Jazz wasn’t a male chauvinist. Far from it. His maman and sisters made sure of that. He’d grown up loving the way the women around him gathered forces in their own little wars and won them by the oddest ways. He and his brother were skilled in the ways women manipulated men into doing things their way. His eyes narrowed as he studied the lone female in this underground room, listening to her words and noting her body language as she gave instructions like a pro.
Vivi Verreau was halfway to winning the wills, if not the hearts, of the men in the room. Including, he noted, his best friend Hawk. He hadn’t liked the way she kept calling him by his name while addressing him as Lieutenant Zeringue. He was used to Hawk getting women; Hawk was like catnip to them—they saw him; they had to have him. Jazz pushed the point of the pencil into the pad. Damn it, why must Vivi be seduced by those weird eyes, anyhow?
That Admiral Madison had approved of this joint mission was pretty telling. It meant he had enough confidence in Vivi and her group to allow his own SEALs to be under her command. Jazz hoped she wasn’t thinking she would have total command of the operation. He doubted Hawk would go that far, even to get a woman. He himself wasn’t even sure what to think yet. He knew Hawk would fill him in more explicitly about the admiral’s orders, so he was going to withhold all apprehensions until then.
A direct extraction was no easy matter. It involved lives. If it were just some search and destroy mission...but they would have no need of Vivi Verreau then. Any SEAL team had the capability of creating a lot of destruction without any female help. He eyed the woman, hip hitched against the table, skirt slightly hiked, and couldn’t help but admire her long legs. Oh yes, she knew what she was doing—every male in the room was thinking of those same legs clad camouflaged pants, running alongside them. She hadn’t convinced them she was capable of being on a mission with them yet, but she had certainly caught their imagination with her very solid knowledge, her sound answers, and those luscious legs.
Jazz jotted down notes for later discussion with Hawk. Dragan Dilaver—what was the SEAL team’s main objective with the guy if he weren’t the subject of direct extraction?
He looked at the “overhead” imagery, the photographs of all altitudes of the target area. They had plenty of time to do a run-through of the mission, and he looked forward to comparing strategy with Hawk. They had done this countless times. Only thing different this time would be an additional teammate. A female.
He looked at Vivi again. Not just any female either. Such a contradictory mystery. This woman was very comfortable working with men, very good at putting the opposite sex at ease. It was a direct contrast to the earlier display of her dislike of all things military. Just like when she didn’t want to go on a date with him, yet he felt she’d been very close to actually admitting to liking him. And now she’d skillfully gambled and agreed to have dinner with two military men just to make a point. How far was she willing to go? And what was she up to anyway?
In film noir, a woman of mystery had a secret arsenal. Jazz was beginning to believe his playful analogy was becoming more and more genuine by the moment.
“I have to leave for another appointment soon. Tomorrow we’ll brainstorm strategy.” Vivi concluded the Orders, giving them the time of the next meeting. “Your commanders will now take over and fill you in on the rest of your operation. I’ll sit in the back and if you hear me leaving, it’s not because you guys are boring me, okay?”
She smiled winningly, and Jazz could almost hear the dark sexy notes of a lone trumpet following her footsteps towards him. He couldn’t help giving her a knowing grin, partly because he knew that would irritate her.
He had to give Vivi credit. Instead of avoiding confrontation, she slid into the seat right next to him. Most women would let the poor guy stew and wonder about what was happening next. Apparently, that wasn’t her style.
Her light brown eyes still held a combative light. Probably mad at him for asking those questions. Part of him had enjoyed the exchange. It was his job to make sure his men remained safe, or as safe as possible, in their kind of work. The addition of someone unknown needed careful analysis. Again, he needed to talk to Hawk. Hear what Mad Dog had instructed.
Strange how a woman’s presence a couple of feet away could bring such awareness when his body was used to tossing around with other bodies in small spaces. But, of course, those other bodies often smelled like old socks and blood. Vivi Verreau had a scent all her own...not pungent like expensive perfume, not too flowery, not too fruity...just something elusive. He hoped to find out for himself over dinner.
In the front, Hawk commenced with the mission. Operation Stealth Trap. At least it wasn’t something stupid like Kum Quat. As Jazz jotted down the information, he began to see how the joint mission was going to take place. Vivi stayed for another fifteen minutes, then got up to go. She slid a piece of paper folded in half toward him. He pocketed it without taking his eyes off the map on the big screen. Her scent lingered even after she was gone.
***
The last time Jazz had argued with Hawk over a woman, they were still officers without any field experience, when they’d spent a lot of time hanging out in the officers’ lounge and learning about the bad side of being a sailor. That was, he mused, so long ago he couldn’t remember exactly what started the fight. One thing he did recall was a pretty woman with a wide, sexy mouth promising him the rest of the night.
Then Hawk had arrived and made a beeline for her when Jazz had gone off to the men’s room. When he returned, the woman was sucking Hawk’s lips like there was no tomorrow. Jazz had blamed his friend immediately, of course, since Hawk’s reputation with females was legendary even then, and he had enough alcohol in his system to start some trouble.
“I still have a scar from that kick.” Hawk’s voice merged with his memories.
Jazz looked up from his notes. The others had gone off after Orders, leaving their commanders alone. “I hate it when you do that,” he commented.
“It’s tough to share the same brain, isn’t it?”
That was how close the two of them were. Their ability to read each other’s minds sometimes disconcerted others, although privately Jazz admitted Hawk could read him better than the other way round.
“That was a long time ago,” Jazz said. “I don’t think we should take time-out for a boys’ fight over a woman.”
Hawk raised an eyebrow mockingly. “I didn’t issue any challenge. Besides, that woman with the lips left with someone else while we were busy fighting.”
Jazz grinned. “Yeah. Pity.”
Hawk grinned back. “I got her weeks later behind your back.”
“Fuckhead.” Jazz shook his head. “Always got to win.”
“It wasn’t you, buddy. She was very persistent and I was very young.”
“Oh, like you would say no now? You’re a tomcat, Hawk.”
“I’ve grown pickier.”
“Uh-huh.” Jazz stretched his legs out and yawned. He knew how women were with Hawk. “So don’t pick her.”
“You mean, Vivienne Verreau?” Hawk sat on the table, feet on the chair. “Why not? You interested?”
“Yeah.”
“But she hasn’t grown warm to your kind of charm yet.”
Jazz searched Hawk’s eyes. Damn if he couldn’t read his mind right now. “I haven’t had the chance.”
“You’re losing your touch, Jazz. You had all morning.”
“And your point is?”
“She agreed to go to dinner with me.”
“With me too.”
Hawk raised an eyebrow again. “So you want to fight?”
Jazz crossed his ankles. “You’re a bore. She’ll come to her senses.” He didn’t feel as confident as his words, but, hell, he wasn’t going to fight with Hawk over a woman when he didn’t even know what or who Vivi Verreau was. Besides, he thought with some smug satisfaction, she was still wearing his pendant. He added, “Why are you after her anyway?”
“She’s intriguing. Smart. And, she’s GEM.”
“What’s GEM?” Jazz was getting more curious about the agency by the second. “Her explanation was evasive, at best.”
“Like she said, independent contractors,” Hawk told him, giving a small shrug. “I know their women are all well trained in arms and languages, and they all know how to kiss.”
The last part was said with a devilish grin. Jazz frowned. He knew for sure Hawk hadn’t kissed Vivi yet. “Oh yeah, your cousin’s recent romance, the lady the guys keep talking about, the one who wears leather outfits like Cat Woman. Don’t tell me you kissed Steve’s girlfriend?”
Nothing Hawk did would surprise him, but he had never known Hawk to poach, especially when a woman had committed herself to some other man.
“She kissed me, actually. She thought I was Kisser.”
Hawk’s cousin, also named Steve McMillan, looked like and had almost the same build as Hawk. They had often been mistaken for brothers but were in fact cousins. But still...Jazz gazed at Hawk skeptically...they weren’t that identical.
Hawk’s lips quirked. He was reading Jazz’s mind again. “It was dark,” he offered as an explanation, “and we had our game face on.”
With camouflaged faces, one could mistake Hawk for Steve. “Okay, so they kiss well. What else do you know about GEM? Why did Mad Dog decide to do a joint mission with an independent? Since when did we become drug busters?”
“For one thing, Dilaver and his drug ring aren’t just the regular crime scum. His organization grows stronger every year and he’s arming the KLA in Serbia. He has his fingers in illegal arms, sex trade, and drugs, all interdependent when it comes to power in certain regions of the world, as you know.” Hawk thumbed at the screen behind him. “You saw the info she gave. He wants to expand but needs the cooperation of the Triads in Asia to make a move. If his gang joins up with the Triads, we have a problem in this part of the world.”
Jazz agreed. The region was already unstable, what with different warlords fighting one another and the government. With Dilaver backing one particular group, and selling illegal arms as well as channeling drugs and money laundering, the Triads could grow even more powerful. Could start to control the governing officers the way the KLA was doing now in Europe. But he had more questions that had nothing to do with political repercussions.
“Are GEM operatives female agents who go around saving sex victims?” Jazz asked. “Again, why the joint mission? Besides the fact that Vivienne Verreau speaks many languages.”
“From what the admiral told me, there are two outfits that work together—GEM and another covert unit known as COS commandos. GEM is independent but COS CO linked up with them for the last two years. When Admiral Madison discovered how all the agencies weren’t communicating with each other, he appointed Steve as liaison between them and our side. They have good resources and an ability to circumvent a lot of the B.S. when it comes to real action. They can help us whenever we’re in a bind.”
“Like when I was in the cage at Interpol,” Jazz interjected.
Hawk nodded. “Yeah, that’s one on the plus side. And this mission’s Intel came from them too. Obviously, their contract is to extract the girls but they checked with the admiral to make sure that we weren’t in this area to get Dilaver.”
Everything was beginning to make sense. When Admiral Madison had contacted the liaison to get him out, GEM probably grew concerned that his men were here for a mission that might jeopardize their operation.
“Okay. I see the big pic. We hit Dilaver. What about weaponry?”
“That’s the beaut part of the deal. No government-issued firepower. GEM’s supplying it.”
Jazz raised his eyebrows. “What do you think about that?”
Hawk gave a lazy grin. “I think we’re going to have lots of fun.”
So were the others. Nothing like telling a bunch of guys there were many toys to play with in the next week or so. “I’ll make a list of what we need.”
“Good. I have a dinner date tonight,” Hawk said, getting off the table.
In response, Jazz pushed his desk forward, jamming his friend between the tables. Hawk, amusement evident on his face, didn’t move out of the way. “Not so fast,” Jazz said.
“Sorry, buddy. With someone like Vivienne, I think ‘fast’ is a must. She’s a runner.”
Jazz scowled. “Like you know.”
“I can spot them a mile away.”
“So your strategy is to run faster to catch her?”
Hawk leaned down and pushed the desk back a few inches. Jazz stopped it with one hand. “Maybe I intend to,” Hawk told him.
Jazz scowled as he studied his friend for a second. He hadn’t seen Hawk this motivated about a woman for a while now. It wasn’t a good sign. “I’m going to get her,” he announced.
Hawk wasn’t at all perturbed by the challenge. “How are you going to do that?”
He kicked the leg of the table lightly. “You’re the one who claims we share the same brain. Find out yourself.”
He recognized Hawk’s confident smirk and lazily grinned back. Usually, Jazz didn’t care to join in the chase of an attractive woman, especially when his friend was interested. He much preferred his own company and music. But Vivi Verreau was not a usual woman.
“Better hurry. So what did she say in her note?”
Jazz arched a brow. “Evil twin,” he mocked, “do I look stupid?”
***
Vivi climbed the stairs up to her apartment. Her landlady peered out from the third-floor landing and waved when she saw who it was.
“Late! Your boyfriend mad.”
Vivi grinned. She had no boyfriend. Mrs. Lee was always trying to set her up with one of the occupants in the building. A lonely man, she told Vivi, with a smug smile. Ripe for the picking. Never late with rent. Always cook for himself. Good potential husband material. Vivi found Mrs. Lee’s persistence humorous and exasperating.
“I have to work,” she told the old lady.
“Ah, see? You get him, you don’t need to work so hard.” Mrs. Lee wagged a finger at her. “Only need some children and then you set for life.”
Vivi choked back a laugh as she began to climb the staircase. “I think children are harder work, Mrs. Lee,” she called up.
“Ha! Throw them out on the street. Call them home for dinner. What so hard? Beat their behinds if they get in trouble. Make more children. They take care of the young ones.”
Vivi pulled her keys out of her purse. She had heard this litany of advice before. Mrs. Lee had six children, all of whom acted older than their age, all of them with a street education beyond their years. Vivi had never pointed out that Mr. Lee was missing from the picture.
As usual, she opted for evasive humor. “I think I’ll stick to my fish tank, Mrs. Lee,” she said and laughed. “I’ve only one fish left in there, and I’m still waiting for it to die.”
She heard her landlady snort as she shuffled off back to her apartment. Her voice trailed away. “Fish! She thinks fish is better than husband and kids. Something wrong with that girl.”
Vivi laughed again as she closed the door behind her. Fish were the best. No need to take them for a walk. No barks, mews, or screeches. And when they died one flush from the toilet took care of everything. No high maintenance. She turned on the light.
“Shit,” she said as she stared at her couch.
The figure lounging casually there stretched sinuously, leather-clad long legs in high-heel boots sliding with catlike grace onto the floor. The overhead light reflected the curly blond tresses, the glint of gold jewelry, the metallic gleam of the buttons on her jacket. Talk about something high maintenance...
“Shit,” Vivi repeated. “You’ve cut your hair.”
“Like it? Shouldn’t you be taking a break from wearing those cheek inserts? It isn’t good to have them on over a year. The shape of your mouth will change permanently.”
Vivi frowned. She resisted the urge to tongue the hidden wire that secured the brace in her mouth that made her upper bite slightly more pronounced. It was a simple little device often used by operatives, and a lot easier than wearing false teeth over her real ones.
She had worn one specially designed for her out of curiosity. Now it was almost a defense mechanism. Sometimes when she looked in the mirror, she kept seeing her old self...She quickly shook off the thought.
It was just like her operations chief to put her on the defensive within the first few moments of meeting. Vivi shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t think you’ve slipped into my apartment to give me beauty tips, T. What’s with the surprise visit?”
“You haven’t been debriefed for a while now and I was in the neighborhood.”
Vivi sniffed in disbelief. “You were busy on assignment in New York, last I heard.” She crossed her arms. “I may be living in the boondocks but I do keep in touch with the sisters, you know. They told me you’ve transferred out of COS Command and were temporarily unavailable to anyone, especially an Alex Diamond.”
Tess was studying the rings on her fingers. “The girls talk too much. I’m just taking a break so I can do more one-on-one debriefing in the field.”
Vivi had never seen her operations chief backpedaling before. Alex Diamond must be a special man. “I’ve been sending in my reports. There haven’t been any changes.”
“There’s going to be some soon.”
Here we go. T never did anything without an ulterior motive. “Let me guess,” Vivi said dryly. “It has to do with a group of SEALs, a drug kingpin, and some young girls.”
“Right in one.”
“Tell me why you’re in town, T.”
“I’m currently residing at the Sofitel.”
Vivi raised a brow. “Nice. As?”
“I’m here enjoying a short holiday, darling. Part business, too. I might be negotiating a business deal in town.”
T wasn’t just her operations chief. She also undertook some of the toughest assignments GEM contracted, the kind that required the use of her ability to morph from one personality into another. For the past two years, T had been in a special joint mission that involved arms dealing with some of the world’s most notorious figures. Her presence in town didn’t just accidentally coincide with Dilaver’s upcoming arrival.
Vivi walked across the room to turn on the light over her fish tank. “So, I’m curious as to why you asked to be replaced at Center.” That was what they called the new HQ for both outfits. She sprinkled a little fish food into the water. “I was surprised when I heard about it. Tell me about Alex Diamond. Isn’t he the runaway COS commando whose duties you took over?”
A few years ago, T had joined the team of covert commandos of a special program called Virus. Part of the reason was to avenge the death of one of their operatives killed by a bomb that had also taken the lives of several COS operatives. GEM had the ability to track worldwide money laundering whereas COS Command Center had the means to bankroll the covert operations. It didn’t hurt to have a group of well-trained commandos at one’s beck and call, either. The exchange of information had been hugely successful in creating a network to infiltrate international groups running illegal arms.
“You’ve been underground a couple of years now, Viv. Things change.”
That hadn’t escaped Vivi’s notice. From talking with fellow operatives, she’d learned that GEM was slowly expanding from contract operations. T’s gaze was watchful, although she still lounged in that deceptively lazy manner.
“Nothing’s changed at my end,” Vivi said softly. She hadn’t taken a break in two years because she hadn’t found what she was looking for, and T. knew how important this contract was to her. She smiled and shrugged. “But I can see it’s different at yours. There is this rumor that Alex Diamond, newly returned from the cold COS commando, is looking for you in a very personal way. Could the rumor be true?”
It was fun needling T for once. She cocked an inquiring brow at her operations chief.
“Rumors have a funny way of being distorted. I don’t think a ‘very personal way’ would be how I’d explain it.”
Vivi noted that she hadn’t denied the rumor. “Do you think I should take a field position with these commandos you’ve been working with? If one of them could get under your skin, they must be pretty potent.”
T smiled. “It’s not enough you have two SEALs eating out of your hands, now you want my men too? Things have changed if you’re after military men, Vivi. I remember your...abhorrence of all things uniformed.”
As usual, nothing escaped her chief. “You brought up debriefing, yet you already seemed very well informed. Surely, you aren’t interrupting your hot romance just to find out about my love life?”
T laughed as she got off the sofa, crossing the small living room in a few long-legged strides. A tall, striking woman, she had the confident walk of someone used to being the center of attention. One of the few things Vivi liked about her chief was her genuine enjoyment of her own beauty. But she had so many disguises, no one had ever been sure about the real woman. Vivi had often wondered about the many layers that had surfaced then disappeared, had tried to fathom how one could run around without a face of her own.
But that was years ago. She might never rise to T’s level when it came to multiple identities, but like many of her GEM friends, she had learned to compartmentalize. She was also very aware T always prepared her operatives with subtle manipulation, as if she were playing a chess game and Vivi was one of her pieces. She watched warily as her visitor walked past her to the fish tank, with its one lone occupant.
“Poor little fish, all alone,” she said, tapping on the glass. “What’s the matter, you can’t afford to buy a couple more?”
“I’m waiting for her to die,” Vivi explained. “She’s obstinate as hell.”
“Ah, but loners tend to live a long, long time, darling.”
Little hairs of apprehension pricked Vivi’s awareness. “Is that right?” She kept her voice light. “I didn’t know you’re a fish expert now.”
T’s finger traced the movement of the fish. “Self-confinement,” she said, darting Vivi a sideways glance, “especially in a controlled environment, makes things very predictable.”
“The fish will die eventually,” Vivi pointed out, refusing to take the bait.
“Stop feeding it and it’ll die quicker.”
Vivi canted her brows. “Are you asking me to kill my pet?”
“I was just offering a suggestion. You said you were waiting for it to die.”
“I have time on my hands.”
“What, another two years?”
“If it takes that long, then I’ll be here that long.”
“And of course, you’ll leave those cheek inserts in till your face is permanently disfigured.”
Vivi frowned. Somehow she’d been manipulated back into talking about something she didn’t care to discuss. She’d hoped talking about Alex Diamond would get T off her back. “We’re talking about my fish,” she said, a little too defensively.
“Artificially controlled environment, regularly fed, mateless, circling around in the same waters looking for something that’s not there...” T ran her fingers through her blond tresses. “Of course we’re talking about your fish, darling.”
“Thanks for your concern about my pet’s lonely existence, but really, it’s just a fish,” Vivi said politely, hoping to sidestep the obvious undercurrent. “Let’s go back to the faxed documents with the new orders. Why are we doing a joint mission with SEALs?”
“Why not? We have a contract to extract a shipment of illegal aliens coming into the country, and Admiral Madison has been after Dilaver for a while. It makes sense to plan our operation together—we both get what we want.”
Vivi massaged the back of her neck. God, she was suddenly so tired. “We can’t win this war, can we? As long as there are men who will buy young girls as sex slaves, there’ll always be missing children and victimized kids.”
She knew she shouldn’t betray too much of herself when it came to T, but it’d been a long time since she had someone to talk to. Her daily battle to find a safe house to take in young runaways and underage prostitutes in the city was only part of her own reasons to be there, and lately it seemed like every day was a fruitless battle.
“This is eating you up,” T commented. There was a hint of worry in her eyes. “That’s why I’m giving you this new assignment. It’ll take your mind away from here for a bit. You’re giving up too much of yourself in the situation here.”
“And what’s wrong with that?” Vivi countered, her voice sounding a little sharper than intended. “These girls have no one to turn to, T. They’re either married off or sold to these pimps. Or they run off without knowing what the world has in store for them.”
“That isn’t why you’re here, Viv.”
“I know my job. Do you have complaints about that?”
T shoved her hands into her pockets. The concern in her eyes had disappeared, replaced by a cool flatness. Vivi had seen that look before. T specialized in a NOPAIN program called mind probe, a skill taught to certain operatives who were trained in interrogation. She’d made the mistake of talking too damn much to her chief.
“Let’s hear your complaints first,” T suggested as she came closer.
There was usually little escape when T started one of these sessions. Vivi’s chin went up. “Well, I’d like more action instead of collecting data on male military men detained and released. I’d like to see the local government going after the gangs who kidnap these girls. I’d like international laws going after sexual predators. All those would be a good start.”
“Do you think you’ve accomplished none of the above?”
“I haven’t seen anything encouraging.”
“So just because you don’t see it means nothing’s being achieved?”
Vivi pointed to herself. “It feels like a losing cause and I don’t like it.”
“Making it personal can do that to you, darling. You get the urge to feed the hunger all the time.” T surprised her with a light laugh. She pivoted toward the kitchenette. “I think we need some refreshments. This debriefing is turning out to be most enlightening.”
Vivi scowled. It was just like T to go abruptly from subject to subject. She had to be on her toes all the time when T was around. Fish, drink, makeup, and before one knew it, she’d gotten all of one’s little secrets. Vivi should know. She’d been trained in NOPAIN herself. The one skill for which many GEM operators were famous—non-physical and innovative negotiation—and the woman checking out the contents of her refrigerator wrote most of the chapters in that book. T was trying to gauge her weaknesses and probing for secrets.
“What do you mean, feed the hunger?” she asked, joining T, staring inside at the trays of wrapped leftovers on the shelves.
“Something personal always feeds something. Ego. Revenge. Memories.” T pulled out a container, opened it, and sniffed. “Yum. Spicy. That’s what I need right now.”
“So you’re saying I can’t feed my hunger, whether it’s ego, revenge, or memories?”
Don’t go, Vivi. I’m scared. Don’t leave me.
I’ll be back to get you. I promise, okay?
“Oh, don’t get me wrong. Sometimes it’s good to use personal motive to get things done, but once it becomes a personal indulgence...” T shrugged. She pulled some dishes from the cabinet. “It gets in the way of success.”
“We aren’t just talking about me, are we?” Vivi leaned a hip against the counter, watching her chief closely. She hadn’t seen her for a while, and for the first time noticed the little lines of tension around her mouth. “It’s this Alex guy, isn’t it? Let’s not pussyfoot around anymore. I’ve heard that you and he weren’t getting along at Center now that he’s back from the cold, that he pushed you out of your position. Is that true?”
If that was, it would be the first time T had ever allowed another man to beat her. Vivi had never met any of these commandos, but had heard enough to know they were a special group of men.
T spooned the food onto the plate and handed it to Vivi. “Needs to be heated, darling. I hate cold, stale food.”
Vivi crossed her arms. “Changing the subject, T darling?” she drawled. This was the second time T had avoided answering the same question.
“You want me to go personal, you’ll have to try harder,” T drawled back. “I suppose you aren’t going to feed me properly.”
Vivi pointed to a microwave oven in the corner. “Quick and easy.” She pointed to the oven. “Or slow and tedious. Which way do you want it, T? Either way, you won’t get me to quit till I’m ready.”
“Either way, I’ll get my food done. And nobody’s asking you to quit...yet.” T walked to the microwave. “Things are going to heat up really quickly and I want you to be prepared.”
“For what?”
“Five minutes ought to do it,” T said, as she pushed some buttons. “How about a drink, hmm? You really are lacking in hosting skills.”
Vivi silently handed T two empty glasses. Sometimes it was just easier to let T play her mind games. She would reveal what was going on in her own time, and no amount of yelling would yield any difference.
She watched T pour some iced tea into the glasses, studying the other woman as she moved around her small kitchen. She had lost some weight; her exquisite bone structure seemed more pronounced, emphasizing the hollows in her cheeks and the sensual fullness of her lips. She had always looked at T closely, taking lessons on how to change her looks from the best in the business. Sometimes the slight changes were chemical-injected, other times it was just a different way of parting hair, but she had a feeling the physical changes this time weren’t self-induced. She waited until T sat at the little dining table with food and drink ready.
“Not eating?”
Vivi shook her head. Best not to talk about her dinner plans. “I’m not hungry yet. So tell me about D.C.” Vivi pulled out a chair. Maybe changing tactics would loosen T’s tongue. “I heard Operation Foxhole went beautifully. You’ve spent all these years going after Maximillian Shoggi. It must feel good to know we have him by the balls.”
After one of GEM’s popular operatives, Emma, along with several COS commandos, had been killed in a setup, GEM had wanted to catch the culprits. The past few years, T had done double duty as a contract agent and an avenger, mapping several operations that targeted the individuals involved. With her new promotion and decision-making muscle, T had been able to make certain changes. One of them was merging part of the GEM sections with COS Center.
The result was Operation Foxhole, a years-long project to undermine Maximillian Shoggi, the main supplier of illegal arms and also the infamous shadow middleman who had caused the deaths. It took a while, but they had slowly squeezed his bank accounts and money flow until he was forced to come out in the open. Vivi had only recently caught up with the news. It wasn’t easy to get up-to-date in this part of the world, especially when it had to do with such a complex mission. But T was here now. And Dilaver was also a very well-known illegal weapons supplier. Very important link here.
“Yes, we have him where we want him,” T said, between bites. “He has the laptop we sold him and he’s a desperate man, running out of money. His main front, Cash Ibrahim, is dead, and Shoggi isn’t used to dealing directly. He’ll be looking for help to sell that laptop.”
“Ah, the meat of the matter,” Vivi said dryly. T’s eyes twinkled back at her. “Delicious meal, by the way,” she said, finishing up the last few spoonfuls. “Spice is good for the soul. You should eat more of it, Viv.”
“I eat my share.”
T arched her shapely eyebrows. “Are their names Zola Zeringue and Hawk McMillan?”
“I just got to know them myself. You sent me Lieutenant Zeringue’s files, so don’t jump to any conclusions,” Vivi said, mad at herself for sounding defensive again.
“I didn’t say anything other than their names,” T came back, amused. “And isn’t it interesting you only brought up one of them?”
Vivi decided to ignore the observation. “I gather this is going to tie in with why you’re here and why we’re doing a joint mission with the Navy SEALs?”
“Yes.”
“Why throw me with them? You can easily do the operations blindfolded, T.”
“We have an insider working within the Triads. Everything we know, including the shipment of girls with Dilaver, comes from him. With so many dealers in town, we have to tread carefully here because we don’t want any interference with Shoggi’s visit and my work. I have a lot on my plate and I know you’d want a piece of the action. Or aren’t you interested?”
T knew very well she would want in. Vivi nodded her answer.
“I thought you would,” T said, drinking down her iced tea. “You’re here and I need someone who can handle the girls after the extraction. We can’t afford to have our inside man expose himself, and I have my own role to play.”
“Can I ask what that is?” A shipment of girls coming in. That was what this place needed, more innocent children traded for sex. Vivi refused to let her frustration show.
“It’s not over with Maximillian Shoggi, darling. He still needs to get rid of the laptop. My last attempt at contacting him didn’t end so well, especially for his middleman. Without Cash, he’ll be desperate to get hold of Dilaver. I mean to make sure Dilaver gets interested in this item.”
Vivi absorbed the information, taking a sip from her drink. T, as usual, was going to be in the middle of danger. “Will you let me in on all the details? Who’s our insider?”
T smiled mysteriously. “One thing at a time. First, we have to get the extraction of the girls completed. The admiral’s SEALs are perfect decoys.”
Vivi frowned. “I hope you aren’t going to use the girls we save to lure Dilaver? And, if we use those SEALs as decoys, wouldn’t we be jeopardizing their mission?” And safety.
“No, the sea mammals will be fine. With their help, darling, we’re going to start a war. A small one...but still, a nice bad-guy versus bad-guy war.”
***
Stefan had weighed carefully how to win this battle. He needed help to get to the Triad brother; he needed someone who had the crime lord’s ear.
“Are you sure the information is correct?”
“Have I ever been wrong?”
He reclined lazily against the brocade pillows, indolently watching the woman as she tried on the jewelry he’d brought for her. The dangling diamonds sparkled in the dim lighting as she swung her head one way and then the other, enjoying her own reflection in the dressing mirror. She put on the necklace with its teardrop diamond pendant, then swung around to face him, eyes glowing with pleasure.
“How do they look?”
“Tempting,” he said.
She pouted. “Not my breasts, you insatiable one. The jewelry.”
He kept his eyes on her large breasts. “They look good,” he said.
He could tell that his answer pleased her, even though she pretended to be a little mad he wasn’t looking at his presents. He didn’t care about the baubles; at their price, he knew they would look great on anyone.
She lifted her breasts teasingly, her fingers playing with her large nipples. “How many pills in the shipment?” she asked as she strutted closer to the bed.
He smiled. He wasn’t the one who was insatiable. “Give me a good price and I’ll tell you more.”
Her pout became more pronounced. “Your price is too high. My brother might not want to pay it.”
He lay back further against the pillows. His hand reached between his legs as he watched her approach. “Tell him it’s my price or nothing. I’m the only one with the map.”
Her attention was avidly on what he was doing. “You can’t negotiate?”
“I am negotiating,” he replied softly, as he leisurely aroused himself.
She climbed onto the bed, her eyes greedy on what he was offering. “Totally unfair,” she whispered. “You know I want that. But my brother will never understand this kind of terms.”
He pulled on his erection, knowing how much it aroused her that he was in control of himself, of her, of the situation. He never ever forgot she liked being mastered, even though it was all pretense. She wanted to be the one to have the power to say no. She was playing with him, just as he was playing with her.
It was a dangerous game. She had the power to eliminate him. He was one against an army of bandits and she knew this. He watched the woman as she climbed onto the bed, sinuously crawling between his legs. The diamond pendant dangled and twinkled like some omen of warning. Her tongue flicked her upper lip, anticipating a feast. He was food. He must always remember that.
He reached out and grabbed the back of her head and pulled her down. Her eager mouth opened and captured him, taking him noisily. He pulled her hair and set the pace he liked. Slow. Faster. Now even faster. She was gasping as she swallowed him over and over.
“Take me deep,” he whispered, and he didn’t mean what she was doing to him. He reached lower to play with her generous breasts, weighing them in his hands. “Can your brother give you this kind of pleasure? Can he make you swallow every drop?”
She shook her head in answer, as she continued sucking and licking his erection. He allowed her to slow down. He slid out of her mouth and caressed her face with his slick cock. Her eyes were half-closed as she regained her breathing.
“No one ever tempts me the way you do,” she whispered hoarsely. “You’re addictive, like the drugs we profit from. No one dares make me do the things you do.”
That was his ace in this dangerous game. As long as he played it well, he would get something back from her.
“Then show me you trust me,” he invited.
She looked up. “I do.”
“Take one of those pills you feed the girls,” he commanded softly.
Her eyes widened as she jerked up in surprise. “What?”
“Yes. I want you to lie there helplessly, unable to move. I want you to let me do things to you.” He opened his palm and showed her the little pill.
“No, no way!” But her eyes gleamed with excitement. Her lips were moist. She stared down at the pill. “You’re a devil!”
He moved his hand closer to her mouth. “Don’t you want me to be the master? Go on. Trust me. You’ll like it.”
“No, this is too much!” But she didn’t resist as he slipped the pill into her mouth. “I can’t do this. You’re dangerous!”
Minutes later, he looked down at her lying on the bed, staring up at him helplessly. Her pupils were dilated. She couldn’t move her limbs, although she could see and feel what was going on. She still shook her head, albeit slowly, saying no. Her eyes were beginning to show a little fear as she realized how totally helpless she was. He smiled down at her.
“This is what you give to unwilling virgins the first time,” he said as he opened her legs wide for him, positioning a pillow under her hips. “I’m the big bad man come to claim you, my sweet innocent virgin. I’m going to take you any way I want and you can’t stop me.”
“Oh please,” she moaned.
She was wet already. He showed her his erection and slid his hand up and down. He placed a hand between her legs and played with her, until she began to beg. “First,” he said. “Negotiations on the deal. Then we play.”
“Anything, Stefan, anything!”
He laughed softly, climbing over her. “You’ll call your brother and tell him the terms. Tell him these little pills are worth every penny. Tell him how much profit he could make selling them to whoremongers in Europe. Tell him you trust me, sweetheart. You do, don’t you? That’s why you’re lying here in my power, letting me do as I please with your delicious body.”
He bit the fleshy part of her breast. She gasped. “I like marking you,” he continued. “So whenever you look in the mirror, you’ll remember what we’ve done.”
He didn’t take her immediately. Instead, he made her watch as he masturbated over her. Then he brought her to the brink of release again and again, only to deny her. Her moans turned to pleas. Her pleas turned to promises, as he demanded her trust, her capitulation.
“You aren’t acting like a frightened virgin,” he chided, his voice amused and bored. “Haven’t you noticed—they don’t plead; they scream, baby. And they aren’t usually wet. What am I going to do with you? You’re already a whore; you don’t need any little pill to train you into submission, do you, darling?”
He adjusted a pillow under her, thrusting her lower body up. He watched her eyes widen as he took a small diamond droplet from a pouch. It was the size of a pea and it wobbled and shivered, its multifaceted surface glittering as he shook it teasingly. “You’ll like this, Alissa. It’s a toy I picked up that goes with the jewelry,” he murmured, dabbing one side of it with an ointment. He showed it to her, his thumb and forefinger squeezing the attaching prongs, and letting her see how the gem moved. “This hangs right on your clit and it also has a heating agent. It makes you hot and tingly as it sways like a crazy pendulum.”
He attached the small jewel on her, then admired it for a second. He flicked at it with thumb and forefinger and it immediately began twirling back and forth, up and down, its spring mechanism making the movement continual. The effect was immediate.
“Ohhhhhhhhh...” Her shoulders and thighs shook as she struggled to move, to do anything to stop the pleasure-pain given by the constantly swaying movement and the increasing heat from the ointment on her already swollen clitoris.
He didn’t pay attention to her pleas as he continued to play with her. She had the wild look of a woman on the brink of ecstasy. He flicked at the diamond gently, making it rotate the other way. She promised to get him the price he’d asked for. He rewarded her with another flick of his finger, now moving the jewel to sway back and forth. Her throaty cries filled the room. He would play for another half hour, before he asked for the cell number. He was determined to see this deal done today.