Love & Deception (Agents in Love - Book 1) (6 page)

However, the pay was good, and up until Paul
ordered him to kill a fellow agent, Nick had enjoyed the work. He’d
spent some good years with the agency and hoped things would
improve again. It wasn’t as though he could quit—that would sign
his death warrant as quickly as disobeying orders. He’d accomplish
nothing by starting a war with Paul.

“Never mind, sir.” Nick shook his head and
forced himself to assume a relaxed pose. “You’re right, of course.
Knowing the other agents on the case won’t help me with my
objective.”

“Good.” His boss nodded. “Now, give your
report.”

“The target doesn’t seem all too suspicious,
sir, if I’m being honest. She trains hard at karate and works long
hours in her shop. I don’t know when she’d have time to help a
terrorist group. I haven’t seen anything to indicate—”

Paul held up his hand. “A lot can be
accomplished from inside her shop. You’ve been observing the
outside, but you need to get in there.”

He nodded. “That’s true. As far as people
she associates with, I’ve been keeping them all under surveillance,
but there isn’t much to report there either. Shelley Daniels seems
only interested in landing a man. Stephen Chance is a complete
jerk—arrogant, but I don’t think he’s her contact in a terrorist
group.” If Nick had to guess, he thought Stephen was the other
agent working Carlie’s case. Paul had mentioned the prior agent
worked for months without successfully learning Carlie’s
secrets.

“Anyone else she has contact with?”

Nick hesitated. It seemed stereotypical to
point out the guy of Middle Eastern descent as a possible terrorist
again, but he had to report all Carlie’s associates. “I was
officially introduced to Muhammad Khan today. I told you about him,
remember? He runs the soup kitchen the target’s involved with. I
think we should look at him closer. Something seemed off about him.
He’s real friendly with the target.”

“Ah. Finally something useful,” his boss
said in a way that made Nick think he knew something about
Muhammad. Paul grabbed a briefcase by his feet and set it on the
coffee table, extracting a file from it that he handed to Nick.
“Khan has an interesting history, and your instincts are good to
question if he’s involved. I’ve learned he’s the nephew of Aamir
Abdul.”

“The same Aamir Abdul that tried to
assassinate the President last year?” Nick often wondered if that
case wasn’t the reason things had changed so drastically in
S.A.T.O. It seemed like Paul and President Sharp freaked out after
the near miss and restructured the anti-terrorist group. Not
necessarily for the better, as far as Nick was concerned.

“That’s the terrorist I’m talking about.”
His boss snorted. “If it hadn’t been for us, he would have
succeeded. The President’s secret service agents were useless, and
the FBI didn’t even know Aamir was back in the country.”

Nick hadn’t been involved in that case, but
Jason had been...and then everything changed. “So you think
Muhammad’s picking up where Uncle Aamir left off?”

“Could be. They have a new method of
transferring codes, something our tech guys discovered.” He nodded
at the manila folder in Nick’s hands. “Take a look.”

Opening the folder, Nick flipped through
several pictures of expensive-looking bracelets and necklaces. Each
piece was studded with diamonds encased in what was either silver
or white gold.

“Jewelry?” He glanced back up. “They can
transfer code with this? What do these do, exactly?”

“I don’t understand how it all works, but
somehow codes are embedded within the diamonds. They can activate
bombs or hack into computers. They could disrupt security cameras
or get into private records of American citizens and download
dangerous information. I’m not sure what all can be accomplished
with them. Those diamonds are dangerous little babbles. A woman
with a piece of jewelry like this could be unstoppable.”

It sounded like science fiction, but Nick
had heard enough crazy things that turned out to be true, he didn’t
doubt Paul’s information.

“Imagine,” Paul continued, “dinner at the
White House. Who would look twice at a lady’s bracelet? She walks
right past security with everything she needs to wreak havoc in our
country. Slip off to the bathroom, visit the security desk, flirt
with the guards.” He shrugged. “She’d have to be trained to fight,
because she obviously couldn’t take in guns or have a man with her
if she wanted to avoid suspicion.”

And Carlie was desperate to level up in
karate. However, she was a sweet woman and her shyness charmed Nick
during their date. She also seemed passionate about helping people
and gave food to the needy. It didn’t make sense that she wanted to
hurt the people she helped.

“I don’t imagine Carlie—uh, the target—has
anything like that. She seems pretty strapped for cash, having just
opened her business and all.”

His boss remained silent, head tilted to the
side. Nick cursed himself for using Carlie’s name. An agent had to
remain dispassionate and impersonal when it came to their target.
Carlie was not really his girlfriend—she was the objective of this
mission. And if she planned terrorist actions, Nick would take her
down.

He set the folder on the table, knowing he
had to reassure Paul he was committed to the mission, or put his
own life at risk. “I’ll look for the bracelet when I’m able. I can
do some snooping tomorrow when I have dinner at her house.”

The older man stood up. “We need to speed
things along. It’s imperative we know if she has that bracelet.
Muhammad Khan might be up to something, covering it with charity
work. If Carlie Hollis is involved, we need to stop her before it’s
too late.”

“I’ll do whatever it takes,” Nick
promised.

“I know you will.” Paul slapped him on the
shoulder. “It’s good to see you, son. Sorry I had to come in acting
the hard ass, but President Sharp is anxious about this case.”

“I understand, sir.” Nick paused, uncertain
how Paul would react to any expression of concern for him. Then
again, Nick did care about the man, and things had been off lately.
“If you don’t mind my asking, are you okay? I’ve been worried about
you.”

“Don’t be. Everything’s fine. Once we wrap
up this case, President Sharp will calm down and stop riding my
ass.” He walked to the door, stepping into the hallway. “I sent you
here because you’re my best agent and one of the only men I trust.
I need this resolved quickly. I might have something in the works
to help that happen, but I’ll tell you about it later.” Paul walked
down the hallway without waiting for a response.

Nick turned the deadbolt, swallowing hard
before loosening his tie and letting out a relieved breath. While
he had always considered Paul a father figure, his boss had become
a bit scary the past year. Nick worried what plan Paul had to hurry
this case along, but there was nothing he could do about it. His
job was to follow orders. If he wanted to stay alive, that’s what
he would do.

Normally, following orders wasn’t a problem.
S.A.T.O. started out as something great, a secret organization to
take care of situations the government couldn’t officially become
involved with. An agency completely devoted to protecting the
American people from terrorists on home soil.

Officially, S.A.T.O. didn’t exist. Paul
worked closely with the President and a small committee that
assigned their cases. When Nick joined the group, he’d given up his
civilian identity. Stewart Farnes had been erased, as though he’d
never been born.

Chances were high no one giving directions
to S.A.T.O. had heard of Nick, so even though Nick didn’t like the
direction the group had taken the past year, he didn’t know what he
could do about it. It wasn’t as though the President would listen
to him, even if he could get an audience with the man. Nick had no
control over what President Sharp ordered. If he was smart, he’d
keep his head down and finish this job quickly.

He walked into the bedroom and kicked off
his shoes, then checked his phone.

Odd, Carlie never texted. It had been twenty
minutes.

Everything ok? I know u don’t want me to
push, but please text back. Starting to worry.

Carlie’s heart jumped into overdrive as she
spotted Stephen sitting on her lawn furniture in the shadowy corner
of her porch. “What are you doing here?” On the pretext of slipping
her phone into her purse, she wrapped her hand around the can of
pepper spray inside. “It’s a little late for a social visit.”

“Not that you’ve been very social with me.”
Stephen’s words slurred slightly. “You’re ruining everything.”

“Are you drunk?” Carlie cautiously walked up
the three stairs to stand on the deck, staying beneath the porch
light and far from Stephen.

He rose from the chair, swaying side to side
before grabbing the banister. “I’ve had a few.”

She wasn’t sure if that made him more
dangerous or less. Her phone buzzed to signal a text message, and
Carlie grabbed it out of her purse. Nick.

“Is that your new boy toy?” Faster than she
thought possible, Stephen launched across the deck and snatched the
phone from her hand, throwing it into the yard. “I’m not letting
him interrupt us again.” He pushed her against the house, and the
cold siding pressed into her back. “You owe me, Carlie, and you’re
going to make good on that debt.”

His booze-soaked breath washed over her
face, and her stomach turned. She shoved him and he reeled
backward, losing his footing and slamming onto the deck.

He laughed, unfazed by the fall. “That
little prick’s not here to sucker punch me now, Carlie. I’d be
careful if I were you. We both know I’m a better fighter.” With
surprising agility, he jumped to his feet, proving he wasn’t so
impaired that she could easily overtake him.

Though her hand trembled, she pulled the
pepper spray from her purse and pointed it at him, finger on the
nozzle. “Stay away from me, Stephen. You
are
better than me,
but we both also know I don’t care about fighting fair.”

“Whoa!” He held his hands up in surrender
and slowly backed away. “I shouldn’t have had those drinks before
coming over. This isn’t how I meant things to go.” He plopped into
a patio chair, shaking his head. “I came here to talk, but you’re
all dolled up and looking gorgeous, and waltz in wearing another
man’s jacket. I assume it belongs to the asshole. Did you go out
with him?”

Carlie crossed her arms over her body, still
keeping the pepper spray handy. “What did you want to talk
about?”

Stephen’s face softened and his eyes shown
with an almost-pleading quality. “Us.”

“Us? There is no ‘us,’” she said, making an
air quote with her free hand.

“But I thought we were working toward an
us.”

“By blackmailing me into dating you?
Suggesting we should have sex on our first date? Calling me a prick
tease and the ice queen yesterday?” Carlie snorted. “Sounds like a
solid foundation for love.”

“I didn’t—”

“You did.”

He clenched his hands into fists. “Why do
you do this?”

“Call you on your crap?” She shrugged,
relaxing her own hand from a fist. “You don’t really like me,
Stephen. What’s going on here?” Because a horrible suspicion crept
into her mind, and she didn’t like it one bit.

Though Carlie knew she wasn’t ugly, she’d
also never be a great beauty. All her life she had lurked in the
shadow of prettier girls, rarely dating, always in the background,
watching. Suddenly, in a single month, two unbelievably handsome
men fought for her affection. Why?

“Who hired you?” She stepped forward,
holding the pepper spray ready.

“Hired me?”

The bewilderment on Stephen’s face seemed
genuine, but Carlie wouldn’t expect him to admit anything if he was
in the employ of Ryan’s enemies. It did beg the question,
though—had they found her again so soon? However, if that were the
case, she didn’t understand why Stephen or Nick hadn’t already
killed her. She’d been alone with both of them now.

Maybe she’d been running scared for so long,
she could no longer recognize normal relationships. It wasn’t
impossible for two men to become attracted to her. She’d been with
men before, and Ryan had liked her enough to bed her and get her
pregnant.

Sure, Stephen was a sleaze, but before he
took an interest in her, she’d seen him act that way with other
women. And Nick...she wanted him to be the real thing, so much. He
had a touch of arrogance, but that might be because he was a strong
businessman used to getting his own way, not because he was a
killer. He had been incredibly sweet today, and Carlie didn’t want
to believe he played her.

“I don’t understand.” Stephen’s voice was
more tender than she’d ever imaged it could be. “You think someone
hired me to date you? I’m confused. Why would they do that? And who
would need payment to date someone as wonderful as you?”

Lowering the pepper spray to her side, she
crossed the porch and sat in the chair farthest from him. “Never
mind that. I’m not sure what I’m thinking.” If he truly just liked
her, Carlie hoped he was drunk enough that he wouldn’t remember her
asking that later. “You obviously had a purpose for coming here.
Say what you need to say.”

He dropped his head into his hands and
scrubbed at his face. “I’m sorry for the way I talked to you. Women
like it when I use pet names. I thought you were flirting when you
said you didn’t like it.”

“Flirting?” She shook her head violently.
“How stupid can you be?”

His head snapped up. “So, now I’m stupid?
God, Carlie. I come here to pour my heart out to you, and all you
can do is insult me.”

She sighed. As much as she didn’t like
Stephen, it was against everything she stood for to hurt someone’s
feelings on purpose. “You’re not stupid, I’m sorry for saying that,
but I don’t know how much clearer I could be. I told you several
times on our date to stop calling me that, and then I left when you
continued to do so.”