The next morning, Carley took a deep breath and then released a slow sigh as she sat in the peaceful environment of Relax and Renu. She had to hand it to Kat, the spa did amazing things for the body and soul. She snuggled deeper into her pink, terry cloth robe and melted into the comfort of an oversized reclining chair behind her cucumber mask, grateful to concentrate on something other than last night’s fiasco.
She opened one eye and glanced at her friends who sat next to and across from her. “These cucumbers smell good enough to eat.”
“Maybe.” Kat giggled without smiling, an impressive move in her opinion. “But please don’t eat your mask. It’s drawing the tension from your skin.”
Sophie rolled her head to one side. “Have you heard anything else about the … you know what? Rebel left early.”
“Alpha Four is meeting this morning,” Liv said as she crossed her ankles. “Apparently, Thunder likes to get a jump on things.”
Curious, Carley sat up and moved her gaze onto Liv; obviously Sophie and Kat shared the same curiosity because they sat forward too.
“And you know this how?” Kat prodded.
Carley bit her lip to keep from giggling when Liv attempted unsuccessfully to move her eyebrows. “Thunder took me home last night, remember?”
“Don’t frown,” Kat scolded. “You’ll crack the mask. You actually had a conversation with Thunder?”
“I don’t know if I’d call it a conversation, but I was able to get a couple sentences out of him.”
“He is a man of few words,” Sophie agreed. “What did he have to say?”
“Mostly I got the lecture about practicing safety, especially since no one knows exactly why someone left a finger in the fountain, but he did say they would meet this morning.”
“I got the same lecture.” Kat leaned back in her chair. “I’m not arguing this time.”
Guilt forced Carley to swallow hard. At least her life hadn’t been threatened; Kat hadn’t been so lucky.
Sophie tilted her head to one side. “Do you suppose it was someone’s idea of a sick joke?”
“It was sick, alright,” Carley mumbled.
“Well, I have news that will take our minds off it.” Sophie said. “Rebel and I set a wedding date.”
“About time,” Kat drawled. “It’s for real this time, right?”
Sophie rolled her eyes at Kat’s mention of Sophie and Rebel’s previous pretend engagement – the one staged to attract an art thief. “Yes.”
“Congratulations!” Carley managed a slight smile beneath the tight paste, relieved to turn her mind to more positive things. “When?”
“The twelfth of next month.” Sophie bit her bottom lip. “I hope that’s enough time to plan.”
“We’ll make it work,” Carley promised.
“You’ll do it, right?”
“Of course!”
“I don’t know how you do it, Carley.” Liv sighed. “You are the most organized woman I know.”
“Nah.”
“Are you finished with the Mayor’s Reception?”
“Almost. I’m finishing up today. You guys are coming, right?”
“You know we wouldn’t miss it.”
Carley cleared her throat. “And your plus-ones?”
“I’m assuming you’re talking to me,” Liv said. “Sophie and Kat obviously have a date.”
“So?” Kat prompted. “Who’d you ask?”
“I haven’t yet.”
“Who are you going to ask?”
“Thunder.”
“Really?”
Liv nodded. “I figured it would give him a chance to practice his people skills.”
“And you?”
Carley almost winced when Kat turned her attention to her. “I’m working,” she said easily. “My date would be alone and bored to death.”
“What about Ace?”
“What about him?”
“He’ll be the only member of Alpha Four not invited.” Kat shrugged. “You know what they say, never leave a man behind.”
Carley giggled. “Smooth, Kat. I’ll think about it.”
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Only you would have to think about it.”
“You know I don’t do spontaneous very well,” she mumbled.
“Just don’t think too long,” Liv said gently.
Kat stood from her chair. “I don’t know about you guys, but my face is ready to crack. Let’s rinse.”
Carley followed her friends to the sinks that lined one wall of the facial room, considering their suggestions to invite Ace to the reception. On one hand, it would be nice to have him to talk to while she worked. On the other, having him close to her all evening may be a very big distraction. She’d spent enough time around him to know he never missed a beat; if the opportunity arose for him to take charge, he’d do it.
She turned on the faucet, cupped her hands, and then splashed water on her face. She hadn’t scheduled a date into her party itinerary but she could probably re-work the plan to include one. Besides, the event only required her supervision. She had a well-experienced staff to take care of the particulars.
She reached for a towel hanging beside the sink and blotted the moisture from her skin. Who needed structure? Maybe a distraction was just what she needed – a big, strong, delectable one.
***
In the conference room of the Alpha Four office, Ace sat at the rectangular, oak table and glanced around as he mentally prepared himself for the briefing he wasn’t exactly looking forward to hearing. Although, he had to admit it would be informative; their whole operation came close to being something right out of a super-spy movie.
Equipped with state-of-the-art computer equipment and software, they didn’t have to look far for intelligence. Rebel’s sixth sense, paired with his tracking skills, made him an expert at uncovering Intel. And with Thunder’s connections, both professional and not, they operated as a well-oiled machine. Thunder laid out strategy, Rebel forced the perp out of hiding, and he and Chaos took him down. Short, sweet, and to the point. Sometimes.
Even though Thunder had spent most of last night with the Everglade Springs PD, he was willing to bet Alpha Four had more information than the detectives. In fact, he was positive that both Rebel and Chaos had access to inside information; both Sophie’s Senator-father and Kat’s judge-father had many tools at their disposal when it came to digging for evidence.
He released a hard breath in frustration. Unfortunately, even the best tools in the business wouldn’t shorten this mission; they had absolutely nothing to go on.
He moved his attention back to the issue at hand when Rebel pushed a button and a panel opened in the middle of the table. In seconds, a computer screen and keyboard sat in front of his teammate.
Thunder leaned forward, braced his elbows on the table, and steepled his fingers. “Let’s review the guest list. Read the roster, Ace.”
“City Council members; the Mayor, Chief of Police; District Attorney; Senator and Mrs. Graystone; Judge Abbott and his assistant, James Foster; Charles and Eva Kensworth: Henry and Charlotte Kensworth; and Richard and Elizabeth Blackwell, to name a few.”
“Prominent members of the community,” Rebel summarized.
“Yeah. Carley’s not your average event planner.” He couldn’t help but feel proud. “Most of her clients are high-end.”
“Any one of them could have a crazed fan,” Chaos mumbled.
“Affirmative.” Thunder folded his arms across his chest. “We’ve just got to figure out which one.”
Rebel pressed keys on the keyboard. “The most logical would be Judge Abbott.”
“Possibly,” Chaos agreed, “but in this case every single one of those guests could’ve very easily pissed off our perp. I would imagine the Chief of Police does it daily.”
He frowned at the captain. “Do we have the victim’s identity?”
“John Doe.”
“Naturally,” Rebel drawled.
Thunder shrugged. “Suspect used the middle finger – no matching prints in the database.”
“So we’re dealing with a professional.”
“Maybe. He obviously knows something about fingerprinting.”
Chaos sat forward, rested his elbows on the table, and steepled his fingers. “Any direct threats on Carley?”
“No,” Rebel confirmed, “I’ve checked the Better Business Bureau and all of her social media. No complaints or negative reviews.”
“Neighbors?”
“Love her.”
“What about her parents?”
Ace spouted information he knew by heart – information he’d taken the time to acquire almost the exact moment the petite, raven-haired firecracker had caught his eye. “Charles and Eva Kensworth. Mr. Kensworth is the President of Kensworth Investments, founded by his father, Henry Kensworth. Henry still holds a seat on the Board of Directors. I couldn’t find any suspicion there, either.”
“Liv, Sophie and Kat attended the party too, each well-known in her own right,” Chaos pointed out.
“Yeah.”
“Okay, let’s break this down.” Chaos sat back in his chair and folded his hands behind his head. “Sophie is the daughter of a U.S. Senator. Both Edward and Alana Graystone were there as well. Kat’s father, Judge William Abbott attended and we know for a fact he has enemies. Liv’s parents own the hotel – Richard and Elizabeth Blackwell donated the use of the venue.”
Thunder unfolded his arms. “What was the purpose of this party?”
“The City of Everglade Springs hosts it every year to introduce new council members, community projects, etc.” Ace gave a mental snort – or so they claimed.
“Anybody want anything?”
“Everyone wants something.” He grinned, more than willing to give his opinion. “The whole purpose is to rub elbows with someone who may have something to offer.”
“All the guests were associated with the City?”
“In a roundabout way. There were also members of big business present. Apparently, it’s the place to be if you’re looking for a handout.”
“Not much to go on.”
“Not yet.” He released a hard breath. “Our only option is to watch and learn.”
“Agreed. What’s your plan?”
He paused, careful not to reveal the spontaneous response on the tip of his tongue. His plan? He had a perfect excuse to invade her space – moving in to protect her sexy body made absolute sense in his mind anyway. In reality, there was no immediate danger and there was no sense making himself look like the sap he pretty much knew he was.
“We have no proof our perp is focused on Carley. No need to jump to conclusions yet - I can keep a close enough eye on her with a discreet tail.”
“Discreet, huh?” Chaos chuckled.
He frowned. “Yeah.”
“Good luck with that.”
“She’s at the spa with Sophie, Kat and Liv.” Rebel glanced at the watch on his wrist. “My Intel says they’re almost finished.”
His frown deepened. “How the hell do you have Intel we don’t?”
“Pillow talk.”
Ace groaned as he stood, silently envious but smart enough not to let it show. “I’ll see if I can catch her before she leaves.”
“How is that discreet?”
He grinned while he walked toward the doorway leading out of the room. “It isn’t.”
***
Bright sunlight bounced off the lenses of her sunglasses as Carley stepped out of the spa and headed for her car. She grinned. If Kat’s cucumber mask had done its job, her skin was probably equally as radiant. It had been nice to spend the morning pampering herself in the relaxing comfort of Kat’s spa, melting away the tension of last night’s unfortunate ending. In fact, only one other activity might possibly have the same effect, but only if a certain soldier participated.
Her grin widened into a full-fledged smile and she released a tiny giggle. Something about Ace’s take-charge attitude told her he knew several methods of relaxation. And his carefree nature – well, that would only add spontaneity.
“That’s an awfully big smile.”
Her nerves jumped at the sound of a male voice behind her and she spun to discover the identity.
“Ace!” She grasped the rock hard muscle of his forearm and squeezed. “You scared me to death!”
He simply snickered. “You were caught up in your thoughts.”
Oh, yes she was. Thoughts she didn’t intend to share with him.
Yet.
“Not really.”
“Really,” he insisted with a sexy grin. “Care to share?”
Oh, man. She bit her tongue to keep her confession quiet.
“No.” She folded her arms under her breasts. “What are you doing here?”
“Waiting on you.”
“Why?”
He gave a lazy shrug. “I wanted to see you.”
“Okay, for what reason?”
“Do you need an explanation for everything?”
“Yes.”
“I thought you might like to get a cup of coffee.”
“Where?”
“The coffee shop down the block.”
“The Perfect Brew?”
He nodded.
“Well, let me see.” She dug through her bag, pulled out her itinerary, and then spread it out on the hood of her car.
The sexy chuckle behind her told her he looked over her shoulder.
“You have a color-coded map of your schedule?”
“Of course. It’s a much better use of my time not to back track or wander aimlessly around the city.”
“Uh-huh. And the places in red are the most important?”
“Yes. Those are the stores I order from frequently. I usually have quite a few items to pick up.”
He tapped the numbers next to a red square. “You time yourself?”
She crammed her itinerary into her bag and turned to face him as she glanced at her watch. “Yes, and I’m behind.”
“Then it won’t hurt to have a cup of coffee with me.”
She tilted her head to one side, weighing the pros and cons of the possibility. Pros crowded her brain in seconds; cons failed to congregate. Maybe she’d give spontaneous a shot.
“Sure,” she said finally, “under one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“You shop with me afterwards.”
“For what?”
“Party supplies for the Mayor’s Reception.”
“Okay.”
Both surprised and suspicious about his quick response, she extended a hand. “Shake on it so I know you’re serious.”
“I can do better than that.”
He stepped close to her, rested a hand on her hip, and slowly lowered his head. Her breath caught in her throat and her heart beat a jungle rhythm. Her knees weakened as his face came impossibly closer and just when she felt the urge to faint, his lips grazed the surface of her right cheek. One small peck that packed a severe wallop.
He stepped back and gave her another of those knee-weakening smirks. “Still doubt my sincerity?”
“No,” she answered breathlessly. “C’mon, let’s get that coffee.”
Ace walked beside Carley, practicing great discipline not to tuck her hand inside his and squeeze tight. No, if he gave in to the urge, he’d take ahold and show her just what a rush it was to operate without an itinerary – color-coded or otherwise – right in the middle of the cream and sugar.
It wasn’t that he was opposed to structure and discipline – he was a career soldier, for Pete’s sake – but being a sniper taught him that things didn’t always follow a plan. In fact, there was no such thing as a plan when he zeroed in on a target; it was all up to circumstance at that point.
He was eternally thankful to finally reach the coffee shop and grab the door handle.
He gestured inside with one hand. “After you.”
It wasn’t until he wrapped his hands around a steaming cup of joe that he felt relatively sure he wouldn’t pounce on her.
“So, you said we’re shopping for a party.”
“Yes, the Mayor’s Reception. I’m putting the finishing touches on it since it’s tomorrow night.”
“I’m assuming you have a theme.”
She nodded. “The Roaring Twenties, casino-style.”
“Sounds interesting. Do you have a date?”
“Depends.”
She lifted her cup, swallowed and then returned it to the table. He recognized the stall tactic as one to allow herself to mull over the opportunity that just presented itself. He hoped upon hope she’d take the bait.
“Do you have a costume?”
Relief punched him in the gut. “No, but I’ll find one.”
“We can pick up one while we’re out.”
“Think you can work that into the schedule?”
“I think we can manage.”
Her smile rendered him speechless for a few seconds, the gesture only making her more beautiful. He hadn’t spent a lot of time with her, but he’d spent enough to know that she wore her emotions on her pretty, porcelain face. If she was happy, her face lit up like a bonfire. If she was angry, her eyes crackled with thunder and flashed jagged lightning bolts. If she was unhappy, his heart broke in two and his body went on full alert, ready to obliterate the cause of her pain.
She tapped the side of her cup, dragging his attention back to the present. “Do you have any more news on last night’s party?”
“No, but it’s early.”
“Whose finger is it?”
“The prints couldn’t be identified.”
“Geez, someone knew what they were doing,” she mumbled.
“Looks that way on the surface,” he agreed, “but sometimes it’s luck. The lab’s not done with it yet.”
“I can’t figure out the reasoning behind leaving it.”
“Unfortunately, there’s not always a clear-cut reason. Do you know if any of the guests are involved in underground activity?”
“The majority of them are politically-connected.” She raised an eyebrow. “You know as well as I do what that means, solid proof or not.”
He nodded. “Did you hear any business talk?”
“The biggest development is the shipping port at the marina, but that’s all over the news. EF Chemicals is lobbying for money and support.”
“Any protests?”
“None so far. Everyone seems to be supportive.”
“Why does the company want a new port?”
“Volume. The current operation isn’t large enough to support the business they intend to bring.”
“Who attended from the company?”
“The president, Christopher Remington.”
“Do you know him?”
“Quite well, actually. We grew up next door to each other.”
“He’s a close friend?”
“Fairly so.”
“Was he there when you discovered the finger?”
“No, he left early. In fact, not too many people were still there, thank goodness.”
“Did your family offer support to the project?”
“Not yet. My grandfather insists the decision be presented to the Board of Directors before offering assistance.” She shrugged. “It’s really just a technicality.”
He tipped his cup, swallowed the remaining contents, and abruptly closed the discussion. “How far is the costume shop?”
“Three doors down.” She smirked. “Are you ready to play dress-up?”
He didn’t even bother stopping the smile that split his lips. “I’d play dress-up with you any day.”
***
He paced the hardwood floor of his office, impatiently waiting for information that would put him much more at ease. He had a plan, one that required the cooperation of several people, which made it difficult to assure a successful outcome.
When he originally set out to achieve his objective, his intent had been to take matters into his own hands. He knew that the more he depended upon others, the odds were greater against success. Yet, he had no choice; he simply needed someone with a direct connection to his target and he was forced into an unlikely partnership. Luckily, or not, his associate seemed to take extreme interest in the same pawns as he and honestly, he was very curious about his associate’s interest. The other man appeared obsessed, almost. So much so that it made him a little wary himself.
A wave of relief passed over his shoulder blades when his cell phone finally rang. He quickly connected the call and lifted the device to his ear.
“The shipment has arrived,” the other man told him. “You can retrieve it at the port.”
His momentary relief disappeared into thin air. “Me? I thought you had a courier.”
“He has been detained. If you still want the package, you’ll have to retrieve it.”
He fought the urge to bang the phone against the desk in frustration. His original thought that depending upon others was a bad idea had just been confirmed. Suddenly, throwing in the towel crossed his mind but unfortunately, he was in too deep. And, he needed this package to wrap up the operation.
“I’ll go now,” he said finally.
“Excellent. This should seal the deal.”
“Yes. I’ll be in touch as soon as I know for sure.”