The Perfect Stroke (Lucas Brothers #1)(104)

If he’s not already dead.

“Ana, you need to face facts.”

“Can you please just let this drop and tell me what they found in the raid?”

Paul sighs, but thankfully he lets it go. I know it’s just a temporary reprieve, but still I’m grateful.

“Nothing, kid. Much like we thought. We only did it to distract him and try to rescue you without closing down the investigation. That obviously didn’t work.”

I concentrate on my coffee and ignore the heat in my face.

“You’re having me tailed.”

“You had to know that. You might be deep undercover, but there’s no way they’re going to trust you not to f*ck shit up—and not just because you’re Allen’s sister.”

“Because I’m a rookie.”

“Because you’re not even DEA. There’s too much invested to rest it on an unknown.”

“So there’s someone else undercover besides me?”

Paul’s silence speaks volumes. Shit. Fuck. Damn. I finish off the last of my coffee, going over the people I’m in contact with, trying to figure out who the f*ck the other agent is. I sure as f*ck don’t need someone getting me pulled from this case. Shit, I don’t want them to decide to close it down and bring Roman in either. Their first priority will not be my brother.

“We need you to take these and plant them in Roman’s bedroom. It’s the only room we’ve been unable to get a device in, undetected,” Paul says, handing me a small white envelope.

“Same drill as before?” I ask, stuffing the paper into the front pocket of my jeans.

“Yeah, try to keep them as close to the bed as you can, or the desk in his room.”

“Got it,” I tell him, trying to ignore the way I feel guilt at doing my job. I didn’t choose the life Roman has. I should have nothing to feel guilty about. Nothing.

“Try to remember that they’re there, will you? The last f*cking thing you need to do is have Brass hear you taking it up the ass by one of their most-wanted kingpins.” I grow pale at his words. He’s upset, I get that. I didn’t expect that from him, however.

“I’ll just be going, now,” I tell him, turning away to leave.

He grabs my arm to stop me. “Ana, listen…”

I turn slightly so I can see him. “I think you’ve said enough. I appreciate the advice and concern, but at twenty-six, I will make my own decisions and live with the consequences. I don’t need anyone talking down to me.”

“Ana, you don’t understand…”

“I’ll check in tomorrow, Paul,” I interrupt him and walk out with him saying my name to my back. I’m not mad, not really. He’s right. I did let it go too far. He’s also wrong because I didn’t do it for Allen. I’m not about to tell him that, however. It’s too late to go back and I don’t want to. It’s a moot point because as I jog around the corner heading towards my apartment, I see Roman standing on my doorstep, in his suit, coat, and gloves. He’s angry, I can tell that even from this distance. What I notice most, however, is the way my * clenches and the butterflies in my stomach when he turns his gaze on me.

It’s much too late to change anything.





I watch her jogging up to me like she doesn’t have a care in the world. As beautiful as she is right now in her jeans and pale blue tank with her hair pulled up on top of her head, I want to spank her ass. She stops two steps down from where I’m perched by the door to her brownstone apartment.

“Where have you been, pet?”

“Running,” she says, her voice breathless.

“Most people run in exercise clothes.”

“Seemed like an expense I didn’t need to worry about. I don’t get to run that often.” She shrugs.

It bothers me. Has she been going without to cover for her damned brother? She can’t run in jeans. It will chaff the inside of her thighs, and since I now have plans for those beauties, that is unacceptable.

“You ran from my bed this morning.”

“You were sleeping. It didn’t seem right to wake you. I needed to get back to my apartment and start my day.”

“You could have started it in my bed.”

“I’m not sure that would have been a good idea.”

“I’m positive it would have been,” I tell her, sliding my fingers along the base of her neck and cupping the side of her face. “Because then I could have started my day in you.” I watch as her eyes dilate as I bring her closer to my lips.

“I can see how that might have been … preferable,” she whispers. Our lips are almost touching and her tongue darts out to lick against my bottom lip. I capture it, bringing it into my mouth. Somehow, her taste is even better this morning. I could be in trouble with this girl because just this has calmed the anger I had building inside me upon finding her gone. I deepen the kiss, letting my tongue play and becoming familiar with her again.

“That’s better,” I tell her when our lips break apart.

“Good morning to you, too,” she tells me.

“You sneaking out on me is unacceptable, pet.”

“I needed to get back to my world and find my brother,” she says.

Her words put me on edge. “I told you I would help you do that.”