A Cold Dark Promise (Cold Justice #8.5)(16)

It had taken some doing to arrange this op on the fly, but everything had come together nicely.

They were going to find out what these bastards were selling, who the potential buyers were, and on top of that, they were going to retrieve the Masook child to go live with her mother—her legal guardian. Then they were all going to go home because they had a wedding to attend. A wedding he didn’t intend to miss.





Chapter Nine





Reilly watched Jane reach for the bottle of wine from the fridge even though it was only noon. She paused for a moment in the middle of the enormous kitchen with its flagstone floor, then silently put the bottle back.

She turned and caught him watching her. She was wearing jeans and a blue t-shirt today, no make-up, her hair tied back in a simple ponytail. It was the first time he’d seen her looking less than perfectly packaged. He liked it. He liked it a lot.

She gave him a tired smile. “Don’t look so proud of me. I’ve used alcohol and sex to get through the loss of Taylor in the past. Both are very effective in the moment.” Her voice was pure southern belle and almost as sweet as her face. “But you already rejected the latter and I’m vetoing the former in case Alex brings Taylor home today.” Her features tightened. “I don’t want her thinking I’m a lush.”

Her words took him back to their encounter a few days ago when she’d touched him and he’d wanted to strip her naked and christen the pool. But she was his client. He did not mess with clients.

“You’re not a lush,” he said quietly.

Humor flashed in her eyes along with enough heat to tell him she meant what she said. “I’m not a whore either, but it doesn’t mean I don’t like sex.”

Damn. He didn’t want to talk about sex, especially after his boss told him to do whatever it took to distract her.

“With the right man, I happen to like it a lot.” Her teeth bit into her bottom lip, and her gaze drifted down his body. Reilly felt a corresponding response in his dick.

“We can play cards,” he suggested a little desperately.

Her eyes crinkled at the corners, and he thought he saw a touch of admiration in their depths. “Not a lot of men would turn down a blowjob for a game of cards.”

His pulse sped up, and his skin felt scorched, but he forced himself not to react. “Under normal circumstances in a choice between a hand of poker and having your mouth on me? I’d definitely want your mouth.” He made it personal. He made it about him and her, not some anonymous ejaculate down a stranger’s throat. “But I am not the jerk who takes advantage of a woman under difficult circumstances.”

Her lips curved, and her eyes darkened. He found himself wishing he could bend the rules once, just to taste her.

“I think I’m the one taking advantage, Jack.”

And he wanted her to. He really did. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t cross that line.

He pulled a pack of cards from his pocket. “Poker or Crazy Eights?”

“Strip poker?” She raised a mocking brow.

He’d walked right into that one. He shook his head ruefully.

She grew serious and looked at him for a long moment until the grip she had on her own arms lessened. “If something doesn’t happen soon I think I might go insane,” she admitted tightly.

“I’m not going to let you. We’re in this together until you get your daughter back.”

“It’s been four years.”

The desolation in her eyes got to him. “Alex has got this,” he reminded her.

She slowly released a tense breath. Finally, she nodded. “Crazy Eights it is.”





Chapter Ten





Frazer and Killion found a bar in the center of the old town and ordered two bottles of blond beer.

Killion watched the door. Frazer kept an eye on the rear exit. They’d chosen a spot near a small, indoor fountain, which helped destroy the quality of intercepts in the unlikely event someone was listening in.

Killion was here because Alex had helped him and Audrey Lockhart out of a jam in January and now he was returning the favor.

They clinked bottles.

“Here’s to retirement.” Killion grinned.

Frazer took a long swallow and wiped his mouth, startled by the feel of bristles on his jaw. It made him look less like a Fed, and more relaxed and carefree than he’d ever actually be. He hoped he got to find out what Izzy thought of it before he shaved. He checked the time. She’d be asleep. She was staying with her uncle Ted before starting the drive back in the morning. Ted had volunteered to load all their personal belongings and any furniture they wanted to keep into a moving van, and drive it north at the end of the month. Frazer wasn’t used to having so many people in his life but he was adjusting. He was enjoying the simple pleasure of having someone to talk to at the end of a grueling day. Someone to wake up with every morning. Someone to make love to whenever they had a spare five minutes alone…

“How’s retirement working out for you?” Frazer asked the spook.

Killion cocked a brow as he sprawled in his seat. “Good in terms of remembering how to be a decent human being, but if I don’t go back to work soon I have a feeling Audrey might start grinding a little frog skin into my breakfast smoothies.”