On Her Master's Secret Service (7 page)

She wagged a finger at him. “No, no. This girl doesn’t just give out her number to any guy who comes along. It’s best we keep things nice and easy until you decide if you’re in or you’re out. And even then, I don’t want to meet with anyone but you and your sub. I don’t want to be exposed to the rest of your team. I understand you’ll bring backup with you, but they’re yours, not mine, and I can’t risk getting in close contact with them. This is a dangerous story I’m working on.”

“All right, but it would help if you would come in and meet the team. You don’t have to be involved once we get there, but they would feel better meeting you.”

“I’m not here to make your guys feel better. No contact with anyone who isn’t working in the club. That’s a deal breaker.” She nodded and started to walk off before turning back abruptly. “I’m going to be waiting for that e-mail, McKay. And in the meantime, I’ll try to find the last member of the team. Cuffs is down a cook. I don’t guess you know anyone who can play chef? Chazz is trying to spruce up the kitchen staff. The last guy barely knew how to work a fryer. I think it would be great to have someone in the kitchen. Those guys love to talk.”

Alex felt a smile slide across his face. Oh, he would feel so much better with that backup. Little Tag was retired from active duty, but he bet Sean would come back for a brief reappearance. “Yeah, if I go in I think I can work something out for you.”

She gave him a thumbs-up, and he watched her walk away, her hips swaying. She was a complete enigma. If he had to guess just from looking at her, he would say she was likely married with a couple of kids and a career doing something that involved service to the people around her. The minute she opened her mouth, he was pretty sure she was capable of taking over the world and not batting an eyelash. She bought a cake pop from the vendor and winked as she disappeared from sight.

And he was left with a problem. Could he trust her? Did it matter? He was so hungry to go after Evans, he might not care if she was trustworthy or not.

“She’s very attractive,” a clipped British voice said from behind him.

Damn it.
Simon was better than Alex had given him credit for. He hadn’t gotten even a hint that he was being followed. “How long?”

Simon straightened his tie. He normally stood out when he was in one of his suits, but here he just looked like he was taking a break from work. “Have I been following you? Since you left the office. Don’t worry. Jake and Adam finally gave up and went to lunch. They were right where you told them to be. Such good lads. Not me. I know a desperate man when I see one. I also know your tell. I’ve only played poker with you three times, but you tap your left hand when you’re bluffing. You slapped your leg when you told Ian where you were going. I was watching through the glass.”

Alex turned to him. “And you decided to follow me why?”

“You need backup. You’re far too close to this. What did she offer you? A way into Evans’s inner circle?”

“Not exactly, and I would never be allowed into his inner circle. He knows me. But I might be able to work at the outer edges of his organization. And the minute I see him, I’ll kill him, so it’s all cool.”

Alex started to walk toward Neiman Marcus.

Simon followed along. “You can’t be thinking of actually doing this. You’re too close to this case. If you need to send someone in, I’ll do it.”

There were several things wrong with that scenario, including the fact that Simon taking over his responsibilities made him want to punch something. He decided to go with the most obvious, least emotional reason. “The job is for a Dom in Residence. You don’t even have Master Rights at Sanctum yet.”

Simon shrugged as he walked. Somehow the Brit made the gesture look elegant. Alex didn’t miss how every woman they passed stopped and stared at Simon. If the job had called for a
manwhore
, Simon would have been perfect. As far as Alex could tell, the Brit had a different woman every night of the week. “Ryan passed me on the primary courses. I haven’t passed Ian’s ropes tests. I’ve been practicing on that little sub, what’s her name? Sonya? Sasha?”

“Sondra,” Alex corrected. Sondra was a nice young woman in nursing school. Simon had been sleeping with her off and on for weeks, but he couldn’t remember her fucking name. Yeah, that was classy.

Simon snapped his fingers as though the name had fallen into place. “Right. Sondra. I’ll pass next week. I’ll be fine. I’m new to the lifestyle, but I rather enjoy it. I like being in control for a bloody change.”

Alex liked being in control, too, and he wasn’t about to give it up. “It’s not happening. If I decide to take the job, you would be backup, nothing more. Evans is mine.”

Evans had destroyed him. It would be nice to return the favor.

“Well, it certainly sounds like he has your number. One hint of the man and you’re lying to your friends. I called Ian, by the way. He thinks you called me when the meet changed at the last minute and you realized I was closer. I think Ian has enough on his mind without worrying about his best friend lying to him.”

Ian should understand. He was obsessed with finding Eli Nelson. Alex had caught him on several occasions staying up late at night at the office going over and over every piece of information they had, all of it laid out on a conference table like the pieces to a puzzle he just couldn’t make fit.

“Thanks.” Guilt gnawed at him. He wasn’t trying to lie to Ian, but this was important.
And what about Eve? How is she going to take it, you asshole?

Lately his inner voice had taken to calling him all manner of names. He strode through the door and a blast of heat hit him. The Texas sun had been turned up to full blast. He looked out over the well-manicured landscape of North Dallas. Northwest Highway was in front of him, cars jammed into the lanes like sardines moving slowly toward some unknown destination. Traffic in Dallas always sucked, but construction was making it utterly unbearable. He strode toward his truck, wondering how his reception would be back at the office. He didn’t believe for a minute that Ian would buy Simon’s story. Ian knew him way too fucking well. He was in for an ass kicking the minute he got back to the office.

And he would take it because the truth of the matter was he needed his team.

“Mate, that’s a terrible look. What’s going on in your head?” Simon was a douchebag when it came to women, but he was astute. And he was the only one who didn’t have a personal relationship with him and his wife. Ex-wife. Eve. Simon didn’t know the intimacies of the case. Maybe he would be a good sounding board.

That traffic really did look like hell. And there was a great sushi place inside. “What do think of raw fish, man?”

Simon turned a little green. “I think it sounds perfectly horrible. We Brits believe in frying our fish, thank you very much.”

“You’re not in England anymore, buddy.” He would learn. “Come on. Lunch is on me.”

They walked back inside, Alex’s brain turning around and around the whole time.

* * * *

Alex picked up his cell, hitting a number he hoped still worked. Simon was sitting at the table, a pint in front of him. The Brit didn’t have a problem drinking his lunch, but he actually had a fairly cool head when it came to business. They’d spent an hour and a half discussing the upcoming op, and Alex was feeling better about it.

“Petty.”

Alex couldn’t help but smile a little. Petty sounded every inch the FBI agent. Serious and just a little bit pompous. He’d sounded that way at one time. “Hey, Warren, how’s it going?”

There was a little pause. “McKay?”

“Yeah.”

“Holy shit. Alex fucking McKay.” A little slap came over the line. Warren had always smacked the nearest hard surface when he was surprised. “What the fuck? How long has it been?”

So freaking long. “At least three years. How is the wife?”

“Alice is good. And Janelle is about to graduate from high school. Can you believe it? I have a damn eighteen-year-old kid.” There was a little pause and a sigh. “How is Eve?”

Alex stared out of the window. He could see the parking lot from here. The day was sunny and bright, with busy shoppers walking by. Eve was likely in her office by now. “She’s good. We’re both busy working.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard a lot of good things about that company you started with Taggart. You have some serious contracts. Is it true you’re working with the Secret Service?”

They had been consulting on certain details of travel, but they’d signed a metric shit ton of non-disclosure agreements. “I have no knowledge of that.”

A knowing chuckle came over the line. “Got it, man. I told Eddie he should call you when the campaign heats up in a couple of months. You know he’s going for the nomination.”

Edward Petty. Senator from Oklahoma. Warren’s brother had his eye on the White House. He’d been in the senate for the last six years. Alex remembered when Eddie was just a fresh-faced kid who had lucked into a congressional seat. “We’re close enough. We can certainly handle his security and run background on everyone surrounding him. He can’t take that seriously enough, you know.”

A low chuckle came over the line. “Oh, I know. I think Eddie has learned that lesson along the way. Everyone wants something from him. Alex, it’s so good to hear from you.”

Because he hadn’t called his old partner in forever. Their friendship had been one more victim of Evans. “Well, I have a favor.”

“Anything.”

“Have you got new information on Evans?” He hesitated to mention what Kristen had discovered. He didn’t know her yet, couldn’t trust her.

Warren sighed, a low sound. “Man, you need to let that go. I know how much you want this guy. God, no one knows more than I do. I know what happened, but I promise, I’m doing everything I can to find Evans. The fucker seems to have disappeared. I’ve gotten some CIA
intel
that he’s working somewhere in South America with a cartel.”

Narcoterrorists
. It fit with what Kristen had told him. “I can’t let it go and you know why. I have some connections now. I might be able to give you some insight. Could you just let me look at the new intelligence? I know it’s not protocol.”

“I could bring you on as a consultant, Alex, but do you really think that’s a good thing to do? You’re still with Eve, right? Does she know you’re looking into this?”

He didn’t want to talk about this shit. “Eve and I are fine. She isn’t particularly interested in this case. I’m just looking around. I’m curious. You would be, too. If this happened to Alice, you would always want to be in the loop. You know it.”

A long pause came over the line. “I know. I don’t want this case to go cold. It eats at me.”

“I know, man.” Warren had been by his side after Eve had been taken, staying up late helping to look for her. “I just want to look at the new information.”

Maybe there was something in there that would jump-start his brain and put him in the proper mindset. He had the original files practically memorized, but there was five years of information he hadn’t been privy to, including all the files on Evans’s escape. He’d been out of the loop by then because his wife had become a victim.

“Things have tightened up around here. I have to get you clearance. I’m sorry, but I’m about to be under a lot of scrutiny because of Eddie.”

Damn it.
Bureaucratic red tape. And Warren was right. The minute Eddie threw his hat in the nomination ring, the press and Eddie’s opposition would scrutinize every member of his family, especially his FBI brother. “Do what you can. I understand.”

It could be weeks or months before he got the information. He was more dependent on Kristen than he liked.

“I’m sorry, but, damn, man, it’s good to talk to you. Any chance you’ll be in DC soon?” Warren asked.

“Probably not, but I bet you’ll come out to Oklahoma City in a couple of months.”

“Absolutely, can’t miss little brother’s kick-off speech. I’ll be sure to stop in Dallas. I would love to see your operation. See how the other half lives. Maybe I’ll even get out of government work one of these days. You know the pay is shit.”

The pay at McKay-Taggart was much better and they could choose the cases they worked. Warren was a longtime agent, and he had deep political connections thanks to his brother. He would be a welcome addition. “Any time you want to talk, my door is always open. And anything you can do to get me those files would be appreciated.”

He didn’t want to trust Kristen’s hacked files. He wanted to look at the same thing Warren looked at. It might not tell him anything he didn’t know, but maybe studying them would keep his head in the game.

“I’ll see what I can do. Hey, is
Evie
…I don’t know, how is she really doing? You know I think about her a lot. I just…I wish I could catch him, man.”

Warren had been the first of his friends to get to the hospital. Ian had been on a plane the second he found out, but Warren had been there when Eve had come out of surgery and the doctor had informed them of all the damage. He’d been the one to stand outside the room while Alex cried over his wife’s body. Warren had kept everyone off him. “We’re still standing.”

It was the best he could say about them. And they might not be standing when Eve found out where he was going and why. He wasn’t sure what would be worse—Eve being pissed or not caring at all.

“All right. Give her my love. We all miss you, man.”

A knot sat in his chest. He’d really loved working with those guys. For a long time it had been him and Warren and Tommy and Leon. Tommy and Leon were gone now. They’d been a tight-knit little family, but when the chips had fallen, he’d come back to Ian and Sean.

Simon stepped up, his cell in hand and a frown on his face.

“Give me a second, Warren.” He muffled the phone against his shirt. “What’s going on?”

“Ryan just left me a message looking for you,” Simon explained. “He’s been trying to call you.”

He’d noticed and Alex had let it roll to voice mail because Ryan Church managed Sanctum, and right now Sanctum was at the bottom of his priorities. Besides, Ryan’s next call would likely be to Ian. “Why didn’t he call Ian?”