Hard and Fast (8 page)

Lucas took the rental car that Evan had picked up the day before, and parked in a spot on the street across from the deli where he could have eyes on the entrance and everything nearby. Evan stayed at the hotel until Pratt left his apartment, then would follow the target to the meet, dressed as a jogger wearing a hoodie, and with his pistol tucked into a back belt holster. All three of them had wireless earpieces, connected to Laura at the Fortis headquarters.

Everything went like clockwork until Pratt was seated at a booth in the deli.

“All looks good inside, Lance?” asked Laura at ten minutes after eleven o’clock.

“Yup. Pratt’s starting to get a little anxious, but it’s quiet in here,” Lance told them in whispered tones.

“I see a suspect about to enter,” Lucas announced from his vantage point in the car across the street. “Slender guy, brown hair. That jacket looks a little thicker than needed for the temperature today.”

“I got him,” Lance confirmed a few seconds later. “He’s just sat down beside Pratt. I’m going to plant the bug.”

The team waited, listening to Lance’s movements for a few seconds.

“Shit! Something’s wrong!” muttered Lance. “Pratt’s body just jerked forward. I think he’s been shot and our guy’s on the move!”

“I got him,” Evan stated from his position two stores down from the restaurant.

“I’m with you,” Lucas added as he threw aside the binoculars and jumped out of the car.

The shooter was walking swiftly away from the scene, cautious of his surroundings but trying to look inconspicuous. Lucas and Evan looked at each other, with a silent plan to get close enough to the suspect without tipping him.

“The suspect is armed, with a silencer,” Lance stated through the earpiece. “Pratt’s been shot in the side. He’s bleeding out pretty fast.”

“I’ve called an ambulance, Lance,” Laura told him. “Can he talk? Has he said anything?”

Lucas listened to chatter but his focus was on their suspect. For sure, there was a getaway car parked somewhere nearby. Lucas and Evan had to take him down before then, or they would lose him. Both men picked up their speed, until Evan was just a couple of people behind him, and Lucas was almost parallel on the opposite side of the street. Suddenly, their target looked backward and spotted Evan, paused for a second, then started running. Lucas and Evan immediately burst into full sprints.

“He’s made Ice, and he’s now running down West Taylor Street,” Lucas told Lance and Laura. “Ice’s almost on him. They’ve just turned right on South Loomis.”

Lucas cut across the street, dodging traffic and ignoring the blare of horns from annoyed drivers. He kept his eyes fixed on the shooter whom Evan had just reached about a block up, grabbing the man by the jacket and shoving him face first into the brick wall of a store.

“Who are you working for?” Lucas heard Evan demand.

The suspect grunted, shoving his elbow into Evan’s stomach. They started grappling, with Evan trying to restrain his arms and the assailant trying to break free in order to reach his gun.

Lucas ran up on them within a few seconds, then skidded to a halt as tires squealed from farther up the street.

“Ice, I think we have company,” he announced loudly.

It was a black sedan with Illinois plates and only a driver inside, and it was coming up on them fast. Lucas saw the arm coming out of the driver’s window, but was already prepared for what he knew was coming. He was running for cover in a store doorway, with his gun drawn and pointed at the right side of the front windshield.

“Gun,” he yelled at Evan, and squeezed off two shots before ducking for cover.

Four bullets splintered the bricks near his head. More gunshots went off nearby.

“Shit!” Evan muttered into his earpiece, followed by heavy breathing and more scuffling.

Lucas quickly leaned forward, firing two more shots into the windshield. He could see Evan rolling to a safe spot behind a parked car, but their suspect was now free and scrambling to the door of the sedan. Lucas took aim at him, then felt the burning pain of a bullet as it sliced through the flesh at the top of his right shoulder. He clenched his teeth and fired at the target. First shot. The car was pulling away, tires squealing. Second shot. The suspect had a gun pointed out the passenger window aimed right at his chest. Third shot. Lucas felt the heat of the shooter’s bullet as it whizzed past him, hitting the brick behind him. He also heard Evan beside him, also shooting a series of bullets back at the getaway car, now speeding down South Loomis Street.

CHAPTER 8

“Hey, Alex.”

It was eight thirty on Thursday morning, and Alex had been working over an hour already. She looked up to find Marco standing at the doorway of her office.

“Hey, Markie,” she replied with a smile. “What’s up?”

“I spoke to Lucas last night,” he started, but she could tell by the look on his face that it wasn’t good news. “His lead didn’t pan out yesterday. They weren’t able to find out who tried to hack our system.”

Alex let out a big sigh. She had tried not to get her hopes up, but it was still very disappointing news.

“Okay. Thanks for letting me know,” she told him.

But instead of walking away, Marco hesitated then walked farther into her office.

“There is something else,” he stated, clearly uncomfortable with what he needed to tell her.

“What, Markie?” Alex demanded. “What’s going on?”

She stood up and walked over to her boss.

“Nothing, nothing . . .” He cleared his throat and shoved his hands in his pants pocket. “It’s just that Lucas is recommending a security detail for you.”

“What? Why?” she demanded.

“He’s doing some work with his team right now, but I’m sure he’ll explain more when he’s free,” Marco explained.

“Markie, this is ridiculous!” she insisted. “Why would I need a bodyguard?”

“Alex, the design is in your head as much as it is in the computer or installed in the Evo. You’re the only one who understands why it works, end to end. You know that,” he detailed with a sigh. “So, Lucas considers you one of the assets.”

“I’m a person, not an asset!” countered Alex. “I can’t be treated like an engine part. This whole thing is completely out of control, now. I know we have to be cautious and protect the Cicada design. I get that, I do. But armed security? Now a personal bodyguard for me? Come on!”

Marco shrugged with his hands up in the air, suggesting he had nothing to say.

“I know it seems as though things have gotten really serious really fast, but there’s just too much at stake not to take precautions, Alex,” he finally told her. “You know what this technology could mean for the car industry. For you, for this company. We have to do whatever it takes to protect it until the launch.”

“Of course I agree with that, Marco,” Alex replied with a sigh. “But I don’t think we should just follow this Fortis company blindly, doing whatever they tell us to do without question. I mean, what do we even know about them anyway?”

“Alex, they’ve come very highly recommended. From what I’ve been told, they get the job done,” Marco told her.

“I’m sure they do. But at what cost? How do you know they aren’t just exaggerating the threat to pad their bill?”

“Oh come on, Alex,” he scoffed.

“What? It happens. These military types always use fear to push their agenda,” Alex shot back, with her arms planted on her hips.

“Okay, you’ve been watching too much television,” chuckled Marco. “But in case you’re serious, I can assure you that they have no agenda other than completing their job. And they’re job is to secure and protect the Cicada until we officially launch it in June. They don’t get paid until then, and then they only bill for the work required to complete the job.”

Alex thought through what her boss was telling her, and felt some of her indignation melting away.

“That’s an interesting arrangement. How did you negotiate that?” she finally asked, grudgingly.

“I didn’t. That’s their standard contract,” he clarified. “They do whatever is needed to deliver, then only bill for what was required. So if all of this extra security isn’t necessary in the end, they don’t get paid for it.”

Alex looked at the floor.

“So, Alex, if they say you need protection, I’m going to assume it’s necessary.”

She nodded, now starting to feel a little silly about her outburst.

“Fine, okay,” she finally conceded.

“Hey.” She looked up at the man whom she considered a very good friend. “It’s not a big deal. They obviously know what they’re doing, so I’m sure you won’t even notice their presence.”

Alex nodded, even managed a smile.

“I have a couple of meetings booked in the east end of the city, so I’ll be gone most of the day,” Marco added. “Call me if you need to.”

She nodded again. He left the office and Alex went back to work.

The next couple of hours went by slowly while she tried to focus on the very tedious computer configuration and virtual tuning of the Cicada drivetrain. Niles, Randy, and Bobby were all tweaking their own components and had been sending her the various specs they had sourced or customized to create the perfect power-to-weight ratio. They planned to put together a modified design by Monday, ready for road testing next week when the body repairs to the race car were completed.

There wasn’t any time for brooding about Lucas Johnson and his new edict. To be fair, Alex had to admit that the two Fortis agents, Michael and Ned, who had started the security detail yesterday were pretty invisible. She had caught a glimpse of them a couple of times, but with blazers on to conceal their guns, Alex barely took note of them. And there was really no sign of the extra surveillance cameras that she knew had been installed. So, after a little bit of retrospect, maybe her personal security wouldn’t be as invasive as Alex had initially feared.

Knowing that Lucas was back from his trip and planning to meet with her was a whole other cause for concern. Something about his tall good looks and boyish charm was messing with her hormones and disturbing her sleep. And the memory of that hot, sizzling kiss between strangers only made it worse. Just last night, Alex had dreamed about him. It was nothing specific she could remember in the morning, but he was the first thing she thought about when she awoke with her body humming with arousal.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a call on her desk phone.

“Alex Cotts,” she answered after the second ring.

“Hey, Alex, it’s Frank at DS Distributors,” said the voice over the line.

“Hi, Frank, what’s up?”

“Do you remember that power converter you were looking for last month? The one that’s on back order?”

Alex sat up straighter. It was a part for the Cicada that could be more effective than the one she was currently using.

“Sure, I remember it. Do you have one?”

“Yup, it just came in. But there’s another customer who’s looking for it, too, but he can’t get it until tomorrow at the earliest,” Frank told her. “If you can pick it up today, it’s yours.”

Alex looked at the time on her laptop. It was twenty minutes to eleven o’clock.

“Okay, I should be there by noon,” she committed, quickly calculating how long the drive uptown would take.

“Good, see you then.”

Alex hung up the phone, then checked her schedule. She had a meeting at one o’clock with their event management consultant to finalize the schedule and logistics for the Sea-to-Sky race. And it would take about forty minutes to drive up into Frank’s warehouse in the northwest end of the city in midday traffic. There was plenty of time, if Alex left within the next thirty minutes.

The only hiccup was Lucas. He wanted to speak with her about the personal security.

Alex tapped her fingers on the desk, trying to think about what to do. Finally, she decided to give Lucas until eleven o’clock to meet with her. If he didn’t show up by then, Alex would take a quick trip to get the converter and be back in less than two hours. Chances were, Lucas wouldn’t even know she had left.

She went back to work and the next fifteen minutes ticked by slowly. There was no sign of Lucas.

At five minutes to eleven, Alex locked her computer then peeled off her overalls. She had on slim black jeans and a white T-shirt underneath, so she added the light blue jacket she had worn to work, then grabbed her purse and left her office. In the hallway, she paused from a niggling sense of uncertainty about her decision. Instead of heading through to the shop floor and out to the parking lot, Alex walked a few doors down to the office used by the Fortis agents. The door was open but the room was empty.

She stood there for a few minutes, but no one came by. Finally, concerned that she was running out of time, Alex left the building for the drive uptown through the city. Trying to relax about the decision, she turned the music up loud in her Porsche and enjoyed the ride. Thankfully, traffic was pretty light on the route, and Alex was on her way back to the office within an hour. She was making such good time that it seemed like a good idea to stop for an errand. Shawn’s wedding was on Saturday, and this might be the only opportunity to pick up a card and withdraw some cash as a gift.

It was only twenty minutes to one o’clock when she pulled into the Magnus Motorsports parking lot feeling pretty good about her efficient use of time. Alex was about to step out of the low-riding body of her car when a big black truck sped into the parking spot right beside her, its brakes squealing in protest at the abrupt stop. Annoyed by the aggressive driving, she grabbed the boxed power converter and her purse, then stepped out of the Porsche. And right into a solid wall of black cotton.

“Lucas,” Alex gasped once she had determined who was blocking her path.

“Your office, now,” he demanded in a soft, low voice.

Something about the dark look in his eyes and the hard line of his jaw suggested he expected her to follow his command without question. But that wasn’t in Alex’s nature. She was about to object to his high-handed manner, when Lucas stepped even closer to her, completely invading her personal space. Alex gasped with annoyance, but instinctively backed up a bit. He approached again, bending so their faces were more leveled.

“Now,” he growled.

Mindful that some of the other employees might be in earshot, Alex swallowed back sharp words of protest and instead turned on her heels and walked into the shop floor, head held high. But once they were in the privacy of her office, she fully intended to give him a piece of her mind.

The walk through the building seemed to take forever. Though Alex could feel the formidable presence of Lucas against her back the whole way, his steps were so silent that she couldn’t help checking over her shoulder on occasion, hoping he had wandered off. But of course, he remained right behind her, matching her two strides to one, his face devoid of any expression other than determination.

Finally, they reached the door to her office. Alex swung it open and walked across the room to lay her purse on the box on her desk, and to put some space between them. The silence was so uncomfortable, she felt the need to say something.

“I tried to find you before I left,” she finally stated, watching him warily and trying to seem unaffected by his obvious annoyance with her.

He closed the door quietly behind him, then followed her path without pause.

“You have my phone number, Alex,” he growled. “You should have called me, or sent a text,” he replied, in his usual smooth tone.

“Okay, I get it. But I just needed to pick up a part—”

“Alex, I know where you were,” Lucas cut in, continuing across the room toward her in a slow, deliberate pace until Alex felt like prey. “I was right behind you for most of your trip.”

Her first thought was to stand her ground, refuse to back down or show fear. But then he was behind her desk and in her face.

“What are you doing?” she demanded, trying to control her breathing while backing up. “Stop it.”

Lucas kept coming, forcing Alex to reverse until her back hit the wall. He planted his hands on either side of her face and leaned in close, looking deep into her eyes, now wide with surprise and apprehension. Without a single touch from him, she was trapped, unable to move, and every part of her body felt the power of his presence.

“Lucas,” she stammered, her brain struggling to find something more coherent to say.

“Alex,” he mocked. “You will not do that again, do you understand?”

She swallowed, finding her mouth dry and her throat very tight.

“Do what exactly?” she questioned breathlessly.

If possible, his dark stare became even more intense.

“Don’t pretend ignorance. You were told you’d have personal protection going forward,” Lucas stated in a silky, smooth voice. “Which means you will not go anywhere outside of this building alone.”

He leaned even closer until his body was a breath away from hers. His skin smelled faintly of bath soap and testosterone. Alex swallowed again.

“Do you understand me?” he demanded. “From now on, you don’t go anywhere without me or one of my men.”

The last sentence was whispered into her ear and sent a shiver down her spine. Her heart was beating hard and fast in her chest, as indignation mixed with physical awakening. Alex heard his words, understood what he was saying, but could only anticipate his touch and think about what he might do next.

“Am I clear, Alex?”

His lips brushed the rim of her ear, and Alex had to hold back a breathy sigh.

“Alex!” he insisted, surely knowing the effect he was having on her and using it to his advantage.

“Yes,” she finally whispered, now feeling light-headed from the heat between their bodies.

Lucas let out a sigh and lifted his head back a bit as his gaze roamed over her face. Alex felt the warm brush of it on her skin. Until their eyes met again. It was obvious that he was still annoyed with her, but something more intense was reflected in his pupils. There was budding awareness, very similar to the sensation that was pooling low in her stomach.

He paused for several moments, and she waited for him to do something, anything. The anticipation for whatever it might be kept her frozen against the wall, framed within his body. Alex finally took a deep breath, and her breasts almost brushed against the hard plane of his torso. Lucas looked down between them, at her nipples now tight and pointed through her thin T-shirt and jacket. Then his eyes raked over her face again, lingering on her lips.