he worked the lube into her, one hand insinuated itself between her thighs to find her clit and begin that steady stroking movement that brought all her senses into play and made her body ache for relief.

Now she was rocking on her hands and knees, eyes closed, impaling herself on the probing fingers and rubbing her clit against his hand. The sudden absence of his touch left her feeling achingly empty but then she heard the familiar crinkle of foil and the snap of latex.

“Deep breath, kitten,” he said in a low voice that covered her like warm syrup.

“Now.”

Then the head of his penis was at her anus, pushing, pushing, pushing, a slow and steady movement.

Breathe in, breathe out. In. Out.

Now, at last, he was all the way in, filling up every bit of space. When he moved, slowly at first, the friction of his movement drove her wild. She rocked with him, trying to urge him to increase his pace, feeling the dark lust surging through her. His big hands with their lean fingers gripped her hips and then, finally, he began to move faster. Harder. Driving deeper.

Then she was caught up in the rhythm, in the heat, in the mindlessness of the coupling.

In. Out. In. Out. Faster, faster, faster, faster.

“Now, Kat.” His voice was almost a shout. “Now, now, now.” One more deep thrust, his fingers digging into her, and they burst into flames together, bodies shaking, still rocking through spasms more intense than she’d ever felt before. When they finally collapsed forward Kat wasn’t sure if she’d ever be able to move again.

Mike’s breath was warm against her ear. “Mine. All mine.” His voice was raspy as he dragged air into his lungs. “Forever.”

“Forever,” she whispered with the little strength that remained.

* * * * *

“Hey, aren’t you ready yet?” Mike rapped on the bathroom door. “Food’s here and everyone’s gonna be arriving any minute.”

“Almost ready,” she called.

“Come on. You look beautiful no matter what.”

Kat smiled to herself, thinking how wonderful the past days had been. She pulled on a pair of shorts and a green blouse, tying the tails of it around her midriff. Slid her feet into sandals, checked her hair once more and opened the door. Mike was standing inches away from her, grinning.