Revenge for Hire (The Get Even Agency) (25 page)

“Why, because you’re no better than the damn mafia?”

“Oh, get real.” Her eyes glittered, and she lashed out. “You got
what was coming to you. You’ve been screwing women over for years. You deserved
to be set back a notch or two.”

“And you were just the woman to do it?” he glared angrily.

She smiled tightly. “Apparently, since I did.”

Damn it
. She had a point.

“So, what happens now? Are you going to chop off my balls and
hang them from the top of the Empire State Building to finish the job?” He
leaned forward, pinning her beneath his gaze. “Just why am I here?”

Chapter Twenty

Good question. Why was Jude here? Why was she here?

Avery clenched her hands together beneath the table so Jude
wouldn’t see her angst. She held her gaze steady and knew she looked to have
her act together.

Appearances could be deceiving.

What about Jude? Was his appearance deceiving? His hair was its
normal tousled style. Like always, he wore all black. Currently, his eyes were
so dark they almost matched his clothing. No doubt, his mood matched the blue-black
of those eyes.

So why was she here? Doing this? Risking her heart?

“I wanted us to start over,” she went for the truth.

“Start over?” He threw back his head and laughed. “You have got
to be kidding.”

Her heart plummeted. How much more could she risk telling him? It
was apparent he was furious. She’d expected him to be angry. How could he not
be? At this point he knew what she did but nothing about TGEA, nothing that
would implicate TGEA or the other girls. Not even if Mandy opted to help him
could they prove anything other than that an untraceable website existed.

“I’ve missed you.”

“Missed laughing at me behind my back?” he scoffed.

“I’ve never,” she paused. Maybe she had. She wasn’t sure. A
throb started at her temple and increased in tempo. She rubbed it. Glancing
around the bagel shop, she grimaced when she noticed most of the occupants
glancing their way. She doubted any of them could make out details, but it
wasn’t difficult to figure out she and Jude were arguing.

Then again, he had gotten quite loud a minute ago.

She tossed a generous tip onto the table and scooted out of the
booth. “Let’s get out of here.”

Jude looked like he might refuse, but finally he stood and
followed her from the restaurant.

“Where to?” he asked when they stepped out onto the sidewalk.

As if on cue and making Avery question the location of her
friends, the limo pulled to the curb.

“
Here.
” She opened the door and motioned
for him to get inside.

He stood on the sidewalk and stared.
 

Avery cringed. He didn’t trust her. Questioned where she would
take him and what she would do when they arrived. Could she really blame him?

“I give you my word that no harm will come to you.”

He snorted. “Do you think I’m afraid of you? I’m not. However
the thought that I might strangle you and end up in jail, now that scares the
hell out of me.”

“Then don’t worry because you couldn’t.” She said it with such
confidence Jude’s gaze lifted to hers and she knew the gravity of who she was
began to sink in.

“Who are you? Some kind of secret service? Ex-military or
something?”

Avery glanced around the sidewalk. “I won’t discuss this here. Get
in the limo, and I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”

Jude got in.

When the limo drove away from the sidewalk, he turned to her. “Anything
I want to know? Who the hell are you?”

“Avery Wade.”

“Was everything you ever told me a lie?”

“For the most part. Until tonight, that is.”

He snorted. “You normally sleep with the men you’ve been hired
to destroy?”

“Never.”

“You slept with me.”

“You were different.”

“Different how?”

She hated the hurt reflected in his eyes. “I found myself not
wanting to go through with the plan.”

“The plan?”

“To destroy your career.”

“My career?” His mouth twisted. “You destroyed much more than
that.”

“I know.” She smoothed out her skirt, wishing she could smooth
out the tension lines on his face as easily. “I had to prove to myself I didn’t
care so I elaborated on the plan.”

“You elaborated because you cared?”

She nodded. “Added stuff to prove I was professional and could objectively
do my job.”

“Lucky me that you cared,” he sneered.

She glanced away.

“Like I said,” he continued, determination harsh in his tone, “you
owe me.”

Avery sighed. Fine. “What is it that you want of me?”

“Revenge.”

* * *

Jude glanced around the hotel ballroom and nodded at several
business acquaintances who’d come for Simon Sims’ bash for his daughter’s
engagement.

Simon had welcomed Jude back into the fold as Mandy predicted. Not
that Simon admitted he’d been wrong to think Jude guilty, just that he
understood everyone made mistakes.

The only mistake Jude made was getting involved with Mandy to
begin with.

All Simon and Mandy’s friends and family were there. Jude’s
friends and family, too, including Marcus and his date, a pretty public
defender he’d come up against in court and had gone out with the past two
weekends.

“Jude, this place is absolutely gorgeous,” an elegant graying
blond woman said as she kissed his cheek. A woman he loved dearly. The only
woman who’d ever deserved his love.

“Mom.” He hugged her and shook his father’s hand. He’d picked
them up from the airport earlier this afternoon, but the trip had been rushed
and they hadn’t gotten to talk much.

“I can’t believe you’re getting married. Finally,” his mother
said with excitement on her breath.

He hated that she’d be disappointed, but the truth needed to
come out and all the key players were here. Even Mrs. Yamaguchi and her
daughter. How Avery convinced them to accept the invitation, Jude didn’t have a
clue. She’d promised they’d be here, and they were.

Avery. No, damn it, he wasn’t going to let thoughts of her in. She
was a cold-hearted witch. He’d deal with her later.

“To think I believed you and Marcus,” his mother trailed off at
his sour expression. Marcus hadn’t been a happy camper when he’d heard about
the vibrators, although after the shock wore off his pal admitted Avery had a
wicked sense of humor. Jude didn’t see anything funny in the situation.

“Marcus is my best friend,” Jude assured. “In that sense I love
him, but we’re both heterosexual and proud of it.”

His father gave a relieved sigh and the enormity of emotion in
that sigh fueled Jude’s anger. Vengeance would be his.

He mingled, watching Mandy bask in the glow of being the center
of attention. Within the hour she’d have more attention than she wanted.

When Simon dinged his spoon against his crystal champagne
glass, the room quieted and the press cameras flashed. He thanked the guests
for attending and sharing in this special moment.

“It is with pleasure I announce the engagement of my only
daughter.” Simon motioned for Jude and Mandy to join him at the front of the
room.

Smiling, Jude stepped up next to a beaming Mandy. Simon handed
his microphone to her. She said a few meaningless words, then handed the
microphone to Jude.

Jude swallowed and stepped forward to take his life back.

* * *

Avery lay on the sofa and petted Payback Puss. Cassidy was in
Florida on a case, Randi was in Michigan, and Courtney was somewhere in Utah
neutering a white water rafting guide who’d knocked up sisters on the same
weekend then refused to take responsibility for his actions. The jerk.

Avery remained in New York despite the cases there being
completed. She had to fulfill the second portion of Jude’s revenge. The one he
demanded of her. She waited for his beckoned call.

Tonight was the big night for the first half of his vengeance. Avery
set everything in motion as he’d asked. Everything for the engagement party of
the year. The one that people would be talking about for months to come. The
one where the would-be groom revealed the would-be bride as the witch she was.

It had taken some doing to come up with a revenge for Mandy
that didn’t reveal or compromise TGEA, but Avery had done it. She’d given Jude
proof Mandy had been out to destroy him. Proof that didn’t implicate TGEA in
any way. Once he revealed that gem of information and Mandy reacted in overly
dramatic Mandy fashion, key people would make correct assumptions Mandy was
also responsible for Jude’s other supposed faux pas. Key people that included
Simon Sims, Mrs. Yamaguchi, Jude’s parents, and the slew of press that had been
invited to the blessed event. Before the party finished, the truth would come
out.

Avery considered going, but it wasn’t her place. Not once had
Jude hinted he wanted her there. No, Jude was pretty much finished with her. Not
once had he hinted he still cared. Not once had he hinted he would ever be able
to forgive what she’d done. Quite the opposite.

He hated her, had told her point blank that he’d deal with
Mandy. Then he’d come to Avery and reap restitution.

He hadn’t had to tell her what he’d want. She’d known. He
planned to use her for sex. To take the control away and dominate. Which scared
and, crazily enough, thrilled.

So she waited. She hadn’t expected Jude to come to her until he
dealt with Mandy. After tonight, it would be soon. Although perhaps he’d make
her wait to drag out the torture.

Avery stroked Payback Puss, eliciting a pleased purr from the
relaxed cat. She reminded herself that she was alone tonight because she chose
to be alone and not because she had to be. All three of her friends offered to
stay, but she’d sent them on. These were her issues to deal with. Knowing they
were there, that she could always lean on them, strengthened her, but this was
something she had to do on her own.

Cassidy insisted upon leaving the cat so Avery would have company.
Finally, she’d agreed and was grateful for Payback Puss’ presence on this hard
to bear day.

What were the odds of Jude’s engagement party falling on the
anniversary of the day she’d walked out of her mother’s life? Perhaps it was
fitting that yet another chapter of her life would end on this particular date.

She glanced at her watch. Close to ten. Jude and Mandy’s
engagement party would have already had its most exciting moments. Moments that
his parents, who he was obviously close with, would have shared.

Longing to hear her mother’s voice filled Avery. Longing she
hadn’t had in years. Didn’t want to have now.

She gently scooted Payback Puss off her lap and searched for
her cell. The back recesses of her mind stored a never dialed number. Why she’d
looked it up all those years ago, she wasn’t sure, wasn’t even sure if her
mother still went by that number. Perhaps she’d moved a dozen times since.

Avery hit send. Her pulse thundered in her ears as the line on
the other end rang. Oh God, what was she doing? She went to hang up when
someone answered.

Her mother.

“Hello.”

Avery gulped. This was a mistake. A big one. She hadn’t spoken
with her mother in eight years. There were reasons for that.

“Hello?”

Avery couldn’t speak. She opened her mouth, tried, but nothing
came out.

“Is anyone there?”

Her heart pounded all the faster. The fragile connection was
about to be broken.

“Wait,” she called, knowing her mother’s finger touched the
hang-up button.

“Avery?” the astonished voice asked. “Is that you?”

She’d gone and done it now. Her mother knew it was her. Which
she had to admit surprised her since she’d only said the one word and years had
passed since their last conversation.

“Yes.”

“Are you in trouble?” Her mother didn’t sound pleased to hear
her voice. Big surprise there.

“I’m in New York.” Why she said that she wasn’t sure, but she
supposed it fit as much as anything else she might say to her mother.

“If you’re calling for money, you should know I don’t have
any.”

Avery’s heart pricked. “I’m not calling for money. I just
wanted to hear how you were.”

Her mother paused. “You sure you
ain’t
wanting money?”

“I do fine on my own.”

“Oh?” A short pause. “Maybe you could let me borrow some? Just
until I get on my feet again.”

Her mother was asking to borrow money? After not speaking to
her for eight years she wasn’t asking if she was okay, if she was married, or
if she had kids, her every word centered around the almighty dollar. Same old
mom. Same old hurts.

“Maybe.” Avery wouldn’t commit to anything, but she vowed to check
into her mother’s life. If there was a real financial need, she’d send money. Right
or wrong, she was her mother. “You’re okay?”

“Always a dollar short and a day late.”

Money again.

“You need anything particular?” her mother asked. “I’ve got
company and would like to get back to him. A real looker if you know what I
mean.”