Brazen Games J.K. Coi As Jack watches the pole dancer up on stage, all he can think about is that sultry green-eyed stare and the brazen way she moves. Trouble is, he knows this particular siren is a distraction he can’t afford, despite the gut-clenching desire she stirs in him. As right-hand man to a mob boss fighting a violent turf war, his life expectancy is already significantly reduced, and that’s if his damning secrets don’t get him killed first. Tasha is keeping secrets of her own, and she knows all about the real Jack, the one he can never afford to let anyone see. She’s turned on by the danger and roughness of his life. She also knows he’s close to the edge of no return. It’s her job to make sure he doesn’t implode and get them both killed, but to do that she’ll have to trust him with more than just her body, something she’s never been able to do with anyone.
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
www.ellorascave.com
Brazen Games ISBN 9781419936784 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Brazen Games Copyright © 2011 J.K. Coi Edited by Raelene Gorlinsky Cover art by Syneca Photography: Perov Stanislav/Shutterstock.com Electronic book publication November 2011 The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously. The publisher and author(s) acknowledge the trademark status and trademark ownership of all trademarks, service marks and word marks mentioned in this book. The publisher does not have any control over, and does not assume any responsibility for, author or third-party Web sites or their content.
BRAZEN GAMES J.K. Coi
Author’s Note I wish to thank the many men and women of the Canadian and Ontario law enforcement offices who gave of their time and experience to help me with certain aspects of this book. However, mistakes may have been made and liberties have most definitely been taken. The agency represented herein is fictional and is not intended to represent strict police and/or enforcement procedure.
J.K. Coi
Chapter One The heavy rhythm of the loud club music echoed in his ears and pounded a staccato beat in his head as Jack sat back in the booth and watched the blonde dancer lift a slim leg high in the air, pressing the shiny chrome pole between her large, naked tits. She was a pretty thing, just barely legal by the looks of it. Definitely not his type. Recently Jack’s type was running more to spiky-haired brunettes with wicked, green eyes, breasts just big enough to fill his hands and a tight ass that begged to be fucked. Damn that woman. His balls tightened just thinking about her and it was all he could do not to open his fly and take his dick in his hand right here in the darkened club. Get your mind on the job, Jack. He gritted his teeth, shifting his gaze from the girl grinding away onstage and focusing instead on the man who had approached and was pulling out a chair beside him. “Hey there, Jacky boy. Did you order me a drink?” After a year as the mob boss’s right-hand man, Jack probably knew more about Sam Moretti than any other person on the planet, including his sainted mother. Moretti’s criminal outfit had been built and was run like the organizations of old. Sex, money laundering, racketeering, impossibly high-interest loans—and that was just for starters. The only thing he’d stayed away from so far was drugs. Moretti made no apologies for the fact that he was a simple thug who liked to rough up the competition and break bones as a penalty for non-payment, but as far as crooks went, he held himself to a surprisingly strict code of what could technically be termed honor, and he expected everyone around him to adhere to a similar code. “You’re late, Sam.” 6
Brazen Games
Moretti nodded, but his attention was already on the stage. Unbuttoning his jacket, an expensive black Armani job, he settled into the chair beside Jack with his arms crossed over his chest and his legs kicked out. If not for the suit and the gold flashing on his wrist and fingers, the large, heavily muscled man might have been mistaken for the club’s bouncer. “Isn’t that your girl?” he asked with a nod. Jack followed Sam’s gaze. The college-age blonde had finished her routine and a new dancer was taking the circular stage. Dressed simply in a short, pleated skirt and sequined bra, the brunette wasn’t as fresh-faced or as perky as the others, all of whom he had come to recognize in the last few months. Hers was a sexier, edgier quality. She radiated experience. Even from his table halfway across the dark room, Jack could see the challenge in her eyes and the confidence in her step. She’d been working here for just two weeks, and despite all his attempts to cover it up, it seemed Sam, at least, had noticed Jack’s interest. Looking down into his beer, he curled his hand around the green bottle a little too tightly as he lifted it for a healthy swig. “She’s not my girl, Sam.” “You know you want to take her for a ride.” Jack could feel Sam considering him and met the other man’s gaze with a raised brow. “Come on,” he laughed. “Since when did you start playing the gentleman? You’re not the type, Jack. And frankly, I’m tired of watching you sit here by yourself with a hard-on for the bitch every damn night. So I arranged a meeting.” “You what?” Shit. “Consider it an early Christmas bonus.” Sam grinned at him before turning to signal one of the waitresses for a drink. There was no doubt she would understand what he wanted. Moretti was practically a permanent fixture in this place. His cousin ran the club, so if the girls were smart, they made a point of finding that out real quick and trying their best to keep Sam happy. 7
J.K. Coi
“Fuck you, Sam,” Jack snarled. Someone else might have been hesitant to talk to the boss like that, but Jack wasn’t built that way. He was a tell-it-like-it-is kind of guy, and Moretti seemed to appreciate that Jack didn’t kiss his overly suspicious Italian ass. A year ago, Jack had been nothing but a mid-level grunt in Moretti’s organization. A grunt with knowledge, who’d dared call him a dumbass for not seeing what had been going on under his nose and behind his back for months—that a couple of his closest men were blatantly skimming from his laundering operation to fund a side ring dealing coke. Jack’s strategy had been a dangerous one but his instincts proved good as gold. They always did. Moretti had demanded proof, so Jack provided it. He’d taken Sam to a midnight meeting between his boys and a contingent of thugs from the Romanian organization that had been trying to break into his territory for several months. Sam broke up the meeting with a hail of gunfire that took out the traitors he had called family. The only thing that had stopped Sam from gunning them all down was the Romanian backup that had charged out of the woodwork. Jack had just barely gotten the two of them out with their lives, and although they’d returned later with more guns to finish the job, the Romanians had already cleared out. Moretti had been impressed with Jack and his actions had earned him a position as the mob boss’s new right hand. A feat that hadn’t gone unnoticed by the others close to the man. Especially Sam’s cousin, Danny Moretti. He shook his head. “This is an important meeting, Sam. We don’t have time for your damn games.” A svelte, blonde waitress sidled up to the table carrying Moretti’s whiskey on a tray, but instead of setting it down and leaving to tend to other customers, she lingered. Wondering what the hell she wanted, Jack looked up. Then wished he hadn’t. Sam already had his hand up the woman’s short skirt. 8
Brazen Games
“Mm, nice. Hey Jacky, she’s wearing a thong.” Sam dragged her down into his lap. Sliding his hands up her thighs, he pushed the skirt conspicuously to her waist. The waitress faced Jack, her empty serving tray held in front of her. Jack had a moment of conscience while he wondered if he should try to interfere, but if she hadn’t wanted to be treated like a whore, she should have known better than to accept a job serving anything at the Blaze. Christ. Since when had he turned into such a callous motherfucker? “Jesus, Sam. How about a little focus for five goddamn minutes.” The waitress swung her gaze his way and gave him a small smile. She bit her bottom lip and groaned at the same time Moretti grunted. Hell. That’s just fucking great. Moretti grinned at Jack and tossed his empty condom wrapper on the table. “Chill, Jacky. Our meeting’s been postponed.” His hands gripped the girl’s waist. “We have more than enough time for some fun.” Postponed? This thing had been in the works for months. It was huge, and if all went well, it would cement their hold over all of southwestern Ontario, shutting out the damn Romanians once and for all. Moretti would be untouchable. So either this was the third time their guy had cancelled and the deal was going sour, or Jack himself was being shut out of the negotiations for some reason. If that was true, he had to face the possibility that someone was getting suspicious. Could it be Moretti himself? The waitress squirmed in Sam’s lap, a soft moan falling from her red lips. “Come on honey, bounce on me,” he urged. He lifted her hips and she leaned forward, elbows on the table for balance. All the while her glazed eyes watched Jack. Jack’s jaw tightened even while his cock stirred in response to the display right in front of him. He turned away, shifting his attention back to the dancer onstage. Having
9
J.K. Coi
progressed well into her routine, she spiraled around the tall metal pole, her movements fluid and sure. As if she could feel his eyes on her, she turned in his direction. Jack felt the heat of her gaze like a sucker punch to the gut. Dangerous. She went by the stage name Brazen. It fit her too damn well. When she danced, it seemed the entire place went quiet as everyone watched, entranced. And to his own disgust, Jack was no exception. She knew it, too. The music slowed to a drugging, rhythmic beat. With the pole between her legs, she leaned back, bending her knees and lowering herself almost to the floor. Her breasts pushed upward as she arched her spine deeply. One hand released the pole and dragged a path over the fabric of her costume, cupping her breast then sliding over her belly and lower still until she pulled up the hem of her skirt, showing off the scrap of black thong beneath. Cupping her hand over her sex, she easily thrust her hips, humping the pole in time to the music. Jack couldn’t have looked away now if a bomb went off beside him. He didn’t care about Moretti and his waitress grunting away beside him, or that it wasn’t even the most depraved thing he’d seen—or done—in the last few months. Jack didn’t care about the job or the significance of the cancelled meeting. He didn’t care about anything except maybe stepping on that stage and taking the woman up on her unspoken dare. The routine wasn’t overly extravagant. She didn’t outperform the other dancers with amazing feats of acrobatics and she didn’t use inventive props. But she moved as if she was born to do exactly this, exuding confidence and sex. It blew off her in waves of heat, saturating the already pungent room until she had every guy’s attention and most of the women’s as well. She used her power to hypnotize and entrance. She was a sorceress. A siren. Brazen didn’t begin to fucking cover it. 10
Brazen Games
Climbing back up the pole, she reached behind her back. As if she danced for him alone, she faced Jack. With a snap, the skimpy bra sagged, the straps sliding off her shoulders. Then she whipped it off, swinging the garment in a wide circle over her head before flinging it behind her. Christ. Those were some damn perfect tits. Jack was so wrapped up in his erotic fantasies he almost missed Sam whispering into his waitress’s ear. Nodding, she tucked a ball of wadded-up tissue on her tray. Jack hoped it found a garbage can right away. The woman stood and smoothed her skirt back down her thighs while Sam shifted in his seat and adjusted his pants. She walked quickly to the bar, leaning over it to whisper to Danny Moretti. Jack showed no outward interest, pretending fascination with the dancer. He even reached beneath the table and gripped his hard cock through his suit pants as the brunette continued her seductive moves onstage. A few minutes later, he noted out of the corner of his eye that Sam turned back to the bar again and Danny was nodding. Sam’s jaw clenched in reaction. Something was going down. Something Jack was purposely being excluded from. Danny had been trying to reclaim Sam’s ear since Jack had stepped in as the man’s second, and hadn’t been shy about the fact that he resented Jack’s position in the organization. Danny thought Jack didn’t know he’d been trying to undercut Jack’s growing authority with Sam’s street force, but Jack knew. He just didn’t give a shit about anything a mouse like Danny Moretti had to say…as long as the bastard didn’t jeopardize this deal. “Hey, Sam,” Jack said, keeping his tone casual, preoccupied. “So what the hell happened with the meeting? Why did Diamond back out again?”
11
J.K. Coi
“Oh, nothing to worry about, my man.” Moretti turned to Jack with a shrug of his massive shoulders. “We’re still in business. Just have to take care of a few glitches before we can move forward.” “Glitches?” Jack sat up straight. He met the don’s ice-cold gaze and knew he would be watching his back from here on out. “I thought everything was a go? Tell me what the problem is, and I’ll take care of it.” “No problems, Jacky. I said don’t worry about it.” Moretti turned to the stage as Brazen finished her routine. “Danny’s going to handle this one for me.” “What?” No way. “After everything we’ve done to make sure this thing goes down right, you’re going to trust Danny with it and you think I’m not going to worry? Are you fucking kidding me?” Warning bells blared long and loud in Jack’s head. This was exactly the thing he couldn’t let happen. He leaned forward. “Sam. You can’t be serious. Since he screwed up that big job with Vince’s boys, nobody wants to deal with Danny. The cops are still having orgasms over the indictments. The idiot’s damn lucky they couldn’t find enough evidence to lock him up too, but that’s only because he was passed out in bed high as a kite when he was supposed to be on the job, and you know it.” “That wasn’t his fault.” Moretti opened his mouth to defend his cousin, but stopped. Probably because he knew Jack was right and Danny was a perpetual fuck-up who liked the idea of playing mobster but was more interested in banging girls and shooting coke than doing his damn job. “What do you want me to do, Jack? He’s family. Danny wants to try to redeem himself. He knows our contact. I’m giving him this one last chance.” “How does he know the contact? What the hell is going on?” “I said don’t worry about it.” He stood, straightening his suit jacket and eyeing Jack closely. “Anyway, right now I need you to handle something else for me.” Jack swallowed his frustration, knowing he had to let the matter drop or risk getting Sam’s back up even more, making him suspicious. Stretching a leg out beneath 12
Brazen Games
the table, he affected an easy pose that he didn’t feel in the least. “All right, Sam. Whatever you want, you know that. What do you need me to do?” “I’ve got a mole in my operation.” Moretti was watching the stage, watching the dancer now making her way back behind the curtain despite the loud hoots and cries for more. “A what?” Jack straightened and frowned. “Sam, no. It’s not possible. You know I’d never let that happen. All our guys are clean.” “Maybe.” “Where are you getting this information and why am I only hearing about it now?” “Doesn’t matter, but Danny agrees.” Danny again? That asshole sure had been kissing ass for Moretti to have changed his tune about his stupid slimeball cousin. “He thinks it could be a leak here at the club, maybe one of his girls, but I’m not so sure. Nevertheless, the new dancer is the most obvious wild card. She should be watched. And since she seems to have developed a thing for you, I want you to be the one to keep an eye on her.” “Are you shitting me? Sam, I’ve got better things to do than play babysitter to one of Danny’s whores.” “I want you on this, Jack. I want you on her.” “And when in hell am I supposed to find time for that?” “Tonight. Tomorrow. However long it takes. Consider it a vacation. Keep the bitch close. Spend the time fucking her from here to next Thursday for all I care, but find out what her story is. If she’s a plant, I want to know who she’s dealing information to, the cops, or someone else.” He paused. “Then I want her gone and I don’t want anyone to ever find her again.” Rising to his feet, Jack swore under his breath. “All right, Sammy. I’ll take care of her.” He took a last swig of his beer, setting it back on the table still half-full. “I’ll make some calls and see what I can dig up. Find out where she came from.”
13
J.K. Coi
Moretti shook his head. “That’s not good enough, man. I need to know that Danny and I can get some things wrapped up here without worrying about it exploding in our faces because of a goddamn leak. This is your personal responsibility and you had better see it through.” Jack walked a very thin line suddenly. His mouth tightened and he jerked a short nod. “Good.” Sam smiled. “Danny’s gonna send her in to the private room. And don’t look so pissed. That’s a prime piece of ass. I’m sure you’ll find an enjoyable way to get her to talk…or at least set that mouth of hers to better uses for a little while.”
***** The “private room” at the back of the club was a fucking joke. The place was wired for sound and monitored by at least two hidden cameras, although knowing Danny Moretti’s voyeuristic proclivities, probably more. The walls had been painted black to make the cameras harder to find, but also in part to hide the club’s true state of disrepair. The large, round ottoman in the middle of the room and the cushions on the sofa that ran the length of the back wall had been upholstered in a deep, bloody red. Weary and frustrated, Jack sat down to wait, leaning his head back and closing his eyes as cheap background music reminiscent of a porn movie played out of a small speaker set in the corner. After a few minutes, he heard the door open, but Jack didn’t trust himself to look at her, especially not the way he was feeling right now. Anxious. Tense. And more. His emotions were dangerous. Everything churning inside him like a bubbling volcano ready to spew corrosive shit all over the place at the slightest change in air pressure. He shouldn’t have come in here. Seeing her up close and personal instead of safely on stage and out of touch…this was not going to end well.
14
Brazen Games
He could smell her. Rich, exotic. A floral, store-bought scent mingling perfectly with her natural feminine musk. Hers was a deadly perfume that wrapped around his head, clouding his thoughts and derailing his duty. The door closed, but she hadn’t left. He could feel her watching him. Waiting for his move. Finally he opened his eyes, only to see that she’d crawled up onto the ottoman. Dressed in her skimpy dance outfit with the sequins, she faced him, posing on hands and knees, back bowed. Dark makeup shadowed her green eyes, her mouth lush and full, painted red. She should have looked like a cheap two-bit whore, but the effect was more dramatic than outright slutty. “God, you’re good,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair. Her provocative smile caused his groin to tighten in anticipation. “Shall I get started?” she asked. Jack lifted a brow. “By all means.” He raised his arms and rested them lengthways along the back of the sofa, hoping he looked both casual and absorbed when he felt neither. On her knees now, she perched with her legs spread wide as she dragged her hands up her thighs and belly, over her breasts. As he’d waited for her, the quiet music—cheesy as it was—had lulled him. But now she began to move with it, to bend and undulate to the smooth beat, and all his senses awakened. Her scent seeped into his blood. It warmed him, making him want to touch her. Damn. He should get up and go. He needed to go. But hey, the cameras were rolling. Moretti would have his ass for walking out now, never mind that Jack didn’t think he could leave anyway, not anymore. The drumbeat throbbing of his cock behind his zipper suggested he’d already slid past the point of no return. Climbing down from the seat, the siren stepped in front of him. She continued to sway to the music, hips rocking back and forth with seductive, exaggerated movements. 15
J.K. Coi
“You’re Mr. Moretti’s man, aren’t you?” Her voice was low and smooth. Like an oil slick over rippling water. Like slipping your fingers into slick, wet pussy. He knew she spoke that way on purpose, that it was all a part of the act, but it didn’t make any difference to his rock-hard muscles or the heat coming off his body. Nothing short of a hurricane blowing the roof off this place was going to make a difference now. “So Mr. Ball Buster, what’s your name?” She curled her thumbs under the straps of her bra and slid them down her arms to her elbows until the cups pulled back, exposing rouged nipples. Act or not, she was fucking hot. He dragged his gaze from her tits to her face, seeing the humor that glinted in her eyes. Yeah, this was funny, all right. The whole situation was fucking hilarious. “Jack,” he said. “Well hi there, Jack.” She smiled. Reaching behind her, she unhooked the clasp of her bra and let the garment fall to the floor. Her gaze darted upward, to the camera set in the wall behind him. She also knew they were being watched. “I’m…Alexa.” “Nice name,” he grunted. Nice fake name. “Better than Brazen, anyway.” She smiled and shrugged. “We all have our secret identities,” she said, lifting both hands to her breasts. She tweaked her already hard nipples, rolling them between her manicured fingers as her hips continued to swing to the soft beat. “So, what can I do you for?” It wasn’t unheard of for the Blaze’s girls to do a little business off stage, especially with Danny playing pimp and insisting on taking a cut. He wondered how much of the club’s sick clientele had shelled out the cash to take Alexa here up against the wall in the back corridor, or maybe in one of the puke-green-painted stalls of the rarely used women’s restroom. Jack knew Moretti wanted him to jump all over this girl, charm and seduce her and take her home for the night before he popped her and left her floating in the river. The thought of it left a bitter taste in his mouth. 16
Brazen Games
He pressed his lips together. “Tonight, I’m just here to watch.” From the subtle shift in her expression, the woman hadn’t figured on his hesitation. “Oh,” she cooed. “I think we can do better than that, Jack.” Planting her feet in a wider stance before him, she put her hands flat on his thighs and leaned forward until they were face-to-face, her naked breasts so close. So fucking close. She tilted her head to the side and put her lips to his skin just under his ear before she nipped him. He hissed between clenched teeth and leaned back, looking her straight in the eye. “What the fuck do you think you’re playing at, Tasha?”
17
J.K. Coi
Chapter Two “Tsk tsk…Agent Russo,” she chided in a soft whisper, running her tongue along the curve of his earlobe. “I told you, the name’s Alexa.” “Damn you.” His voice was an involuntary low groan he hoped to God the microphone wouldn’t be able to catch. “Do you have any idea the shit you’ve caused?” he hissed. “I’m just doing my job, Jack,” she whispered back. “Isn’t that what you’re doing? Or am I wrong? Did I miss something? Has the game changed that much?” The bitch. Her breath teasing his cheek was surprisingly sweet. The scent of her hair and perfumed skin filled his senses. She’d finished dancing not more than fifteen minutes ago and he ached to lick the salt that was still drying on her skin. She didn’t smoke, which he liked. Hell, there were a lot of things he liked about her. The sound of her voice. Her spiky hair sticking up every which way. The little stud in her nose. And Mother of God, but the sight of those perfect, tight nipples poking at attention…so close he wouldn’t even have to reach very far to touch them. He turned his frustrated growl into a sexed-up groan for the sake of those watching, purposely burying his face in the curve of her neck. “You’re going to blow this thing for both of us,” he warned, brushing his mouth over the top of her shoulder. God, she tasted good. “Damn it, Jack. Shut up and play along.” Tasha leaned back—what a stupid rookie mistake, calling her by her real name— and met his gaze with an expression that asked what the hell he thought he was doing. Just what was he doing? A beautiful woman stood half-naked in front of him. Fuck yeah, he wanted to play along.
18
Brazen Games
But that was exactly his problem. He wanted too much. So much, Jack couldn’t trust himself to remember what was really important. “You can touch me if you want to,” she murmured for the benefit of the cameras, lifting her hands, touching herself. So she was working too, was she? He didn’t like knowing that she’d decided he was part of her job. “I don’t bite…much.” Watching closely, Jack cleared his throat, shook his head. “I’m fine.” He exhaled as she sent him a devilish smile before sinking to her knees between his spread thighs. “Suit yourself. But I think I want to touch you.” Her hands cupped his dick through his pants but she paused. “Do I have your permission, Jack?” Her eyes flicked to a spot behind him, above his right shoulder. Right. As if he needed to be reminded that they were being watched at this very moment. Under the warmth of her hands, his cock thumped thickly, betraying just how much he wanted for her to reach into his pants and touch him skin-to-skin. Knowing he was going straight to hell anyway, Jack finally nodded his assent. With a slow, sultry smile, she slid beneath his suit jacket, running her hands over his torso before loosening his tie and moving on to the buttons of his shirt. One by one. Spreading open the expensive cotton, she leaned close and opened her mouth over his heart, trailing a hot path to his nipple. The hard metal ball of her tongue ring grazed his sensitive flesh, making him wonder how it would feel with her mouth closed over his cock. His muscles tensed as she continued lower, over his abs. He didn’t think he’d have to wait long to find out. She paused at his waist, looking up at him. Their eyes locked. Held. “Take it out,” he told her, his voice like gravel. He should have pushed her away, but he was done pretending there was any honor left in him. And hell, if she wanted to play dangerous games, then she could damn well face the hard consequences.
19
J.K. Coi
She didn’t hesitate, deftly working his buckle, opening his pants. Jack’s cock surged into her hands. He forgot where he was. Forgot who he was. There was nothing for him but her fingers closing tight around him, her teasing breath on his hot skin, her lips opening. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes with a groan of pleasure as the wet warmth of her mouth surrounded him. Again, the ball in her tongue teased, adding another layer to the torture he couldn’t get enough of. His hips pushed up, forcing her to take him down her throat, and fuck, but didn’t she gobble him right up. Greedy. Eager. Suddenly she tensed, lifting her head. Jack sat up, realizing the door had swung open. A shaft of light shadowed the figure standing in the entrance. “Hey! What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” he snarled. “Don’t stop on my account, you two.” Moretti stepped inside, closing the door behind him. “I just wanted to make sure Danny’s new girl is treating my boy right.” Tasha remained positioned at his feet, her hands flat on his thighs. She looked at Jack, a warning in her emerald eyes. He was very aware of his cock throbbing between them, glistening wet from her mouth. “Hey Sam,” he said carefully, taking deep breaths. “I wasn’t really planning to share tonight. Maybe next time.” Moretti chuckled, coming forward to stand directly behind Tasha, eyeing her with a shrewd expression. “Don’t be so selfish, Jacky,” he said. “From what I can see, she’s got more than enough good stuff to go around. Isn’t that right, sweetheart?” Jack opened his mouth to protest. He shouldn’t let this happen, not to her. He could put a stop to it. “Sam, forget it.” Tasha sent him an almost imperceptible shake of her head before she stood and turned toward Sam. “No. It’s okay. Makes no difference to me.” She stepped forward, arching her breasts into Moretti’s chest, closing her fingers over the bulge pushing out the front of his pants. “The more the merrier.”
20
Brazen Games
“That’s a good girl,” Sam replied, one hand lifting, curling around her breast as he eyed Jack, a satisfied grin on his face. “Somehow, I knew you’d see it that way.” He leaned down and kissed her, slipping his tongue into her mouth. They dueled like that for a long minute and when Sam released her, Tasha turned back around to face Jack. She lifted her arms and curled them up behind her head, around Sam’s neck as he reached in front of her, tracing a path over her hips, her belly and upward to her breasts. His fingers pulled at her nipples and he ground himself against her from behind, burying his face in the smooth hollow of her neck. Jack’s gaze flickered from Sam to Tasha, getting off on the view a hell of a lot more than he should have. He took his cock in hand as he watched the two of them. Her tongue darted out to lick her lips and she smiled, eyes darkening, her breath coming heavier. Either the woman was an exceptional actress or she really was enjoying this. He still didn’t like her so close to Sam. That way led to disaster for the both of them. Their gazes locked. He motioned her closer while his hand slowly, leisurely pumped his cock. “Get back over here and finish what you started.” Tasha took a step toward him, but when she would have sunk to the floor at his feet, Sam gripped her hips in his hands so she was forced to bend forward at the waist instead. She braced herself with a hand on the cushion beside Jack’s hip, her other one curling around his cock. “Come on then, baby. Suck me nice and hard.” He fisted his hand in her hair. Watching as her lips closed over him once more, Jack groaned. If anyone had asked him the first time he met her—the real her, Tasha—if he thought he’d be sitting in the back room of a mobster strip club with his dick halfway down the woman’s throat, he would have laughed in his face, and probably fantasized about doing just that. What the hell had the agency been thinking to send her here, especially now? So far, his inquiries had been met with silence, which made him think it had more to do with him than with the job. 21
J.K. Coi
Tasha’s involvement only made things more difficult for Jack. It didn’t take much to make Moretti suspicious. He was obviously already wary of her, which made him paranoid about everything, second guessing everyone else around him. The way he’d been acting tonight, Jack had a strong suspicion that included him. It didn’t matter how much he wanted to bend her over the ottoman right here in this room, he should put a stop to this clown show. He put a hand on her shoulder but she looked up at him, refusal clear in her bright eyes. A glance over at Sam and he grit his teeth and did nothing, knowing he was going to hate himself later—more than he did already. Tasha’s recklessness took on new meaning with Sam watching them, a hard expression carved out of his ruthless cheekbones. It wasn’t only Jack’s life on the line now if Moretti’s suspicions had indeed spread to his right-hand man. If Jack refused to play along with Sam’s vulgar but familiar games, it would only be another reason for him to think those suspicions were confirmed. So Jack would continue to play his role. It was a part that had darkened his soul beyond redemption already, but one he’d become so good at, he’d long ago stopped caring. He could only hope that Tasha had understood the rules of this dangerous game before getting herself caught up in it too. He let out a hiss and tightened his hand in her hair as she took him deeper. She tensed and her muffled groan rumbled against his flesh. Jack glanced up to see Sam had moved back in behind her. One hand splayed over her spine. “I’ve got two fingers in her Jack,” he said with a smile, “but it’s not enough. She wants more. This one’s got a greedy, wet pussy.” He pulled her head off his cock. Her lips were swollen and moist. Her eyes widened. She leaned closer and closed them. Her mouth parted on a groan and she pushed her ass back at Sam. Sitting forward, Jack kissed her, drawing her tongue into his mouth. He lifted his hands to her breasts, cupping their weight, tweaking her nipples, rolling them between his fingers until she cried out.
22
Brazen Games
Tasha lifted her gaze, those green eyes clouded with obvious passion. He made a decision. Shaking his head, he looked up at Sam. “I want her first,” he said. “You know I’ve been waiting for this.” The big man’s jaw clenched. Tasha glanced up sharply and shook her head. Jack gave up. She was an adult—an adult undercover as a fucking stripper in a mob club who was jeopardizing both their lives just by being here. He couldn’t be her babysitter. “He wants to fuck you, Alexa. Are you going to let him? Are you going to let us both fuck you right here and now?” As far as choices went, it wasn’t much of one, even Jack could see that. He’d stand by her if she showed even a flicker of unease, but it was her choice. There was no hesitation in her face when she turned back to Moretti. Sam had already unzipped his pants, was ripping open one of the countless condoms he kept in his pockets for just this brand of depravity. Gripping her hips, he moved into position, cradling her ass close against his groin. Tasha faced Jack once again, both hands planted on the cushion on either side of him. Their gazes locked, held. Jack knew when the other man had breached her. Her eyes widened. She leaned her face closer, her mouth parting on a groan while her ass tilted even higher. Kissing her, Jack drew her tongue into his mouth. He lifted his hands to her breasts, cupping their weight, tweaking her nipples between his fingers until she cried out. He broke their kiss, leaning back to get a better look at the ardent expression on her face. “Oh God,” she whispered. Her body rocked forward as Moretti thrust hard into her. “Oh God.” She sighed and bit her lip. “You like that, don’t you?” Jack’s voice was rough, betraying his surprise and desire. “You like being fucked by strangers?” Her eyes flew open. When she would
23
J.K. Coi
have dropped her gaze, he forced her chin back up. “Come on. Tell me. Tell me the truth.” “Yes. Yes, damn you,” she croaked, glaring at him even as she glanced at his cock and licked her lips. She gasped, arching her back against Moretti’s slow but powerful movements. “Yes, I like it. I want you both. I want to have you both inside me, fucking me.” “Goddamn.” Why the hell did that make him even harder? His balls were so fucking tight, his cock ready to explode. “Then take me. Suck me.” His fist was in her hair, pushing her face into his lap. With her hands still planted on either side of him for balance, her tongue darted between her red lips. Some of her lipstick had smeared, making her look hungry. Needy. She flicked her tongue over the head of his pulsing cock, licking at him, teasing him. Screw that. He wrapped his hand around the base of his shaft and slapped her across the cheeks with his cock. “Open your mouth.” She obeyed, instantly closing her wet lips over the crown. “Fuck, yeah. That’s it. All the way.” Angling his hips to give her more leverage, Tasha slid down over his length, steadily pulling him deeper into the warmth of her mouth. Behind her, Moretti’s hips swung forward and back. He groaned, but kept his pace slow. Long, slow movements designed to give them all plenty of time to savor the dangerous game they played. She sucked and licked, bobbing her head up and down over Jack’s cock. “God, that’s good,” he muttered. “You give great head, baby.” Her cry rumbled from the base of her throat. He could feel her tensing even as she lapped at him greedily, her spread thighs quivering as she met each of Sam’s lazy thrusts. She really was getting off on this in a big way, and God, so was he. “Start plowing her harder, Sam,” he said. “She’s getting ready to go, man. And so am I.”
24
Brazen Games
Tasha’s arms visibly trembled as she strained to hold herself in place. She sucked his cock deeper, working him relentlessly with her talented mouth even as Sam’s thrusts hit her faster. Jack’s balls came up against his groin, his heart thumping madly. Heavy breathing from the three of them and the erotic sounds of her mouth sucking on him and skin slapping together as Sam really started slamming her from behind drowned out the music playing from the speakers in the dingy room. “That’s it,” Sam groaned. He paused. His fingers were tight on Tasha’s hips, holding her close against his groin, and Jack could feel Tasha shuddering. When he couldn’t hold back any longer, he let go, pumping thick, hot jets down her throat. When he was done, she licked off the last drop before collapsing to her knees on the floor in front of him She sighed as Moretti stepped away. He pulled the used condom off his cock and tossed it in the garbage bin by the door before adjusting his pants. A moment later the door had opened and closed. He was gone without a word. Tasha rested her flushed cheek on Jack’s thigh and he let out a deep breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding.
25
J.K. Coi
Chapter Three Tasha fell into the chair at her dressing table, trying not to look into the mirror in front of her. She wasn’t sure she would recognize the person staring back at her. What the hell did I just do? She swiped a hand through her hair, glad all the other girls were out on the floor of the club right now. Her arms were still shaky. Her breathing still ragged and fast. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Jack had been right. She could have thrown the whole operation into the toilet just now. For sex. Nasty, sweaty, dirty sex. With two very dangerous men. While the damn cameras rolled. An image of Jack’s glowering face as he watched her with Sam was burned into her brain. Jack Russo. Sexy, dark, wild. They’d met before, but Tasha knew very little about him other than she’d gotten wet at just the sight of his broad-shouldered stance and that wicked, deep voice. For once in her life she had been trying to play by the rules. Which meant keeping her nose to the grindstone, working the cases—and a frustrating dry spell sexually. But Jack Russo had been a delicious distraction. He was a legend at the agency. Larger than life, an untouchable and unflappable force. And the way he’d looked at her the few times they’d crossed paths, she thought she’d caught his interest like he’d caught hers. She could have sworn they had a solid little flirtation going on. Then he’d just disappeared. It wasn’t until almost three years after their meeting, when she was given a file and asked to step in on this case, that she found out why.
26
Brazen Games
Now she knew everything about Jack Russo. Ten years army. Seven years as a cop before joining the agency. No wife. No kids. No known connections of any kind except one sister who lived in Buffalo. It was one of the reasons he’d been handpicked for this joint-forces op. Just like me. But even without any close family to miss him, Tasha couldn’t begin to imagine living like he had for as long as he had. How did he cope with the self-doubt and stress? Constantly on his guard, among people who would kill him in an instant if he slipped up even once. When she had discovered what her next assignment would be, she’d immediately accepted. That very night, she read the entire file from cover to cover. Moretti’s organization was one of the strongest and most diverse in Ontario. He had his fingers in every pie in town, but until Jack he’d been virtually untouchable. Nobody had been able to infiltrate his ranks or get close enough to put together a case that would stick long enough to put him behind bars. The agency had set him up with the right background and contacts to get him in the door as a low-level thug in Moretti’s organization, but Jack had done the rest himself. He’d taken chances and played the game like he’d been born to it, manipulating the players until he was able to slide into position as the mob boss’s right hand. He’d gotten further and deeper than anyone thought he would. And while his Italian background had helped, it was Jack’s instincts that proved gold. His tactics had worked perfectly not only because he was a good agent, but because he was a good crook. He walked the walk and talked the talk. He thought like them. He’d become one of them—which was part of the reason why Tasha had been sent in. Two months ago, Jack had been involved in the shooting of another officer. After reviewing the file, she was tempted to agree with his brief report—Jack and Sam Moretti had been pulled over by a young, green beat cop who’d almost had
27
J.K. Coi
puppies when he realized who was driving the car. In a rash move born of nervousness and fear, he’d gone for his gun—and so had Moretti. The cop had died. The agency couldn’t prevent the local police from investigating the matter, but with the cop dead there also wasn’t anyone who could point to Moretti as the killer. The only thing they had to go on was Jack’s top-secret report, which wouldn’t be shared until the mission was complete. Still, Tasha’s superiors worried that Jack had switched sides, that he could have prevented the innocent death but didn’t. That maybe Moretti had gotten to him with the promise of power and money, and the time and resources the agency’d invested in this operation would all be for nothing. “Sweet” was the newest, deadliest drug on the market. It looked and tasted just like candy, was packaged like candy, and was getting into the hands of kids all over the US—big kids, medium kids and little kids who didn’t know what they were taking until it was too late.It had spread through the cities so fast cops everywhere were still reeling. And Moretti, who’d kept his nose out of the drug trade because he’d always said it wasn’t worth dealing with the fucking communist countries, had decided he wanted a piece of the action. The big players belonged to a cartel from New York run by the Diamond family. If Moretti could gain their trust with this first deal, he was set to bring the drug into the country on a massive scale. Large enough quantities to make him the most powerful underworld boss in Canada. If Jack had gone rogue, the chance to finally bring this organization down, to put Sam Moretti away for good and get the bastards responsible for selling something like Sweet to innocent kids, would bleed away to nothing like it had all the other times they’d tried to nail Moretti down.
28
Brazen Games
But Tasha wasn’t so sure the agency was right about Jack. He’d started out on the fringes of Moretti’s underground world and maneuvered himself into the everyday workings of the illegal operation. Nothing had been sugarcoated. Because of him, they were close. So close. And as long as this big deal went down the way it was supposed to, they could do more than just arrest Moretti—which had been done before.They could actually make it stick this time. But they needed to get him with his hands elbow deep to keep him locked up for good. Getting close to the bastard had taken years and Jack’s actions had been outlined in brief notes without apology. It was obvious he’d skirted a fine line between doing what was necessary to gain the mob boss’s trust and honoring the laws he’d sworn to uphold as a cop. Those lines had definitely blurred, and maybe they’d even been broken. Jack hadn’t been in contact with the agency since the young cop was killed. What if it hadn’t gone down the way he said it did? What if nothing had gone down the way he said it had and what he hadn’t admitted to in his reports was even worse than the things he had put in them? Tasha wanted to believe Jack was still one of the good guys. But she had to admit that at this point bringing in Moretti and pulling Sweet off the streets was the only thing that would save his career…and maybe not even that. He couldn’t afford to splinter out of control. Not now. Not when this whole thing was about to explode. Success was his only option. She feared what he would be forced to do to make it happen. Recalling all the things he had already done…if he were ever made to answer to the public for his actions, things would likely get very sticky. Speaking of sticky… Changing back into her street clothes, Tasha was suddenly desperate to get home. Shrugging on her jacket and grabbing her bag, she reached for the door handle, thinking about the long, hot shower she was going to take when she got back to her hole-in-the-wall apartment. 29
J.K. Coi
As she stepped out, she jumped at the sight of Jack leaning against the wall opposite her door, arms crossed over the solid bulk of his chest. “You took long enough.” Her body responded with remembered heat at the sound of his harsh voice and she shivered. She didn’t know why his examination made her fidget, especially since she was wearing significantly more clothing now than the last time that hot gaze had focused on her. “I didn’t know you were waiting for me,” she answered slowly. This couldn’t be good. She’d thought it odd that Danny had told her—in no uncertain terms—to “entertain” Jack in the private room, and when Jack’s boss had encouraged them to get together. Now she was positive something wasn’t right. “My shift is over.” “I know.” Jack’s eyes narrowed, taking in her street wear—a snug, short-sleeve shirt beneath a light denim jacket, and a short denim skirt. “I thought we could get something to eat, maybe go somewhere a little…quieter.” She raised a brow. His low voice was deceptively casual, but Tasha heard the thread of warning running through it. Just what was going on here? More than anyone, Jack should realize it wasn’t smart for the two of them to spend a lot of time together. Not now, when this case was so close to being blown wide open. “I told you, I’m off-duty now. And I don’t whore out for Danny Moretti.” Jack snorted. “So back there, that was…what exactly?” Heat bloomed in her cheeks. “Call it a gift. Call it whatever the hell you want, but it won’t happen again.” Angry and confused, she started to stalk away from him, but he hauled her back, his fingers wrapping tightly around her arm. Up close, she could see the steel in his eyes, the deep creases in his forehead. The guy hid it well, but he was wound so tight she feared the stress was starting to wear him down, and that made him even more dangerous. Dangerous.
30
Brazen Games
For some reason, she feared Jack more than Moretti or any of his goons. But this kind of fear was intoxicating. Heady and provocative. It failed to engender the proper wariness a normal, well-adjusted woman should feel. Ha! Nobody would ever accuse Tasha of being well-adjusted or normal. She’d always been fearless to an extent. The insane compulsion to put herself in impossible situations was deeply ingrained. To tempt fate, screw hard and take no prisoners while she was at it. Back in college, she’d stripped to pay for tuition. It had not only made her a ton of cash, it had made her the perfect choice for this particular assignment because she knew what other “duties” were expected of dancers by the management in a place like the Blaze and didn’t feel the same hesitation about using sex to do her job that another agent might have. That was years ago. Tasha had long ago assumed the persona of a responsible, welladjusted adult. She’d tamed her wild ways, didn’t get involved with coworkers, and hadn’t had a sexual encounter that flipped all her switches in years. But it was surprising how quickly it all came back. Shaking herself, she squared her shoulders and started to pull away. Jack leaned into her so his arm grazed the fullness of her breast as he whispered in her ear. “This isn’t a request.” Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Danny Moretti coming toward them. Stepping back from the intensity of Jack’s space, she forced out a laugh. “When you put it that way, how could I possibly refuse?” “Alexa,” Danny called to her. “I hope you’re going to be real nice to my man Jack.” Tasha jerked her arm from Jack’s grasp and crossed the hall. “Hey, Danny.” It looked like she was leaving with Jack tonight whether it was a smart idea or not. And from the way Danny was leering at her, there was no doubt he was going to expect to see a cut in the morning. The sick fuck. He’d watched them through the cameras, too. Hadn’t he?
31
J.K. Coi
Since she’d taken the position when she started working here that she wasn’t going to be one of his whores, she probably had to at least pretend to put up a token resistance. “I’ve told you before that I’m not going to do this.” “Hey, relax babe. No one’s making any demands. Jack here likes you is all. He asked me if he could get to know you a little better. Ain’t that right, Jack?” Danny looked over her shoulder and Tasha stiffened as Jack come up close behind her. He curved a hand around her waist, sliding beneath her denim jacket and the short hem of her tee. The brand of his fingers skimming her rib cage seared her skin, sending fire shooting into her belly. “Yeah, that’s all it was,” he said, dipping his head close to the curve of her neck. “I only wanted to get some time alone with you. Didn’t mean to offend.” Yeah, right. Danny smiled and winked. “See, babe? It’s all good. Perfectly innocent.” A snarl curled her lip. If he called her that one more time, she was going to… Hell, there wasn’t a thing she could do that wouldn’t either get her fired or blow her cover. “What do you say? You want to hit Angel’s for something to eat?” Tasha turned to Jack. “I was going there anyway. If you want to come, I guess it’s still a free country.” Hiking her bag onto her shoulder, she slid past Danny, barely able to suppress her shiver of disgust. “I’ll see you tomorrow then, Danny.” “Tomorrow? You’re not on the schedule tomorrow,” he said. Was there something in his voice? Nervousness maybe? Tasha stopped, careful not to let him know she’d picked up on his sudden anxiousness. “Dina called me to fill in for her. Said she’s got her kid for the weekend and couldn’t find a sitter.” Pausing, she blinked. “Why? Is there a problem with that?”
32
Brazen Games
Danny glanced at Jack and licked his lips, a gesture that gave him away every time. Yes, he was nervous. The deal was definitely going down tomorrow. “No, it’s fine. You should’ve told me before is all.” Jack’s hand returned to her waist and squeezed, silently telling her to back the hell off. “Sorry Danny,” she said. “I guess I thought Dina would have mentioned it. My mistake.” With a shrug, she started walking again, holding her breath until she knew Danny wasn’t following. Jack stopped her outside. There were only a few cars in the parking lot at this time of night, which didn’t reflect the fact that the club was still bustling. Located right downtown on the edge of the red light district, a lot of the Blaze’s customers were businessmen who stayed late at work and didn’t want anyone to know they were stopping here before continuing on home. They came from the insurance and advertising companies that shared the corner, the dot-com outfit down the street and of course, the bazillion law firms littering every high rise like little ant hills in the playground. Jack walked ahead and unlocked the passenger’s-side door to a dark-colored sedan. “Get in.” Part of her wanted to object—to the direction this entire night was taking—but she played it cool instead, getting into the car without argument. Her brand new RX-8 had been put in storage for the duration of this job, and she appreciated not having to get on the subway tonight with the creeps and drunks. He started the car and turned the wrong way out of the lot. “Jack, this isn’t the way to Angie’s.” “That’s because we’re not going to the diner.” “Then where are we going?” At two in the morning, there weren’t a lot of places open besides the diner.
33
J.K. Coi
In the shadows of the car, the lines in his chiseled face looked deeper, his expression drawn, tired. And yet his eyes told of strength. Relentless, brutal determination. Beneath the fatigue and disillusionment was a rock-solid foundation she admired and understood completely. She wanted him. She wanted him naked and hot and panting over her. Wanted his cock filling her, his deep voice whispering wicked commands at her ear. Shit. He was her job. She’d learned way back at the beginning of her career never to mix work and pleasure. But suddenly it seemed an imperative, like peanut butter and jelly. Jack didn’t speak, but he glanced over once or twice. Tasha took a deep breath. “All right, what the hell is going on?” “Where are you staying?” She shook her head. “Fuck the damn small talk, Jack. You just broke how many different protocols? I want to know why.” “Hmm. Yes, the protocols.” His tone was bland, but he lifted a brow. “Wonder if that was when you were shoving your tits in my face, or sucking my cock down your throat.” She gasped and glared at him. “Or maybe it was when you got yourself fucked by a mob boss—” She lifted a hand in the air for him to stop. “All right, I get the damn point. Protocols were compromised by all. You happy?” “Ecstatic.” He didn’t look happy. He looked angry.
34
Brazen Games
Chapter Four Jack was furious, but he forced himself to swallow it back. In the last year, he’d become a pro at holding in his building rage to get the job done and he’d be damned if this woman jeopardized all of that now. Tasha looked away from him, out the window. He sighed. “Let’s go somewhere private.” That wasn’t what he’d planned. He’d fully intended to go to the diner right up until the moment they got in the car. A public place might have helped them get back onto professional footing, but he didn’t think it mattered where they went, not when all he could think about was the look on her face when she’d had her lips around his dick. “All right, but not my place. I’ve got a bit of a pest problem.” In other words, Moretti had her under surveillance. “I’m not surprised.” As of tonight, he didn’t think even his apartment would be secure, not anymore. “We’ll go to a hotel. If we happen to be followed, it will look like we’re just getting in some more kinky fun. There’s a motor inn a few blocks from here.” “No problem.” Jack remembered the low curve of her voice as she’d spoken similar words to Sam back in the private room of the club. Tension and awareness settled into a thick haze between them as he drove out of the parking lot. Both were conscious of the fact that they were about to take this thing into severely ill-advised territory. Some remnant of his former, more honorable self reared its head. “Are you sure?” She pursed her lips, understanding that his question was being directed to her on more than one level. “Don’t worry, you’ll know when I’m not okay with something.”
35
J.K. Coi
Jack pulled into the lot of the motel, which was almost empty. The sky was clear and the air had turned cool and damp with the onset of very early morning. It would be dark for a while still, but even darker here because the streetlamps in front of the motel apparently weren’t working. They both got out of the car. He came around to the passenger side, feeling as if he were stalking her. Her scent wafted to him—that seductive mixture of roses and spice. It would have taken a crapload more discipline than he possessed to not crowd her up against the car. She leaned back as he pushed forward, the edges of her jacket spreading apart, drawing attention to the tight nipples poking through the thin cotton of her t-shirt in hard little points. Christ, she wasn’t wearing a bra. He forced himself to lift his gaze to her face, but that only made him aware of the pretty blush in her cheeks and the invitation in her eyes. Yes, invitation. Breached protocols or not, job or not, the offer was there and she was practically begging him to take her up on it. His anger was quickly giving way to lust. He flattened his hand over her waist. She tilted her hips off the side of the car and he followed the seam of her skirt down until he met the smooth, cool skin of her leg. “This is a bad idea, isn’t it?” he murmured. She chuckled, low and hoarse sounding. “You’ve got something against bad ideas, Jack?” He slipped his hand back up the inside of her leg, dragging the skirt with him until he found the warm skin between her thighs. “They aren’t usually as tempting or distracting as this particular one.” “Hmm. Distracting.” She spread her legs, just enough for him to caress her through the silky triangle covering her mound. “That’s one way to describe it.”
36
Brazen Games
He shifted his leg between hers. His knee banged against the car and she sank down until she was practically riding him with his hand pressed against her. “God, woman. I could take you right here.” She glanced over his shoulder. He heard footsteps on the pavement behind him at the same time, but instead of pulling back he drew closer. His hand fisted in her hair and pulled her head back to give him her neck while his fingers shoved aside her panties and plunged into her very wet pussy. She groaned in his ear and lifted her leg along his flank. He licked the pulse at her throat and curled his fingers inside her, his heart pounding away like a jackhammer. Behind them the footsteps faltered. “Jesus. Are they—?” A woman’s voice. And then a man’s. “Hey, get a fucking room, why don’t you.” “We are only steps away from the motel,” Tasha whispered. Her hands were under his suit jacket, rubbing him through his pants. The woman dripped sultry sex appeal from every pore and Jack wanted nothing more than to avail himself of her abundant charms. But this was probably not the time or place. They had some things to discuss first. He slowly pulled from between her thighs and lifted his hand to draw a line of moisture across her full, parted lips. She sucked him into her mouth with her essence coating his fingers. That tongue ring swirled. Finally, he drew away. “All right, let’s go.” She turned and bent over back into the car to grab her purse, presenting him with the most perfect ass he’d ever seen in denim. Damn, he wanted to get his hands on that ass. Could he resist? Probably, if he tried hard enough. But was he going to? That was the more pertinent question.
Tasha waited outside by the car as he went in to the front desk and picked up a key. 37
J.K. Coi
When they got into the hotel room, he was glad to see it was surprisingly clean. There was a contemporary-patterned spread on the bed and a faux-brass lamp on the table beside it. Cheap. But clean. Jack dropped the duffel bag he’d brought in with him from the car onto the chair by the door and stripped off his suit jacket, draping it over the back of the same chair. He kept the bag with him always. It had a change of clothes, an extra weapon and a few other necessities. Like condoms. Tasha walked forward and flicked on the lamp before heading across the room. “Not bad,” she said, turning to watch him lock the door and pull the chain. “I’ve been in worse places, anyway.” She smiled, her shirt stretching tight over her impeccable breasts again as she shrugged off her jacket and turned toward the bathroom. “Do you mind if I shower before we powwow? I’ve still got stripper stench all over me.” Jack just nodded, trying not to let it slip that he’d immediately pictured her gorgeous body lathering up under the hot spray of the water. Despite the events of earlier, he was going to do his best to remember that they were both professionals, both on the job. A professional. He was a professional. A professional with a cockstand like fucking granite. Yeah. He could see this working out real well. “I’ll just be a few minutes.” She disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Jack turned off the overhead light, leaving only the lamp on the nightstand. He took off his tie and undid the first button of his shirt, glancing at the queen-size bed. Deciding not to tempt fate, he turned his back on it and settled into a chair across the room, ignoring the popped spring sticking into his left ass cheek.
38
Brazen Games
He heard the sound of the shower curtain being dragged back, the water being turned on. His hand went to his forehead and he closed his eyes. What the hell had gone wrong? It looked as if Moretti was purposely shutting him out. He needed to find out who had been whispering in Sam’s ear that Jack was dirty. His only consolation at this point was that the mob boss must not be completely convinced. Otherwise Jack would have a bullet in the back of his head already. He hadn’t heard the water being turned off, but did hear the door creak open. Steamy air billowed from the bathroom and a fevered tension spiked in his blood. Opening his eyes, he watched as Tasha walked to the bed with one small towel wrapped around her. Her short hair was a sexy, tousled mess. She sank into the edge of the soft mattress, facing him. He shouldn’t have looked at her, because now he couldn’t turn away. It was as if she’d drugged him. Bespelled him. And he was enthralled by her every sensuous move. He remembered the last time he’d seen her. Department Christmas party. They’d been flirting back and forth for a few months. Not seriously, because the interoffice politics shit was always in the back of his mind. The party had been just a week before he was approached for this very assignment. Tasha had looked young. God, too young. And so pretty. But even then, she’d come to the department with experience behind her, and Jack remembered seeing something in her eyes that hinted she wasn’t as innocent as she seemed. A look that challenged, that stirred. A look that said she’d be willing to do anything he wanted, all the things he’d never dared before. That look stayed with him when he was loneliest, invading his dreams and his most erotic desires, right up until the day two weeks ago when he’d watched her saunter across the Blaze’s stage for the first time. “I’ve had a long day here, Jack. I’m pissed and I’m confused. I hate feeling out of my element on the job.” She didn’t look out of her element. The woman looked cool, relaxed and too damn sexy for her own good—in a thin fucking hotel towel that barely 39
J.K. Coi
covered the tops of her thighs. She lifted her gaze to his. “You want to start explaining tonight to me?” He sighed. “First, I need to know why you’re here. Who brought you in? What’s your objective?” She paused. Looked him over, obviously contemplating how much to say. “Come on, Tasha. This isn’t a negotiation. You tell me what I want to know or you’re out.” “Out?” Her eyes flashed. “You can’t do that.” He lifted an eyebrow. “I’ve got orders from Moretti to make sure you take a long jump off a short pier. So you better give me a good fucking reason why I shouldn’t put your compromised ass on a midnight train out of here right now.” “Compromised? But—” “I don’t think Sam has proof of anything,” Jack allowed, “but he knows there’s a mole, and you’re the newest variable.” He rubbed his hands over his face, unable to ignore the continuing feeling that it wasn’t only Tasha who had raised red flags with Sam Moretti. “Why did they send you? Why now when I’m so close…” “Backup.” Her fingers curled over the knot keeping the towel together at the vee of her breasts. “I’m just your backup. That’s all.” “Why don’t I believe you?” “This is a delicate stage of the mission…” “And they think I’ve folded under the pressure.” “You could use another body on your side.” “Bullshit. They’re worried about me. Because of the cop.” She sighed, probably evaluating how much to reveal. “You’ve been in the thick of this thing for so long, Jack. You know the way it works. It’s only natural for them to send someone in to check on your progress and make sure nothing jeopardizes the endgame, especially after what happened.” 40
Brazen Games
Right. How much of that rhetoric did she believe? “And that someone is supposed to be you?” He smirked. Jack looked her up and down. He had no doubt she was a good cop, and the woman was certainly a stellar actress. But she still hadn’t developed the calluses of indifference and ruthlessness that would be needed to see a job like this through to the end. She practically glowed with eager youthfulness. Maybe that was the point. Maybe it took someone like her—someone who still had a heart—to recognize the darkness in someone like him? “Sneer all you want, but it won’t change anything.” She showed no evidence that he’d offended her, as if his words rolled right off. Her expression remained calm and cool. “It does. It changes everything.” He got up and paced to the window, pulling back the curtain just enough to peek out at the green neon sign blinking in the parking lot. “Because of you I’ve been shut out of Moretti’s inner circle. I’m pretty sure the deal is ready to go down, but getting the drop on it is going to be that much harder now.” “What do you mean, shut out?” He turned back around. “He’s suspicious. I’m not sure how deep it goes, but it isn’t good.” She sighed. “Do you know when and where the trade is supposed to happen?” He shook his head. “From Danny’s reaction back at the club, I think it’s soon, if not tomorrow night. It depends how paranoid Moretti is. If he really suspects I’ve doublecrossed him, then he probably would have gotten Danny to rearrange everything and I’d already be dead. Still, I won’t know anything for sure until tomorrow when I meet with them.” “If they’ve made you, don’t you think that’s going to be a little dangerous?”
41
J.K. Coi
He met her gaze and grinned but there was none of the rush he used to get from the challenge of his job. Instead, he felt drained, as if all the life had been sucked out of him, replaced with a black sludge that was slowly filling his veins and suffocating him. “Are you worried about me, Tasha?” She assessed him carefully, and he felt as if they had shared more than just a bout of raunchy sex in a darkened club. Was this closeness because she was probably the only person in his life right now who understood—at least peripherally—what he’d been through? Not even Jack’s sister knew where he was. Two days ago he’d gotten a panickedsounding voicemail message from her on his cell phone—the one he kept locked away in a box deep in the back of his closet. By the time he’d been able to check the messages and it was safe enough to return the call, whatever crisis she’d needed him for must have passed. Lana had been angry, accusing him of abandoning her, crying that she didn’t know him at all anymore—which, of course, was absolutely true. But what the hell was he supposed to do about it? To tell her anything was to put her life in danger. The only one who understood his responsibility, the isolation of it and what it was like to be constantly on guard in the middle of a nest of vipers, might just be the woman standing before him. Did that mean she was also the only one he didn’t have to lie to? Because God, he was sick of all the fucking lies. “How insulted would you be if I said yes, I’m a little worried?” She grinned. He chuckled and let out a long breath, surprised by how good it felt to be here with her. “I think it all depends on how long you’re planning to keep clutching that towel to your chest.” He liked the way her eyes flared. She licked her lips, reminding him of the wicked intensity that mouth had already wreaked on his flesh. “Do you think that’s wise?” Of course it wasn’t wise. They’d both already agreed on that point. But Jack was jaded enough that he didn’t care. At least not tonight. Not after weeks of watching her 42
Brazen Games
parade those naked tits on stage every night, giving him a permanent hard-on. Not when he could see that she wanted what he had to give her just as badly. Here and now, without subterfuge, cameras or threats to get in the way. Here and now when it could be real and honest, instead of something shameful and contrived. “Is wise what we’re really going for?” he said. She rose and stepped toward him, keeping that damn towel around her. His fingers twitched to reach out and toss it on the floor. He could have sworn they were on the same page, but he needed to be sure. He wanted her to have a better choice now than she’d been given back at the club tonight with Sam standing over them. “Just to be clear,” she whispered, leaning closer until there was barely an inch between them. “If I lose this towel, you’re finally going to fuck me, right?” Her bold words made his gut clench. “I’d be more than happy to, yeah,” he drawled, lifting a hand to her cheek. He wouldn’t touch her anywhere else, not yet. “And will you do me right?” She was smiling. A sexy, sultry smile. Completely different from the lazy, amused smile she’d sported while gyrating on stage for the benefit of the sick fucks drooling over her in the audience. The fact that he’d been one of those sick fucks wasn’t lost on him, but he was glad she hadn’t seemed to lump him in with the rest. This was a smile he’d never seen before. A smile just for him. A smile that spoke of lusty thoughts, of secrets and promises. “Baby, I’ll do you any way you want,” he replied. He glanced down, his gaze following his finger as he trailed a water droplet from her neck into the tempting cleavage showing above the towel still knotted in her fist. He remembered she’d told him she liked sex dirty and dangerous. “I’ll fuck you until you scream that you can’t take anymore…and then I’ll give it to you even harder.” “Well then, the night’s not getting any younger.” Her voice was a low purr.
43
J.K. Coi
She bit her lip and went up on her toes, pressing those fantastic breasts into his chest. He groaned and took her mouth, curling his hands around her upper arms as he sucked her tongue into his mouth. The damp towel fell to the ground at their feet so there was nothing between them but his clothes and the shoulder holster that kept a .22 Beretta tucked under his arm. Jack should be sticking close to Moretti and Danny tonight. If the deal that could finally put those two away and get him back to some kind of real life was going to happen, he couldn’t afford to let the opportunity slip away. At the same time, he was desperate for a few hours when he wouldn’t have to watch his back. He’d trade almost anything for a moment away from all this shit to lose himself in the simplicity of a woman’s lush warmth. A woman like Tasha, who wasn’t here with him because he could get her a free hit of the good stuff, or had a thing for the kind of pain and degradation a mob boss’s ball buster should be more than willing to provide. Her hands dragged up his back and she crowded closer as if she needed him as much as he needed her. The heat of her damp, smooth skin branded him through his clothes. Taking a step back, he shucked the gun belt and dropped it on the table. He started working the buttons of his dress shirt but his eyes were glued to Tasha’s nakedness. The cheap, skimpy, sequined outfits she’d been wearing at the Blaze didn’t do her justice. Her breasts stood high and proud, begging to be sucked, licked, and pinched. Her belly was smooth and flat, hips flaring into a ripe round ass before curving back in and leading down sleek, shapely legs that would ride him long and hard. It was easy to see that beneath all that soft skin was muscle. Toned, strong, academy-trained muscle. He wouldn’t have to be gentle with her and he wouldn’t have to hold back. Not that he’d planned to do anything of the sort. God, she was fucking magnificent. “Thank you, but you haven’t seen anything yet, Jack.” 44
Brazen Games
He didn’t remember saying the words out loud. And he didn’t remember undoing his last button, but as he shrugged off the shirt, it was the least of his concerns. “Get on the bed.” She didn’t turn around, but maintained full eye contact with him as she took two steps backward. The backs of her thighs hit the mattress, but before she could sit he clarified his demand. “On your hands and knees, facing the wall.” Her mouth opened on a low hiss and she shuddered. He hesitated. “If I say or do something you don’t like, what’s your word?” “It’s apples. But I won’t need to use it.” She shook her head and smiled. “That wasn’t uncertainty you saw on my face. Trust me.” “Oh yeah?” Jack dropped his shirt and started on the buckle of his pants. “Then what was it?” Her gaze dropped to watch and she shivered again. She pulled her top lip between her teeth and cupped her breasts as if they ached before pinching them to hard points. “Anticipation. Excitement. God, Jack. You don’t know how long I’ve wanted this.” “Why?” The way she was touching herself, he almost forgot what the question was and didn’t much give a shit for the answer anyway. She smiled and cupped her breasts again before smoothing a hand down her stomach to dip two fingers between the lips of her shaved pussy, glistening wet with eager readiness. She swiped slowly. Once. Twice. And he imagined they were his fingers sliding across her clit and then inside her until she spread her legs and asked for harder, longer, deeper. “Because I like the way you look at me, Jack. In a crowded club filled with naked girls, you can make me feel like the only real woman in the room. I get horny the minute you turn my way. I’m not shy, nor do I intend to play the martyr. What I want, I usually get.”
45
J.K. Coi
Another slow swipe of her fingers between her legs, this time in a small circle, and she shivered through an obvious wave of pleasure. “Since our first meeting, I’ve wondered more than once what it would be like to take you for a ride. I knew you’d be able to give me what I need. Then starting this job and knowing you were out there each night while I danced, but that we didn’t dare go near each other…God, it’s been torture.” Holy shit. Just the thought of what she professed to need made his lust surge like a twisting knife in his gut. “Do you trust me?” She shouldn’t. That would only lead to disaster. “In what way?” He had to admire that. Even naked and asking to be fucked, Tasha hadn’t let her guard down completely. A smart cookie. But then she’d have to be to get put on this case. Suddenly, he hated to see her touched by any of it. It was bad enough she’d been tainted by that club. He didn’t want her to get caught in the middle of what he was beginning to think was going to be a goat-fuck of a bust when it finally went down. “Do you trust me enough to get dressed and walk out of here right now?” he asked, willing to let her go if it meant keeping her safe. “To disappear for the next few days until this deal of Moretti’s is done?” She shook her head. “You know I can’t do that. It isn’t a matter of trust.” “Sure it is. But fine.” He waved it off. She really had no reason to trust him. He really had no right to ask her to. The psych experts back in their sterile little offices had evaluated Jack’s case notes and obviously believed he’d gone dark side. Why should Tasha think any differently? If their roles had been reversed and he’d read the same file, Jack probably would have felt the same.
46
Brazen Games
And because he did understand, Jack wouldn’t push the issue now, but if she got in his way at the wrong moment he would stop her. She looked at him like he was a scruffy, wounded dog that she pitied and yet worried might bite her. “Jack, what is it—?” “Forget it. Are we done talking for now? Because I can think of better things to do with what’s left of this night.” She didn’t answer. After a slight pause, she climbed onto the bed.
47
J.K. Coi
Chapter Five “You must want it bad, Tasha.” She looked back at him over her shoulder, conscious of her nakedness but unembarrassed by it. After all, she’d spent the last two weeks humping a pole in front of the dregs of society. Compared to that, letting Jack see her without clothes was kind of like going to church in prim pink muslin. “What is that supposed to mean?” His expression had hardened when he’d spoken to her of trust, but there was nothing she could do about it. Yes, she wanted him and wasn’t afraid to let him know it, but that didn’t mean she was going to let sex taint her professional judgment. “If you’re willing to put yourself at the mercy of a man you think you might have to arrest sometime in the next twenty-four hours—” “Are you going to give me a reason to bring you in, Jack?” She glared up at him. Was she going to have to put a stop to this after all? Her pulsing pussy shouted with disappointment, but the tightness in her chest was growing. “Not at the moment.” He picked up his bag and rooted inside, pulled out a new box of condoms and set it on the nightstand. His brow lifted as he finally let those suit pants drop and stepped up to the edge of the bed. He closed a hand around her ankle. “But tomorrow’s another day, isn’t it?” She tugged, but he didn’t let go. “You were probably right. This is a bad idea.” “No doubt about it, baby.” His palm slid up the back of her calf as he settled on the mattress just behind her right hip. She stiffened and placed her knees wider apart to compensate for her shifting balance. “But you knew that and you’re still here,” he continued. “I think it’s the primary reason you came. You like making dangerous decisions. You’re a very bad girl behind that cop’s badge, aren’t you?” 48
Brazen Games
She snorted. “Despite the character I’ve had to assume at the club, I don’t do roleplaying games, Jack. We’re not good cop,naughty cop, and you won’t get me into a schoolgirl’s kilt, a nurse’s uniform or your mommy’s apron. It’s just me here. A bit wild, maybe, and more than a little fucked up, but you can take it or leave it.” His hand flattened across her right ass cheek. Hard. Tasha bit down to keep the moan from breaking past her lips. “Then I guess that’s what I’ll do,” he said. She heard the smile in his voice as if he found her forthrightness amusing, but she could see very little of his face. “Take you.” Even craning her neck to peer over her shoulder for a better look proved futile. Jack had slipped into a slice of shadow in the space where the soft ring of light from the lamp on the nightstand ended and the glow coming from the bathroom couldn’t reach. She heard the crinkle and tear of a condom wrapper and her arms wobbled under her weight until she almost collapsed into a puddle on the bed. The darkness grew as he came closer. Suddenly, his hands pulled at her hips. He positioned himself fully behind her. His breath teased her spine as he leaned over her. It had been a long time since Tasha had been reckless enough to risk the anonymity of sex with a stranger. She could keep lying to herself that she knew what she was getting into, but this man was definitely a stranger. It didn’t matter how many of his case notes she read or how many psych reports were filed about him, Jack Russo was a wild card. She didn’t have a clue what was driving him, what was really going on inside his head, and she didn’t think she wanted to know. She shivered as a spark of wariness flickered inside her, but it only ramped up the desire pounding through her blood. Instead of fear, she felt exhilaration.
49
J.K. Coi
It was a little like the dancing. That stage. The way it made her want to do other wicked things just for the surge of adrenaline in her blood… The sordidness of rushing to a hotel room with a man she’d been sucking off in a sleazy strip joint just a couple of hours earlier would have been embarrassing, if it wasn’t also such a hard jolt of lust to her starved system. Jack straightened. She couldn’t see him, but his hips and thighs pressed against her as he loomed over her from behind. His cock slipped between her ass cheeks, and she dropped her chin to her chest, taking deep breaths. “God, Jack,” she moaned. “I need this so fucking bad.” “You and me both.” He grunted, sliding up and back until it became a slick, wet glide against her most sensitive place. Once. Twice. And a third time, before positioning himself to push inside. “I wish I could draw this out and make it last…but there’s no way, Tasha. I’m sorry. I’m just going to pound the hell out of you until we both explode.” “God, yes. Fill me up.” She pushed back with a small circle of her hips, letting her chest fall to the mattress so she could rub her aching nipples against the stiff cotton bedspread. “I don’t need anything more or less than you deep inside me,” she begged. “All of it. Now, Jack. Please. Give it to me now—” Tasha whimpered against the hard shove and feeling of immediate fullness. Jack’s fingers curled into her hips. He held himself still for several long moments. She could feel the throbbing of his cock, a drugging beat that matched the pulsing of her pussy and the blood pounding in her temples. “Oh hell, that feels so good,” he groaned. She kept expecting the frenzied thrusting to begin and squirmed a little as the sensations threatened to overwhelm her. When he reached between her thighs and touched two fingers to her clit, she bucked, a shout breaking past her clenched teeth.
50
Brazen Games
He started to move then. Long, deep strokes that built inside her like a powder keg with a very short, very lit fuse. She pushed back onto her hands and braced herself to take it harder and faster. “More, Jack. Please.” He flipped her onto her back and pulled her leg over his shoulder before pushing inside her again. She lifted her hips to meet his thrusts and gazed into his face, at the stark intensity that darkened his eyes. Her heart beat faster, the sensations pulling at her pussy increasing until it felt like streaks of lightning shooting through her from head to toe. His mouth came down on hers in a hard, wet kiss that wouldn’t end. His fingers pinched her nipple, making her cry out. His cock pounded into her pussy again and again. It was as if he was taking from every part of her. Tasha gasped for air, her body exploding in a rainbow of endless colors as she came.
As expected, it was over much too soon. Jack didn’t want to let her go yet, but he consoled himself with the fact that he still had a full box of condoms, and he couldn’t do anything about their situation until the morning. He pulled out and left the bed without a word. Tasha curled up on top of the blanket and let out a moan of contentment into the pillow, her eyes closed. Jack crossed the room to dispose of the condom in the bathroom garbage. As he turned to leave, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror above the small pedestal sink and paused. A stranger stared back at him with icy blue eyes and a hard slash of a mouth. He was still breathing heavily and his face was flush with the aftermath of his lust, but the deep grooves in his forehead spoke of weariness that no amount of sleep would lift. His expression hinted at a disgust for the things he’d experienced, the darkness he’d lived with for so long. The longer he stared, the more his lip curled with cynicism.
51
J.K. Coi
Finally, Jack shook his head and turned away, flicking off the light. He didn’t need to see that face anymore. He already knew that one way or another, the person in the mirror wasn’t going to be around for much longer. He returned to bed, to the soft warmth of Tasha’s unselfconscious nakedness beckoning to him even in the dark. She’d turned out the lamp on the bedside table so that only the glow from the hotel’s neon sign outside penetrated the narrow blinds over the window. He thought about pulling his pants on so he wouldn’t be tempted to take advantage of her again, but before the thought could make him feel guilty he was already lying down beside her and dragging her close. He closed his eyes tightly when she snuggled into his arms, her ass cradled to his groin. “Jack?” She sounded a little uncertain. Although much of her remained a mystery to him, he didn’t think she was uncertain very often. He didn’t know anyone else like her. She seemed so comfortable with herself, so in tune with her needs and accepting of her own truths. “Yeah.” He opened his eyes and stared over her head without seeing. He’d never before thought about what he was looking for in a woman, maybe because he hadn’t been thinking long-term. It had always been enough for the distraction of the night to have a pretty face and a nice ass. To be available and willing. But now he recognized that this woman was exactly his kind of woman. If he had been looking, she would be what he’d want. For more than just one night. She was different than the rest. It was no wonder he’d been attracted to her at first glance. Tasha glowed with confidence, and he couldn’t see her jerking him around or playing mind games and lying to him. He got enough of that shit in his job. When he finally escaped from it, he wanted to go home to someone who would recognize the shadows in his eyes and instinctively know how to drag them out. “We should probably go over our plans for tomorrow.”
52
Brazen Games
Her fingers covered his hand and he realized he had cupped her breast. It felt so right, he’d not even thought about what he was doing, but now that he was aware of it, he shifted until his arm rested along his hip. She twisted around to face him and he caught her expression in the shadows. She was worried. “I’ll take care of the situation,” he said. She gripped his arm. “I thought we went over this, but maybe you need me to spell it out for you.” His jaw clenched and his body went still. “All right. Maybe you should.” She sighed. “You’re not running this show anymore. If you won’t work with me, then I have no choice but to pull you out.” He had to give her credit. Even through the haze of anger, he could tell she didn’t sound happy about it. Not that her feelings made any difference. “You don’t have that authority.” “Wanna bet? There’s no room for error on this one,” she said. “And after what happened with the cop, the agency isn’t willing to take any more chances with you.” “Then why haven’t they already gotten rid of me?” “You know why. There isn’t enough time to send someone else in. No one can get as close to Moretti as you’ve gotten.” “You remember that, Tasha. Remember that I’m the one who has spent a year on this job.” His fist clenched as he remembered just what it had taken to get Sam to start trusting him and relying on him. The faces of those he’d walked over, broken and betrayed in order to do what needed to be done were always with him. Screaming in his head, burning him from the inside out. Before this op, he’d always thought there would be a clear line, the one he would never cross. But now he wasn’t so sure. That line kept getting moved farther and farther back. He had kept telling himself it was for the greater good, that it was all necessary if
53
J.K. Coi
he was going to be successful in building an air-tight case against Moretti, but that was until that young cop… “I’ve put in the time,” he said. “I’m the one whose blood has been spilled so that—” “You’ve also done the spilling, Jack.” She didn’t need to remind him. The blood on his hands was never coming off. “This is not a negotiation.” He couldn’t believe they were having this conversation naked. Tasha’s breasts pressed into his chest even as she boldly threatened the ability to pull rank on him. If he were a real bastard, he’d flip her onto her back and put his mouth to her pussy and show her how easily he could distract her and get his way. But he didn’t want to do that. Well, he did, but not to undermine her. He knew she took her job seriously and he wouldn’t belittle her commitment. She was a lot like him…probably too much like him. Jack didn’t like to think that in a few more years she could be just as jaded, beaten by the job instead of empowered by it. “I’m going to have to go back in alone,” he said. “If my cover’s intact, then Moretti will expect me to have…taken care of you, as per his orders.” She nodded, obviously having already accepted that much. “All right, but you’ll have to wear a wire from here on out, so we can monitor the situation and keep tabs on you.” “No way. If you put a wire on me, I’ll be dead as soon as I walk through the door, and then you’ve got nothing. A year of surveillance down the fucking drain.” “Christ. We’ll have to figure something out. I can’t just let you walk back in there without any backup.” “Backup? Is that really what this is about, or don’t you trust me?” “I don’t believe you’re sleeping with the enemy, if that’s what you mean.” “The agency seems to be convinced.” “Well, I’m not convinced. The agency doesn’t know what they’re talking about.”
54
Brazen Games
Surprise made him pause. “How can you be so sure? You can’t exactly afford to be wrong about me.” “I’m not. You’re not dirty, Jack.” God, she sounded so certain, even after reading that damn file and knowing everything he’d done. How long had it been since someone had given him the benefit of the doubt? “So where does that leave us?” “As partners.” She tapped his chest with her finger. “And partners trust each other. They look out for one another. Which means if you go back in, you have to find a way to let me know what’s going on so I can keep you safe.” He put his hand on hers and flattened her palm over his heart. It was disconcerting to see the unguarded expression on her face, as if she really did trust him and maybe even cared about him. “I’ve never had sex with any of my other partners.” “Neither have I. I made it a personal rule not to.” She smiled. “But I’ve never been the type to play by all the rules. And I seem to like breaking them with you.” She pushed against his shoulder until he was lying flat on the bed. By the time she’d swung her leg over his hips and settled on top of him, he was hard again, with every intention of putting the condition to good use. This time Jack didn’t bother pretending he was going to try to do the right thing, try holding back. He fully accepted that tonight neither his job nor his duty entered into the picture. This was about the two of them. Not the job. Not anything but hot and sweaty limbs entwined. Just a man and a woman looking to lose themselves in each other for another couple of hours. They’d have enough time to wallow in their lapse in judgment once morning came and all hell broke loose around them.
55
J.K. Coi
With that settled, he cupped her breasts. She sighed and leaned closer, rolling her hips over him. He tweaked and pulled her tight nipples as he watched her face. She’d closed her eyes and tilted her head back, completely giving herself up to the sensations he sent coursing through her body. Her movements reminded him of the way she danced on stage, all confidence and power. “God, you’re good,” he muttered. She opened her eyes and gazed down at him with a raised brow. “What is that supposed to mean? You said something like that back at the club too.” “Just what it sounds like.” He shook his head, realizing his comment could have been construed as a cheap shot. “I’ve never met anyone like you before.” “And what makes me different from anyone else?” Her forehead creased as her expression turned guarded, and he regretted the outburst. Wanting to explain, he said, “I’m sorry. I only meant that you always seem to be in complete control. To know exactly what you’ve got and how to work it. Exactly what you want and how to get it.” She laughed. “Is that what it looks like? Well, then I must be really good, because right now I feel as if control is slipping dangerously out of my grasp.” She shook her head. “This was not supposed to happen.” “What wasn’t supposed to happen?” Her hips rolled again, more insistent. “This.” He grabbed her arms and tossed her beneath him. “Regrets already?” “Loads, but who’s counting?” When she didn’t say anything more, he lowered his head and took her nipple in his mouth, sucking and flicking it with his tongue. She groaned and bent her knee, dragging her leg up his flank and hooking it over his hip. Her fingers clutched his hair as she begged him to fuck her again.
56
Brazen Games
Jack didn’t want her to regret what they’d given each other tonight, no matter what came afterward. He didn’t know why it was so important, but he couldn’t escape the tight feeling in his chest when he looked at her. He’d been telling himself that tonight was only about sex and he didn’t want anything else from her, but he knew himself well enough to know that wasn’t entirely true. The trouble was, he might want more from her, but he knew he couldn’t have more, didn’t deserve more. He moved down her body using his hands and lips and teeth. He tortured her with pleasure, doing his best to wring another cry from her mouth, and then another. When his tongue circled her clit and stabbed into the wet core of her, she came almost immediately. He made her come again before lifting his head and sliding on a condom. Pushing inside her swollen folds, he rode her hard and deep, challenging her to reach for yet another orgasm. And when it exploded over her he found himself entranced by the pleasure washing across her face, wanting to whisper soft words he’d never spoken to anyone else before. Instead, he gave in to his release and rode the tidal wave with her. But even as he closed his eyes tightly and reveled in the synchronized pounding of his heart and cock, her image was still the only thing he saw.
57
J.K. Coi
Chapter Six After another round of energetic sex, Jack found himself arguing with Tasha once again. “This is the only way it has a chance of working.” He got up and moved to the chair where his clothes lay. “Bullshit,” she said, breasts bouncing as she jumped out of bed to face him down. “We could use your knowledge of the club’s layout and Moretti’s people and put the Blaze under surveillance.” “There isn’t enough time to set that up, even if it would work.” He sat back down on the edge of the bed to drag his pants on. “Which it probably wouldn’t.” She changed tactics. “I’m sure we could come up with a good reason why you didn’t kill me as ordered, and I could go along as backup. What if—” “Forget it. You and I both know there’s no way you’re walking back into that club and coming out alive.” He shoved his arms into his shirt and snapped the collar straight. Tasha rushed to grab her clothes, still arguing. “We’ve been through this,” he said. “There’s no time. I’m the only one that still has a chance of seeing this through to the end. Moretti might be suspicious of me, but he doesn’t have anything concrete.” He couldn’t, because Jack had done everything right… He had to keep playing the game the way he’d been playing it every day for the last year. Like the hard and unrelenting criminal Moretti expected him to be. He could do that for one more day. And then it would be over. He’d be out. Maybe even with his soul intact.
58
Brazen Games
Tasha sank down into the chair opposite the bed and looked up at him. Her frustrated expression wasn’t lost on him. “If you really trust me, let me do this.” She finally nodded. “But only if you wear the fucking wire.” He agreed. They both decided that Jack would slip Tasha out of the motel and then he would head back to the Blaze to find Moretti. Alone. They finished getting dressed. After making sure they weren’t being watched or followed, he drove her to the safe house, where they were met by three other agents who looked at him with thinly veiled expressions of distaste. “So I’m a real popular guy back at the office these days, huh?” Tasha looked up and shook her head. Oddly enough, he felt like smiling again, especially when he remembered that just an hour ago, that gorgeous mouth of hers had been wrapped around his cock instead of frowning with disapproval. None of the selfrighteous cowboys glaring at him as if he were Benedict Arnold could say the same. Jack ignored the suits as Tasha took the gear they had brought for her and got him wired up. A few minutes later, she stepped back. “All right, you’re good to go. Try to keep your clothes on and nobody will find the mic,” she said, her frown transforming into a crooked smile. He finished buttoning his shirt and took the jacket she held out to him. The only good thing about the wire was that it was actually wireless. Tasha had taped a tiny receiver to the small of his back at his belt line where it would be less likely to be discovered in a pat-down. None of Moretti’s boys would have dared subject him to something like that last week, but he knew it was a possibility when he showed up today.
59
J.K. Coi
The mic itself was a small electronic dot that had been sewn into the fabric of his lapel pocket. Apparently, as long as he didn’t put more than five feet between the mic and the receiver, it would transmit perfectly. When the suits left, Jack shrugged his jacket back on and snapped the collar flat. Tasha stood in front of him. She propped her hands high on her waist, drawing his gaze to the t-shirt stretched tight across her chest. “I had better go,” he said. She nodded and lifted her hand as if to reach for him, but pulled it back after a moment and wrapped her arms around herself. “Be careful.” He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had said those words to him. “Careful isn’t exactly in the job description, you know that.” Pulling her to him, he grinned. “But I’ll be sure to give it a shot.” She leaned into him, on her toes so that her lips grazed his chin. “Good,” she whispered. “Because I’ll be waiting here once this is all said and done.” “Why?” “We have some unfinished business, you and I.” He lifted a brow and grinned. “Actually, I think we covered a lot of ground—” “Just get your ass back here with that smart mouth intact.” He leaned down and kissed her. She tasted fresh and young, full of vitality, and he hoped a little of that had seeped into him in the last few hours. “Thank you for a fantastic night, Tasha.” Maybe he should have said something else, given her some sort of promise for the future, but he couldn’t. He thought a flash of disappointment crossed her face, but then she smiled and shrugged. “The pleasure was definitely all mine.”
60
Brazen Games
When Jack walked into the Blaze, five pairs of eyes immediately locked on him. The boys were on high alert, to have so many manning the bar at this time of day. The countdown had definitely begun. “Hey guys.” Jack nodded to the two bouncers closest to the door but kept walking past them, toward the bar. “Joe, where’s the boss?” The bigger one on Jack’s right nodded back. Joe had been with Moretti almost as long as Jack and they were about as close as two guys could be who were involved with mobsters, considering one of them had been lying all that time about being an undercover agent. “He and Danny are in the back.” He frowned. “Where’ve you been, anyway? Sam was expecting you back sooner. He sent Nick and Jimmy out to look for you a while ago.” Jack’s shoulders tensed. “I had a few things to take care of, but thanks for letting me know.” Joe chuckled. “So, you finally get your rocks off with that hot dancer.” “What do you know about it?” The guy shrugged. “Only that if I’d been asked to take care of her, I would have had a hell of a good time with her first too.” He shoved his hands beneath his jacket and into his pants pockets to keep the guys from seeing that he’d clenched them into tight fists. “Yeah, absolutely.” “So was Moretti right? Was she the plant?” Jack circled behind the bar. “Can’t talk about it, Joe. You know that. And I better not keep Sam waiting any longer.” He entered the back room. “Jack.” Another one of Moretti’s men waited just inside the storage area. “Sam and Danny have been asking for you. What the hell happened to your phone? No one’s been able to reach you for hours.” “No time.” He kept moving down the shadowed aisle, passing cases of beer and liquor piled six and seven boxes high.
61
J.K. Coi
All the way at the back, he went through another set of large swinging double doors. Sam and Danny were standing around a large industrial table with three more guys. He knew his wire wasn’t the only bug Tasha had at the Blaze. She’d mentioned that she had been able to place a few in the quieter sections of the club, although she hadn’t found a way to get access to these back rooms during her stint dancing. Jack had a suspicion that at least one of them must have been found or she had been seen. It was as good a reason as any for Moretti to have gotten suspicious. Sam looked up as Jack approached. “There you are, Jacky. We were starting to get worried about you.” “I was just doing what you told me to do, Sam.” The mob boss lifted a brow. “So the job is done, then?” Jack nodded. “Taken care of.” He stepped away from the table and walked over to Jack. “And what did you find out?” “Nothing. She was nothing. Nobody. I was thorough, so it took me a while. But the bitch was just a stripper with a smart mouth and probably too curious for her own good. I’m sure of it.” Jack wanted to puke, but he smiled instead. “Either way, you were right about one thing—she put that mouth of hers to good use in more ways than one. And now she’s out of the picture. Nobody’s going to find her for a very long time.” Sam looked him in the eye for a long moment, but Jack knew he gave nothing away. He was ice cold from the expression on his face to the controlled beats of his heart. “Good, Jacky. That’s good. Come on over here and let’s go over the details for tonight.”
Sam was taking no chances that their plans might be leaked and something could go wrong. Jack was indeed patted down, but so was every other guy who had even a
62
Brazen Games
fringe-worthy involvement in the operation. As big a player as Moretti was, the men he was getting into bed with now were bigger. One slip and he would never see this kind of opportunity again. One slip and he would never do anything again. Three hours later, Tasha’s wire hadn’t been discovered and Jack knew every detail of Moretti’s plan, which meant that she did as well. He assumed the agency had ordered agents to be positioned near the warehouse down by the docks where this meeting was scheduled to take place as soon as they’d gotten confirmation of the location. He only hoped they would keep their distance long enough for Jack to make sure the players were all in attendance, and everyone could be caught with their hands in the cookie jar. He spent the afternoon at Moretti’s side, helping to coordinate men and machinery. Danny was in charge of the money and had taken off earlier to make sure it was all in order. Just before it was time to leave, Sam got a call. “Yeah.” As he listened to whatever news the person on the other end of the line was giving him, he glanced up at Jack with a piercing look. Jack lifted a brow in question. Sam finally shook his head and left the room, but returned a few minutes later without the phone. “What was that about?” asked Jack. “Nothing. Just some other business that needed taking care of. Let’s get moving.” By the time they were on their way, everyone loaded up with enough firepower to arm a small African rebellion, Jack had started to worry about all the things that could go wrong. There was an outside chance that the Romanians would find out what was going on, and that would be bad. But warring drug cartels and bloodbaths aside, he also had a sick feeling Tasha was one of the agents who would be waiting in the shadows on the sidelines for Jack to give the signal that it was time to bust this thing wide open. He didn’t like the thought of her in danger, even though he knew she was capable and well-trained. 63
J.K. Coi
Joe was driving, Jack in the passenger seat. Danny and Sam sat together in the back. They approached a darkened, unmarked building whose owner had no traceable connection to Moretti, pulled into an alley that took them around back and drove right through the big bay delivery doors into the warehouse. Jack got out of the black Hummer and looked at Sam. “I’ll walk the grounds and make sure everyone’s in position.” That way, he could also ensure that nobody else discovered their “surprise” guests. Sam shook his head. “No. Send someone else. I want you here. We have some lastminute details to go over.” With a shrug, Jack turned to Joe and nodded, then watched as the man pulled his weapon and slipped outside. When he turned back around, the barrel of a Beretta stared him right between the eyes. “What the fuck, Sam?” Jack took a step back, fighting to stay calm. “Get that thing out of my face.” “Did you really think I wouldn’t find out?” “Find out what?” he snapped. “That you’ve fallen off the deep end?” “We’ve got your girlfriend, Jack.” Sam smiled and pointed to a lone chair in the middle of the room with his gun hand. “She’s a lot less dead than she should be.” Jack stood his ground until someone came up behind him and nailed him in the back of the neck with the hard butt of a weapon. He swore and blinked away ink dots floating in his vision as Danny jerked him backward and pushed him down into the chair. Jack met Sam’s gaze and didn’t say a word, but he broke out in a cold sweat and bit the inside of his lip. What had they done with Tasha? Danny stood at his side, pointing a semi-automatic at his head. “How long?” He shook his head. “What the hell are you talking about?”
64
Brazen Games
“How long have you been selling me out to the cops?” Christ. “You’ve got to be kidding me. I’m not talking to anyone, Sam, much less the police,” he spat. Danny divested Jack of his weapons. This time, they found the wire’s transmitter at the small of his back. Danny ripped it from his skin and showed Sam before dropping it to the floor and grinding it into tiny slivers with his boot. Danny stepped forward and clubbed him hard with the butt end of the gun again. Jack’s lips smashed against his teeth. He heard the crunch of bone in his nose as his head whipped back and he groaned, swiping at the blood that started streaming down his face. “Fuck.” He spat blood onto the concrete floor between his feet before glaring up at Danny. “You touch me again, asshole, and I’m going to fucking kill you.” His lips twitched in a mean smile when Danny instinctively took a half step back before he remembered that he was the one holding the big gun and bravely sneered down at Jack again. “Bring in the girl,” he called. Jack glanced past the Moretti boys as a door in the back of the building opened and Tasha was pushed through it by another of Sam’s men, Nick. He gritted his teeth to keep from shouting when he saw that one of her eyes was swollen shut, her cheekbones were cut and turning purple and blood crusted in a smear from her nose and the corner of her mouth, down her chin. She was wearing a pair of black pants and a white button-down shirt, dirty and torn. Her hands were cuffed behind her back and she stumbled and fell to her knees when Nick pushed her again. He grabbed her by the short strands of her hair and hauled her back to her feet before kicking her in the ass to get her moving again. She bit her lip to keep in what had to be a cry of pain, not letting it pass her cracked lips.
65
J.K. Coi
“So, Jacky.” Sam turned his weapon on her, his arm steady. “You think you can explain this to me before I’m done with her and it’s your turn?” Jack frantically worked the scenario over in his mind, trying to figure a way to get Tasha out of this. Unfortunately, it didn’t matter that their covers hadn’t been blown completely. Whether Moretti believed they were double-dealing him to the competing crime syndicate, ratting him out to the cops or had found out they were cops, the bullets in their heads were going to do the same damage either way. “Sam, you don’t want to do that. It isn’t what you think—” “I think you’re a betraying sack of shit, and I’m going to make sure you—” The main doors opened again. It was Joe. “Boss.” Sam’s gaze remained locked on Jack for a long time before he finally turned. “What is it?” Joe was looking back and forth, soaking in the dangerous scene, obviously taken aback by what was going on. But he was a smart guy with a healthy sense of selfpreservation. All he said was, “They’re here.” Sam nodded and looked at Danny. “I don’t want anyone thinking I’m having problems with my own men,” he said. “Get these two out of my sight and keep them quiet until after the meeting. I want to deal with them myself, later.” His cousin sputtered and whined. “Sam, I thought I was going to be at your side when—” “You’re going to do whatever the fuck I tell you to if you value your life half as much as you value your coke habit.” The mob boss’s patience was at an end, and if Jack knew Sam, he was as glad for an excuse to get rid of wild card Danny Moretti as he was to make sure Jack couldn’t cause him any trouble for the next sixty minutes. Danny turned on Jack and slugged him again, this time with his meaty fist. The spike of agony from his already broken nose made him groan and his vision blurred. “Get on your feet and put your hands up where I can see them.”
66
Brazen Games
He stood and moved to Tasha’s side with his fingers laced behind his head. His gaze roved over her, appraising her condition and silently asking the big question. Backup? The slight shake of her head and tightening of her mouth was virtually imperceptible, but it was enough to crush his last hope that help might still be coming in time. Ready? This time her eyes flashed and she nodded. Danny shoved the barrel of his Uzi in Jack’s spine as he and Nick pushed Jack and Tasha ahead of them into a dark back corridor and down a hallway to a small, windowless room. Jack knew he had to do something before they had a chance to cuff him too. Tasha walked into the room first and Jack followed. As soon as Nick was trapped in the doorway with Danny behind him, Jack pivoted on his heels fast and smashed an elbow into Danny’s face. He grabbed the gun at the same time that he clutched the front of Nick’s jacket and pulled him the rest of the way into the room, tossing him to the ground at Tasha’s feet. She kicked him in the head as a warning to stay down—and maybe as a little bit of revenge for the beating he must have given her—while Jack turned the gun on Danny and motioned for him to come inside the room and stand against the wall. Jack closed the door quietly with a nudge of his boot. “You’re already in enough trouble, Jack,” Danny said. Nick coughed as Tasha’s heel connected hard with his ribs. “You can’t get out of here alive. And even if you do, we’ll hunt you down.” “I’d like to see you do that from jail, asshole.” A light went on behind those usually glassy eyes. “Fuck. You two aren’t dealing with cops, you are the goddamn cops.” 67
J.K. Coi
The look of surprise on Danny’s face was priceless, but then he surged forward with a desperate snarl. Jack couldn’t tell if the guy was planning to rush him, or if he’d clued in to the fact that there could be more cops waiting outside and was making a mad dash for the exit. He couldn’t risk the sound of gunfire reaching the others. Instead, he pounded the bastard into the ground with the butt of the weapon, just like Danny had tried doing to him. While he fought with the lesser Moretti boy, Jack knew Nick had made a move on Tasha. He chanced a glance her way and was relieved to see that she was holding her own. She took Nick down with a heel to the gut and another across the face when he bent over in pain. Jack quickly leveled Danny with his fist, hitting him so hard the guy might never wake up again. When both men were unconscious, he rifled through Nick’s clothes until he found the key to Tasha’s cuffs and helped her up. Once she was freed, he couldn’t stop himself from gathering her into his arms. He needed to feel for himself that she was warm and whole. He cupped her face, rubbed her arms and gently circled her wrists as if his touch could make the redness and pain go away, then leaned back to examine the cuts and bruises on her face. “I’m fine, Jack.” She huffed like a child suffering through her mother’s fussing and he forced himself to stop, but he couldn’t let her go. Not without kissing her. He was gentle, aware that her face must hurt like a sonofabitch. He brushed her lips, and then found himself kissing her nose, her cheeks, her forehead. She pulled back and frowned. “What is this?” He dropped his arms, didn’t know how to express how much the sight of her being shoved into the room with a gun pointed at her head had rattled him. “I’m sorry.”
68
Brazen Games
“It was my own damn fault.” She started to explain, misunderstanding the meaning behind his words. “What happened?” he asked. “How did they find the safe house?” “I wasn’t at the safe house.” “What?” She sighed. “I went to your apartment.” He wanted to shake her. Why would she have done something so stupid? “What the hell were you thinking?” “After you left this morning, I was running surveillance. I came across a taped conversation between Moretti and this guy.” She glanced down at Nick. “He was talking about searching your apartment and finding a secret cell phone. Apparently, he dialed the last number that called your line and was surprised to discover you had a sister you’d never mentioned to anybody. When she answered the phone, he told her some bogus story about you being in trouble, and she promised to be there in a couple of hours.” She lifted her hands, noticed they were shaking and clutched her fingers together. “Moretti congratulated him on his quick thinking. He said that if they were right and you were leaking information, then getting their hands on someone you’d obviously been trying to protect would force you to come clean.” “Oh fuck.” He remembered the call Sam had left the room to take earlier that afternoon, and the way he’d looked at Jack afterward. “Yeah. I immediately got her number from your file but the recording was already an hour old by then. When I tried calling your sister to tell her to stay put, there was no answer. I had to go, Jack. I couldn’t let—” “Where is she now?” “Safe. I swear she’s safe.” She touched his arm. “I got to your apartment in time. I took backup and sent her off with the other agent, but Nick must have seen me and
69
J.K. Coi
recognized me. When I got in my car he followed. He ran me off the road a few miles away and dragged me out the window before I could get my bearings.” What she didn’t say was that he’d then brought her here and beat the crap out of her, trying to get her to talk. But Jack knew she hadn’t said a word. It was the only reason Sam had kept Jack alive and brought him to the warehouse—because he’d wanted the answers he hadn’t been able to get from her. She’d put herself in danger and gone through hell to protect him and the only family he had. “Oh God, Tasha.” “I should have been more careful.” She was taking responsibility for everything. He cringed. He couldn’t bear that she was trying to apologize. “If I’d been smarter, I would have been able to intercept your sister without this guy ever seeing me, but I was so worried they would hurt her, use her against you and—” “Stop talking.” Her mouth fell open. “What?” “It wasn’t your fault, it was mine. And I’m sorry.” She shrugged him off. “Granted, this isn’t my favorite way to spend an evening together, but together we have a much better chance of salvaging this thing now than either of us did alone.” He took a deep breath. If they lived through this, he was going to make it up to her. Make it up to her so long and hard she just might forgive him one day. “What’s the status of our backup?” “I’m not sure.” She frowned. “I was supposed to report in early this evening with the results of our surveillance so that the agency could place agents based on the intel collected from your wire, but I wasn’t there. I did call in my destination and request a replacement. They should have sent someone to monitor—”
70
Brazen Games
“So in theory, someone is listening right now. We could have backup waiting for our signal at this very moment.” She nodded. It was a possibility, but they couldn’t know for sure. “We probably can’t rely on the cavalry showing up just in the nick of time.” “So how do you want to handle this?” she asked. He gave her the submachine gun and knelt on the floor between the two unconscious men. He took a handgun from Nick and shoved it in the holster under his arm. He grabbed another one from Danny and palmed it. “Sam’s got three more guys with him, not including these two,” he said, looking at her as he stood up again. “If Joe’s on guard duty outside, that means two inside, plus however many who showed up for this meeting from the Diamond Cartel. Either way, we’re going to be outnumbered.” She smiled and checked her clip. “Sounds good to me.”
71
J.K. Coi
Chapter Seven Tasha was scared out of her mind. There was no pleasure in this kind of danger. In all her years she’d never been in a situation like this. There had always been a barrier of knowledge protecting her. The knowledge that the bad guys were afraid of the badge, the knowledge that she was the one in control, the one with the upper hand. This time her reckless behavior hadn’t been fun. It hadn’t been a game. This was serious. It was life and death, and she felt low and small for all the times she’d wanted to feel like this, thinking it would be a rush. This is what Jack had to feel every day. He risked his life and had thrown away his reputation to put these thugs behind bars. She understood now why it had made him hard, why he looked tired. And she hoped to God they got through it so he would never have to feel like that again. She would give up her badge and her life so that Jack could find the happiness and peace he deserved after all he’d been through. “The hallway’s clear,” he whispered, turning to look back at her from his spot just inside the door. He didn’t look tired now. He looked strong. Determined. Deadly. “Remember. You do exactly what we agreed.” She hadn’t exactly agreed to anything, but he’d refused to discuss any plan but the one that was most likely to get her to safety. “Jack—” “Keep your back to the wall and stay out of sight if you can. Get to the rear exit and call for that backup.” He repeated his instructions, ignoring her protest. She nodded. “What about you?” “I’ll stay out of sight too, but someone has to keep watch. I’ve been in worse spots than this. There’s some cover here. I think I can hold them for a few minutes if it comes to that.”
72
Brazen Games
He didn’t give her any more time to argue. With a soft, quick kiss to her bruised mouth, he turned and headed back down the narrow hallway. Tasha stayed close at his back.
When he slowly pushed open the door leading into the large storeroom of the warehouse, he paused. Sam was with Joe and two more men, facing off with five strangers, presumably from the Diamond Cartel, across a long black limo. None of the mobsters were looking their way. “Go,” he whispered to Tasha. The crazy boom of his pounding heart rang in his ears. “Careful.” She inched carefully out into the open to slip behind a stack of crates closer to the door. He let out a low breath, believing her to be in the clear, until Sam took that moment to turn around and reach for his briefcase. He spotted her a split second before she would have disappeared. “Hey!” Sam roared, his face turning red with rage even as he dashed off to the side, ducking behind a wide concrete column as everyone drew their weapons. “There, behind the damn crates! Shoot her!” Jack acted quickly. Before anyone could breathe, he strode forward, the barrel of his gun locked on Sam. “Everybody freeze! You’re all under arrest!” The click and drag of guns being drawn and primed echoed in the large room. The Diamonds started shooting first, catching Moretti’s men in the crossfire. All plans of escaping to safety went out the window. He pulled the trigger until his clip was empty, dropped the weapon and reached for the other one at his back. Joe was hit in the back of the head. Blood sprayed the wall, and Jack took out the Diamond who’d shot him before the body hit the ground.
73
J.K. Coi
Suddenly the large bay doors flew open. Agents stormed inside the warehouse, screaming at everyone to drop their weapons and hit the ground. Jack waited until everyone was flat out on the concrete before he put his arms up, only to realize that Moretti wasn’t among them. Just then, Moretti surged out from behind a barrier and lunged toward Jack. There was no time. Moretti’s gun was aimed at his chest. Fire! Someone screaming his name. Tasha. And then he was shoved. Her body was in front of him. He saw the bullets hit Moretti, his body jerking as he went down on his knees before another bullet smacked into his temple. The hatred on his face froze into a mask as he fell over, but by then Jack was already moving, trying to catch Tasha in his arms. She coughed as he laid her gently on the ground. “Jesus Christ,” he moaned, pressing the heel of his hand against the hole in her chest. “Tasha. Tasha. God, hold on.” Blood seeped through his fingers. “Help. Help!” He looked up at the agents standing around them with their guns still cocked. “Somebody get her some help, now. Hurry the fuck up!”
Everything after that was a blur of fear. He remembered the ambulance ride to the hospital because Tasha’s heart stopped on the way and they’d hit her with the defibrillator paddles three times before getting it going again. He remembered the waiting room because he’d paced the floor there for twelve hours while she was in surgery. 74
Brazen Games
He remembered the three days sitting by her bedside because he spent every moment of it praying for her to wake up. He seemed to remember that his sister had been there. Jack hugged her tight and apologized for abandoning her. She may have called him an ass but then promised to stay in town with him until Tasha recovered. And he thought he remembered a visit from his lieutenant, whom he’d barely recognized after a year, and something about an inquest into his undercover activities. It didn’t matter. None of it mattered if Tasha didn’t wake up. Sensing movement from the bed, he jerked his head out of his hands and blinked. He reached for her hand. Warm fingers curled weakly around his and Jack held his breath. “Tasha?” Her lips parted but her eyes remained closed. He waited. He’d been patient for three days and could wait a hundred more for her to turn those beautiful green eyes on him once again. She whispered his name. He let out a deep sigh of relief. When she finally opened her eyes, they were cloudy with pain and her brow furrowed. “Let me get the doctor,” he said. “No,” she croaked. “Please. Stay.” He couldn’t possibly deny her. “How long was I—?” He squeezed her hand. “Too long. Three days.” “Worried about me?” She repeated his own words back at him. The night he’d asked her the same thing had been a lifetime ago. He wasn’t even the same person who had taken her in his arms then, kissed her, fucked her and thought only of the moment.
75
J.K. Coi
“So much I think I lost what few years I might have left on my semi-charmed life,” he joked, trying to sound lighthearted even though the ache in his chest was unbearable. Since that one night with her, Jack had gone from a man with nothing to care about and nothing to lose to one with everything to lose but no way of keeping it. He was pretty sure Tasha would be all right, but it didn’t change the fact that they had no future together. “Thank you for being here.” He forced himself to let go of her hand and glanced toward the door. He had to simply walk away. Make no promises, and that way tell no lies. “I should get the doctor.” He cleared his throat. “And then I’ll get out of your hair.”
76
Brazen Games
Chapter Eight When the door opened Tasha was half expecting to see someone else, but it was definitely Jack’s wide shoulders filling the frame, Jack’s face looking out at her. The same face she hadn’t seen in three long months. “Tasha.” And that was Jack’s voice sending shivers down her spine. “Hi.” Hi? That’s what she came up with after all the time she’d spent thinking about this moment? “How did you find me?” She winced. “That wasn’t quite the reception I spent the last ten weeks of my brutal recovery time dreaming about, Jack.” She hadn’t missed the look in his eyes when he opened this door and recognized who was standing in front of him. The frustrating man had missed her. So why had he dropped off the face of the planet before she’d even been released from the hospital? Why the disappearing act? “Do I get invited in, or are you hiding a dead body in there?” His fingers tightened on the edge of the door before he stepped aside with obvious reluctance. Did he really not want to see her? Tasha had been hurt—devastated, to tell the truth—when Jack left her at the hospital, but she’d assumed it was because of the investigation, and maybe he’d felt a little uncomfortable when her parents had arrived. Until he hadn’t come back.
77
J.K. Coi
She looked around his place. There were boxes everywhere, but she knew he’d only been here a week. She knew because she’d been forced to hunt him down after he’d given the agency his notice and left town. When she glanced back at him, his gaze had turned dark. She’d been counting on a certain element of surprise, hoping if she caught him off guard she might actually get some answers, but now she wasn’t so sure she was ready to hear what he was likely to say. “Why did you come, Tasha?” “Well, I guess I don’t have to ask why you ducked and ran.” “I thought we agreed what we had was a one-time thing. I’m not the long-haul guy. You knew that.” “No, that’s not what we agreed. Why would you say that? I thought that we—” “It was one crazy night in the middle of a dangerous situation. But I can’t be the person who gives you what you need day after day.” She steeled her expression. “You don’t want to.” He sighed. “I didn’t say that.” “But that’s what you meant. You just turned your back and walked away as if it was nothing.” She swiped her hands on her hips, glancing away. “All right then. I guess I wasted both of our time. I’m sorry I bothered you. I understand.” Embarrassed and ravaged by regret, she spun around quickly so he wouldn’t see her heart breaking, but he grabbed her arm. “No. I don’t think you do understand.” He let her go and ran a hand over his head. He’d cut his hair since she’d seen him last. It was military-style short and she liked that it made him look nothing like a slick mobster and more like the agent she’d met three years ago. “I’m not just walking away from you, Tasha. I’m walking away from everything. The job. The agency. All of it.” “But why?”
78
Brazen Games
“God, you’re still so young.” “I’m not,” she protested. “Not in years or experience, but you haven’t become jaded yet. You thrive off the adrenalin of the job. You said it yourself, you like things rough and you like danger.” He clenched his jaw. “But I can’t do that anymore. I’ve spent too long pretending to be a scumbag. I don’t think it’s an act anymore, and I don’t much like the person I’ve become.” “I don’t understand.” She swallowed past the bitter lump in her throat. “I’ve had enough danger to last me a lifetime, Tasha. I need to find a place where I can settle down and be myself again—or at least find out if the person I was even exists anymore. I’m not the man for you, and…you’re not the woman for me.” “How can you say that?” “I need someone who’s ready for the everyday simplicity of real life.” She shook her head. “Oh God. When Sam turned that gun on you, I realized that I never really understood what danger was, not until that moment when you were about to die on me. And then I knew I’d give up every one of the cheap thrills I’d been chasing for just one more hour with you. I happen to like the person you are, Jack.” He frowned. “How could you, after knowing all the things I’ve done?” “How could I not? You’re the man who gave up more than a year of his life to make sure the bad guys got put behind bars. You never forgot your duty to the job, even after all it demanded of you, and in the darkest hours when everything seemed lost. And you even tried to turn away the woman who loves you because you don’t think you’re good enough, when it’s the other way around.” His head snapped up at the word love, and she bit her lip. “Tasha—” His expression locked down and he looked away. “No, Jack. Please don’t shut me out.” She pushed into his space and laid her hand on his chest. “You and I both felt it. What we had was more than just a night of great
79
J.K. Coi
sex. And I know that what we could have together will be even better, if you give it a chance.” “I—” “Do you really want to go off and live this peaceful, sedate life you’ve envisioned…without me?” He groaned, pushing his hands into her hair. “Please.” She tilted her head up. God, he was close. So close to kissing her the way she’d needed to be kissed every day since he left. Tasha was out on a limb, making herself vulnerable like she’d never done with anyone else before. So maybe she wasn’t quite done seeking out danger. Because this was a danger to her heart, and she wouldn’t have given it up for anything.
Jack’s first taste of her was a shock to his deprived system. One moment he had been going through the motions, setting up a new life for himself and trying to forget her. And the next her fresh scent filled his lungs again and he knew he’d never want any life but one with her in it. He backed her up against the wall, hands flat on either side of her head as he leaned down and kissed her deeper. He let her have his tongue and groaned when she sucked it into her mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck. After a long while she looked up at him, breathing heavily. “So, do you think you could still handle a little danger every once in a while?” Her lips brushed the underside of his chin as she arched her breasts into his chest. “I think you’re the one who’s in danger.” He lifted her into his arms, mindful that she might still be recovering from her injuries. She dropped open-mouthed kisses along his neck and collarbone as he walked with her down the hall into his bedroom. “I may need you to fuck me in public places, or tie me up every once in a while,” she said.
80
Brazen Games
“And I’ll need you to call me out when I’m being a jackass, and shine a light on my shadowed soul.” When he laid her on the bed, she hurriedly unbuttoned her blouse and jerked it off her shoulders, gazing up at him with such heat he almost melted before he’d even shed his clothes. He dragged her jeans and black lace panties down her legs as she shimmied out of her bra and then reached for his belt buckle. When they were both naked, he put his hand over the still-red, angry-looking scar on her chest before leaning over her and pressing his lips to it. “Jack.” “Does it—?” She shook her head. “I’m fine, and that’s not the part of me that needs attention.” He chuckled and moved to her breast, teasing her with his tongue and teeth until she clutched his head with both hands. Then he switched to the other and treated it to similar attention, all the while grinding his hips into the mattress, trying to ease the pressure in his cock. He lowered his body between her legs and slipped two fingers inside her pussy. She arched against him. Her mouth opened on a beautiful cry of pleasure as he worked a third into her and pumped slowly, letting her passion build up and up until she was a taut string about to snap. Then he reached over and pulled open the drawer of the nightstand for a condom. She helped him roll it on and guided him back to her. Jack braced himself over her, conscious of the fact that she had been in intensive care not three months ago. He was careful to keep his full weight off her. “I’m not going to break, you know,” she said. “We can test that out another time. Tonight you’re going to get it slow and easy.” He smiled into her eyes. “Very slow.”
81
J.K. Coi
She groaned and pulled him down to kiss her. He settled his hips between her legs and nudged her slick opening. Easing inside her like that was the hardest thing he’d ever done. Sweat beaded on his brow. Part of him wanted to thrust fast and deep, but another part of him thought this was better. This was torture. To take every inch of her slowly was to feel every hitch of her breath, every clench of her pussy, every one of her breathy moans. By the time he was buried deep, he couldn’t hold on any longer. Every glide out and back in pulled on his control until there was nothing left but the movement of his hips, the feel of her warmth all around him, her ankles crossed at his tailbone and their hearts beating rapidly. She shuddered in his arms as she came and Jack ducked his head into the curve of her shoulder, his orgasm rolling through him. Afterward he fell onto his back, pulling her with him. He liked the way she curled into his body, her head resting on his shoulder. “Can we stay like this forever?” she asked, tracing the slopes of his pecs with her finger. “I’m starting a new job tomorrow.” She leaned back. “What kind of job?” “I’ve been recruited again.” “Recruited by whom? I thought you said you were finished with dangerous jobs.” “But not dangerous women,” he teased. “Woman.” She jabbed him in the side. “So what is this job?” He sighed. “Intelligence training. I won’t be in the field anymore. But hopefully I can help guide others, prepare them for the kinds of physical and mental challenges they’ll face going into undercover situations.” “They couldn’t have asked a better man.”
82
Brazen Games
She gave him a smile that set his heart racing all over again. “Do you think there’ll be cameras in your office when I come to visit?”
83
About the Author J.K. Coi is a multi-published, award-winning author of contemporary and paranormal romance and urban fantasy. She makes her home in Ontario, Canada, with her husband and son and a feisty black cat who is the uncontested head of the household. While she spends her days immersed in the litigious world of insurance law, she is very happy to spend her nights writing dark and sexy characters who leap off the page and into readers’ hearts.
J.K. welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
Tell Us What You Think We appreciate hearing reader opinions about our books. You can email us at
[email protected].
Also by J.K.Coi Howling Sacrifices Iron Seduction The Morning After
Print books by J.K. Coi Don’t Ask, Never Tell anthology Steam Heat anthology
Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Whether you prefer ebooks or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.
www.ellorascave.com
