In the Still of the Night:Sexy Romantic Suspense (Book 2 The Blonde Barracuda's Sizzling Suspense Series) (6 page)

A smile tugged at the corner of Jake’s mouth.

“Yes, I agree. Serenity is not one of Lexie’s skills. She has many others that are more formidable than mine, such as her aerial maneuvers. I’ve not seen that level of talent except in the most advanced Asian warriors I’ve fought. I think my ‘serenity’ as you call it, came from my boyhood years. I spent much of my time hunting in the forests, fishing in the lakes and streams. My father was an army colonel, as well. He was killed in an undercover operation in the Middle East when I was fifteen years old. Before his death we were extremely close. Even as much as his work kept him physically away from me, we had a connection that I never had again until I met Anthony. My father was a lifelong meditator. It’s what made him the good operative that he was. My mother always teased him. Of course, he was as big a man as I am. And to see him in his cross-legged meditative posture seemed out of place with his size. It is something that I learned early and has served me well all my life.”

Master Wan gave him a thoughtful nod. “That explains much to me, Jake. I now understand better what Jai Li when she says you fight from another place. A place that has been elusive to her.”

Jake’s eyes narrowed, remembering sparring with his father. “It’s interesting that’s how she describes my fighting style. That is precisely how my father fought. Apparently I’ve incorporated that meditative quality into my fighting as well. However, my true introduction to meditation was in a prison camp in Afghanistan where I spent six of the worst months of my life. I credit the fact that I survived to my ability to ‘move to another place’ if only at a subconscious level.”

Glancing up, Jake saw Master Wan watching him closely, as if carefully choosing his next words. When he smiled it was in a surprisingly offhand way for the dignified man. “Someday, my son, we will need to compare notes. My meditation practice was ‘enhanced’ shall we say in a metal box in North Vietnam where I spent the good part of a year.”

Jake held his gaze for a long moment then bowed low. “I truly am honored, Master Wan, to be in your presence.”

“Perhaps you will walk with me for a few moments, Jake, while we wait for Jai Li to pound some needed humility into that young boy.”

“Of course.” Jake grinned. “I also want to speak with you out of earshot of that glorious young woman who has me ass over elbows as we say in my part of the country.”

Master Wan smiled. “While I have not heard that colloquialism before, I now have a way of describing what Jai Li has done to me since she came into my life twelve years ago.”

Jake saw the concern on the older man’s face. His usually smooth countenance was distinctly strained. Jake waited patiently. No question that Master Wan wanted to talk with him about Lexie. He was always careful not to betray her trust, but with a soft word or a gesture he conveyed his concerns. Master Wan, more so than Jake, knew how to reach Lexie—how to get her attention without questioning her judgment. Jake knew he could learn from the wise man. And he wasn’t disappointed.

“Jai Li told you about the murder of the young prostitute?”

Jake gave an aggrieved sigh. “Well, to be accurate, Dan Rourke told me, and with some prodding, Lexie confirmed.”

Jake waited. He was learning. One didn’t rush Master Wan. Jake grimaced to himself. It was a lesson in patience, but one that paid off when Master Wan spoke.

“You know I am extremely careful about not betraying Jai Li’s confidence.”

Jake nodded.

“I have spent twelve years earning her confidence and it is a gift I treasure. I appreciate you not asking me to do so. However, I also owe you information that you may not have that involves Jai Li. At this point it is information I have not conveyed to her.”

The knot in Jake’s gut, the knot that had been gnawing at him since he’d received Dan Rourke’s call, twisted painfully. It took a supreme effort to merely nod, giving Master Wan the space he needed to speak.

“I have many connections in the Asian community. Some of them are best described as unsavory. Through the years, I have cultivated those connections, and have never questioned the information I receive.”

Jake nodded, confirming that he was aware of Master Wan’s connections to the Chinese underground. The Triad community was alive and well throughout the world. Jake ought to know. In his special ops life, he often relied on them for his best information. It took a supreme effort not to hurry Master Wan’s disclosure. Fortunately, his information was worth waiting for. The knot in Jake’s gut now grabbed at his chest, making it hard to take a deep breath.

“My sources indicate that Jai Li’s work is not going unnoticed. This is not news. However, the best way I can describe this latest disclosure is a warning. While my sources are not involved in this particular industry, they are knowledgeable. The warning is clear. The consortium that controls the trafficking of young Asian women—primarily from Korea—is aware of Lexie’s work, and not pleased. It troubles me greatly, Jake. While I have influence with her, you do as well. And you are more able to deal with her directly. My best role has always been as a sounding board.”

Jake couldn’t hold back a snort.

“Forgive me Master Wan for what may sound like impertinence. In other words you want me to be the heavy. You want me to crack down on the force of nature that is my fiancé, and reel her back before the big boys decide she can no longer be ignored?”

Master Wan’s lips curled ever so slightly. He pressed his hands together and touched them briefly to his forehead and bowed.

“Precisely.”

Jake guffawed. “Don’t know if this is comforting to you, Sir. I hope that it will be. Know that Dan Rourke already gave me similar information, when he called yesterday. While I can’t tie Lexie to a bedpost—at least in these circumstances—I sure as hell can increase my surveillance of her. Which I am doing. While I respect the level of evil in the international conglomerate that supports the worldwide sex trafficking industry, please don’t underestimate the influence one seriously enraged former special operative with connections of his own can have, when it comes to protecting the woman he loves.”

Master Wan’s slight smile became a grin. His eyes actually sparkled. With a soft chuckle, he added, “Rage is good, Jake. When appropriate and necessary. Jai Li is fortunate to be loved by a man such as you. I admire you and appreciate you. While I have never so much as raised my voice with her, it comforts me to know that you are not above stronger measures.”

Jake returned his grin. Damn. He wondered if Master Wan was talking about his tying her to the bedpost? Guess Lexie is right. She insists that there is nothing that they do, no matter how outrageous, that Master Wan and Madam Juen haven’t perfected over the years.

“
By the way, I wonder if you might do a favor for me? Will you ask Madam Juen to sprinkle a little more salt or whatever she does to make her kitchen gods pay attention to her? I need help convincing Lexie that we need to get married soon. The longer she hesitates the more concerned I get.”

“Ah yes, Jake. But as I have told you, the best way to ‘bring Jai Li around’ is cautiously. You know that she is deeply in love with you. But I know my spiritual daughter. She is frightened. She’s afraid that as with Anthony, something bad will happen to you. As it nearly did last year when you were almost killed….”

At that moment an excited voice rang out across the archway.

“Jake! Master Wan! Look who is here!”

Lexie came around the corner dragging a smiling, blond-haired, green-eyed man. Brady Schaefer was Jake’s right hand man. The friend and confidant who had been almost as close to Anthony as Jake was. The three of them and Clint Magnuson had been an inseparable team over a period of eight years. Brady was the jokester. The outrageous one. The friend who’d never hesitated to poke at his commander’s authority. Brady knew that under his often stern reaction, Jake valued the guy audacious enough to call him on his own shit. And, Jake noted with a grimace, Brady was the only guy he would allow to openly lust after Lexie. Jake appreciated the fact that Brady restrained himself when he saw Master Wan. Good to know that even a guy not known for holding back anything was wise enough to respect Master Wan’s dignified presence. At least as much as Brady could.

Brady returned Master Wan’s bow, and winked at Jake.

“Hey, man. Don’t look so
worried
. I can behave myself. I know real authority when I see it. Now that doesn’t mean that the minute the two of you turn your backs, I’m not going to snatch this gorgeous woman and once again try to convince her that she fell in love with the wrong guy!”

Lexie laughed, and the two men joined in.

“Do you see why I adore this man, Master Wan? He helps me keep Jake on his toes. Can you imagine how much cockier Jake would be, if he didn’t know how easily I could be enticed by this shockingly handsome man?”

Jake moved over to the two of them. Putting his arm around Brady, and in the process removing Brady’s hand from Lexie’s, he dragged his friend over to Master Wan.

“This is Lt. Colonel Brady Schaefer. My good friend and partner. He is also the man that

I have to lock in a cage on occasion to remind him who is his boss. And to keep his hands off my woman. Brady, this is Master Wan, the man who saved both Lexie and Anthony from a past that no one should have to endure. We owe him more than I can say.”

Brady’s grinning countenance sobered for the moment. He stuck out his hand which Master Wan accepted.

“I loved Anthony like a brother, Sir. He told me on more than one occasion that you made him the man that he was. And that you gave him the greatest gift possible—the example of an honorable man.”

Master Wan nodded. “Your reputation has preceded you, Lt. Colonel. Even so, you are welcome in my home. I have already locked Madam Juen in our quarters.”

All four of them laughed at Master Wan’s humor, and Brady even managed to blush.

Jake put his arm around Lexie and pulled her close to him. He tried to keep his attention on the three people he loved the most but his gut was still roiling over Master Wan’s disclosure. Damn, Dan Rourke had warned him that Lexie was taunting the tiger, but knowing that Master

Wan had heard it from the tiger’s lair was even more concerning. He saw Brady’s questioning gaze and did his best to focus on the present.

“Yeah, Darlin’, I think your men are about to pull off a coup. Brady and I have an appointment in about an hour with a couple of former CID special agents I worked with closely who are now in a position to help us get our new enterprise off the ground. They are working at a high level in the Office of Immigration Enforcement. Apparently all of the turmoil on the border makes hiring consultants a necessary option.”

Brady broke in. “As always, Jake is modest. There isn’t a man I know who is more sought-after that this guy you chose over me, Lexie. While I would like to dispute your judgment, I can’t in good conscience. Hell, we put out the word that we’re starting up a consulting enterprise, and we’ve had offers from inside and outside of the military asking for help. Damn, if we’d known that we could be turning down offers before we even get our operation off the ground, I think both Jake and I would have taken this step years ago.”

Jake agreed. “Don’t forget, Brady. What makes this appointment today so sweet is that it positions us in the one city I want to live in. And that is where Lexie is.”

He pulled her closer to him and shared a meaningful glance with Master Wan that Brady also saw. At Brady’s quizzical gaze, Jake telegraphed that he would explain later. Leaning down, he tipped up Lexie’s chin and smiled at her.

“Wish us luck, Darlin’. I’ll call you later and we can plan how to celebrate the beginning of a new chapter in our lives.”

He glanced at the two men and then at Lexie. He didn’t try to hide the emotion that he felt.

“I’m humbled to have you both in my life. And of course having the most beautiful—if frustrating—woman in the world as my wife to be is even more humbling. I must have done something right in a former life to deserve all three of you.”

As they said their goodbyes, Jake forced himself to smile. Which wasn’t easy given the turmoil he felt. Damn. He’d learned a long time ago not to ignore it when the nerve endings on the back of his neck began to tingle. He could only hope that the warning signals concerned his and Brady’s enterprise, not Lexie’s.

Chapter 6

“Damn, man. You coulda told me that the ‘colleague’ you had worked with in the past was Cleofuckingpatra!” Brady muttered under his breath as they followed the sashaying hips of the tall dark-haired woman leading the way to the conference room on the fourth floor of the Federal Office building.

Jake gave him a not so soft jab in the ribs, motioning to the man who looked over his shoulder at Brady’s not so quiet exclamation. Fortunately, if Dalila Minyawi overheard, she didn’t let on. No doubt, Jake thought with a grimace, it would hardly be the first time his former colleague had men reeling in her wake. He’d done a little reeling himself in years gone by. Egypt was an interesting country. Not the least because of their extraordinarily beautiful women. He felt a small shiver of concern. He hadn’t seen Dalila for a couple of years and he’d forgotten how lovely she was. Apparently, given the warm welcome she gave him, he had been less forgettable. He sighed. It wasn’t the first time he’d dealt with women in a professional setting that he had known in a distinctly less-professional way. Naturally, Brady would pick up on the vibes. Jake steeled himself to the ribbing he was sure to receive when he and his partner were alone.

Dalila sat at the head of the table and motioned for Jake to take the chair adjacent to her. Jake didn’t bother to glance at Brady. He could see the smirk on his friend’s face without looking at him. Never one to shirk potentially embarrassing moments, he smiled at the exotically beautiful woman.

“You’re looking well, Dalila. Colonel Schaefer and I appreciate the opportunity to meet with you and Paul.”

Jake nodded to the bespeckled young man who seated himself across the table next to a grinning Brady.