Photo Finish (7 page)

Doug raised his hands and nodded. “Okay, okay, so your adrenaline was pumping and you got preoccupied reacquainting yourself with Paige. I get it. But that doesn’t help us out much. Tate’s bound to have put it together by now, and as long as he thinks she’s got evidence over him, he’ll never stop hunting her.”

“Which is why the bastard needs to put down,” said Brogan.

“The drop still on for tonight?” asked Doug.

Brogan nodded.

“Then it looks like you just got yourself a new partner.”

Brogan’s eyes went wide and he flashed her a look before stalking over to Doug and grabbing him by the shirt. “No way. There’s no fucking way Paige is going anywhere near Tate, tonight or any other night.” He huffed out a breath, ruffling Doug’s collar. “I didn’t give her up just to see her get killed.
You
are going to put her into protective custody until this is over.”

Doug merely smiled and removed Brogan’s hands from his shirt. “Just what do you think will happen when you show up tonight, after being gone for twenty-four hours with no plausible explanation?” He smoothed the fabric. “Partner that with the fact Paige escaped his men and I guarantee you Tate will be suspicious.” He shook his head. “No, we need to make this look as if you caught her and she wants in.” He turned to her. “You think you’re up for that?”

Paige felt the blood drain from her face at the pained look Brogan gave her, but she knew Doug was right.

She’d put Brogan at risk and she needed to make things right. “I can do that.”

Brogan hissed and stepped forward. “No fucking way—”

“Easy, buddy,” Doug interrupted. “I’ll get in touch with our other contact—the buyer’s guard—make sure he knows Paige’s safety is paramount. We’ll keep her safe.”

“I’ll keep her safe,” said Brogan. “Just make sure your men show up on time.”

“My hands were tied, Brogan. When Tate changed the meeting time at the last moment, we had not other recourse but to stay distant.”

Brogan merely grunted and grabbed his jacket, looking at her over his shoulder. “Let’s go. I need to grab a few things before the meeting.”

“Fine, but before we leave, I need to know something.”

Brogan’s eyes narrowed. “Know what?”

“The real reason bringing Tate down is so damn important you killed yourself to do it.”

Brogan sighed and looked over at Doug.

“You never told her about Christopher, did you?” asked Doug.

“She didn’t need to know,” he challenged.

“Brogan, Paige is the only reason you didn’t go over the deep end after you lost your brother. She pulled you back from the brink. Hell, if she hadn’t walked into your life…”

Brogan grunted and turned away, but not before Paige saw the pain in his eyes. She stopped and reran everything Brogan had ever told her about Christopher in her mind, slowly putting the pieces together.

She moved over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “You told me Christopher died in the line of duty—during a gang fight.”

“He did,” said Brogan, his voice hollow.

“But you never told me how those kids got those weapons.” She paused, watching his shoulders hunch. “Tate.”

“The bastard doesn’t care who suffers because of him. I promised myself I’d see that he got what he deserved, no matter what.” Brogan gave her a hint of a smile. “I never wanted to hurt you.”

Paige nodded and cupped his chin, raising his gaze to hers. “Then let’s go keep your promise.”

* * * *

“Johnson, where the hell have you been?” shouted Tate as Brogan parked the motorcycle beside the car. “I’ve been calling you all fucking day! The buyer will be here any moment.”

Tate hissed when Brogan shoved Paige forward.

“I found something you might be interested in,” Brogan replied, trying to ignore the way Paige’s hands trembled at her side.

Tate’s face lit into a smile before he frowned. “I thought I’d made it clear what I wanted you to do with
her
.”

“You did, but fortunately I decided to think for myself,” he said. “I might’ve just saved you from a long prison sentence.”

Tate’s expression faltered. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Brogan handed him the camera. “Have a look.”

Tate cursed and grabbed the thing, scanning the photos in turn before looking up at Brogan. “And you didn’t kill her because…”

“Because she’s as smart as she is pretty,” he said. “She’s copied these photos to a number of different addresses and rigged it to her phone. The damn thing’s been going off every half hour. If she doesn’t put in a certain code, the images get emailed to a number of agencies, all of which would love to have this kind of physical evidence.” He huffed. “It’s been a different code each time…too many to trace.”

Tate hissed out his breath and looked as if he was going to strike Paige before Brogan pulled her back to his side.

“You might want to play nice,” he suggested to Tate. “At least until you find out what her intentions are.”

Tate scowled. “Fine. What do you want?”

Paige shrugged as if they were chatting about the weather and Brogan just about died. Fuck if she wasn’t playing her part perfectly.

“I think it’s obvious, Mr. Tate,” she said. “I want in.”

Tate laughed and Brogan resisted pummeling the guy with his fist.

“
You
want
in
?” Tate teased. “I thought you were too pure to dirty your hands with the likes of me?”

“You thought exactly what I wanted you to think,” she said. “What everyone thinks. That doesn’t make it real, however.” She took a deep breath, pulling out her phone when it beeped. She looked up at Tate, holding it out so he could see the screen. “Shall I punch in the code or are you still considering your options?”

Tate chuckled. “I think you’ve made your position clear. Besides,” he added, stepping forward so he could run his fingers through her hair. “I can see a number of benefits from having you on my payroll.”

Paige smiled and tapped her phone, but not before Brogan saw her body twitch from the contact. The beeping stopped, just as the buyer’s car pulled up. Tate nodded at Brogan and he pulled Paige behind him, taking his place at Tate’s side.

The man approached and pointed at Paige. “Who the hell is she?”

Tate smiled. “Just some woman that’s going to occupy my attention for a while. Is there a problem?”

“How do I know she’s not…you know…wired or something?”

Tate laughed, but Brogan saw the flash of uncertainty in his eyes. Tate glanced over at Paige, scowling at the phone still clutched in her hands. The man cursed and lunged for it, shoving Brogan sideways. Brogan grunted as he slammed into a box.

“You fucking bitch!” He held the phone up. “This isn’t a code. You’re recording everything!”

“Paige! Down! Now!” shouted Brogan.

Everything seemed to happen at once. Paige hit the ground as Brogan’s other contact drew his gun, hitting Leo in the shoulder. Brogan dropped the buyer’s other guard, throwing his body in front of Paige as more bullets rained down. He heard Tate screaming out orders as he ran for cover behind the car. Brogan cursed and fired at the windows, shattering the glass into a thousand pieces. Tate fired back, ricocheting a shot off the pallet beside him. The sound echoed through the large warehouse, making Paige jump beneath him. He growled, wondering where the hell Doug was when Paige’s arm snaked out and a bright flash lit up Tate’s car.

Tate cried out, rubbing his eyes against the blinding light, giving Brogan the opening he needed. He aimed through the broken windshield and fired, hitting Tate in the chest, watching the man’s body contract in pain before he disappeared behind the car. Sirens echoed across the wharf. Red and blue lights reflected off the warehouse walls, casting colored rings on the ground. There were a few more rounds of gunfire before the pier fell quiet.

Doug rushed to Brogan’s side, pulling him to his feet. “Fuck. We didn’t expect it to go south so fast. One minute we’re listening on Paige’s phone, the next we hear shots.”

Brogan nodded, helping Paige to her feet. He’d practically squished her into the concrete in an effort to keep her covered. “He caught on to the phone trick, and I couldn’t wait.”

Doug nodded, watching as Brogan hugged Paige.

“Looks like a success. With all the evidence you’ve gathered over the past six months, Paige’s photos and the conversation we were able to record tonight, we’ve got more than enough to put him away for a very long time, that’s if the doctors can get that bullet out of his chest.” Doug patted Paige on the shoulder. “You did great. If you ever want to change careers…”

Paige laughed, but Brogan could tell it was forced. “Thanks, but I think I’ll stick to the other side of the lens.”

“Fair enough.” Doug cleared his throat and pointed to the motorcycle. “Better get her out of here, Agent Johnson, before the press arrives. I don’t want to have to explain her involvement. I trust the two of you can lay low for a few days, while we get this sorted out…see what we can do to bring you back to life.”

Brogan didn’t even answer. He just swept Paige into his arms and headed for the bike.

* * * *

Paige walked into the cabin and headed straight for the bed, her body so tired it took all her strength just to take off her boots. They’d only stopped to pick up a few necessities before heading back to the old shack. Brogan had insisted they stay there until Doug had everything wrapped up.

Brogan followed her in, leaning against the door as he watched her from behind a veil of shadowy lashes. She could see his indecision hunched in his shoulders, but wasn’t sure what to say. There was a visible distance between them she knew only he could bridge. An unsettled silence filled the room, until he sighed and moved to the chair, making it creak as he sank into it.

It took a few moments before he met her gaze. Unshed tears reflected off the pale moonlight, making her heart clench. She wanted to reach for him, but wasn’t sure if he’d turn away.

Finally he tilted his lips into a tentative smile and nodded at her. “You were brilliant tonight. That bit with the flash… I didn’t even know you had it in your jacket.”

“I’m a photojournalist. It’s kind of the same as you and your gun.”

Brogan chuckled but his smile faded with his laughter. “I’m sorry, Paige. What I did…” He sighed as he stared down at his boots. “I just didn’t know how to get to Tate without dragging you down with me. I’d promised myself I’d never let that bastard hurt another person I loved.”

His voice cracked, and he turned away. She watched his muscles flex as he went to push himself up and grabbed his hand, stopping him.

“I won’t lie and tell you I’m not hurt by what happened. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want you in my life.” She flashed him a genuine smile. “Do you know what I wished for the entire time you were gone?”

He shook his head, his gaze riveted to hers.

“This,” she said, tracing her finger along his jaw as she pulled him toward her. “I love you, Brogan. Six months hasn’t changed that.”

Relief washed over his expression and a single tear slipped down his cheek before he gave her a dangerous smile. “I love you, too, baby. But I’m afraid there’s still one little problem, besides the fact you have way too many clothes on.”

She giggled as he stripped them both bare, but then frowned, wondering what was still left unsaid, when he wrapped one arm around her waist and hoisted her off the bed. The room blurred as he jostled her onto his lap, stopping with her hips over his thighs and her ass beneath his palm. A tingle of excitement sparked along her skin as he smoothed his fingers across her buttocks, humming softly.

“Despite the fact everything turned out okay, there’s no denying that you’ve been a very naughty girl these past two days. A fact I can’t let go…unpunished.”

Moisture pooled between her thighs as heat coiled deep inside her, electrifying every nerve until her skin felt charged. She wanted to challenge his new dominant attitude but couldn’t seem to get her tongue to form the words. Instead, it curled around a deep moan as Brogan drew circles across her ass.

“Damn, I love your butt, so curvy and strong. You should have seen Leo’s face when you took off through that intersection. I thought the poor guy was going to cream his pants just watching your ass wiggle on the seat. If only he could see me now.”

“Brogan, I—”

She cried out as the first slap warmed her ass. Her skin tingled beneath the blow, sending a ripple of pleasure straight to her sex. She’d often thought about being spanked, but had never dreamt she’d actually experience it.

“Hush, baby, and take your spanking like a good girl should. If you behave, I’ll give you a reward after.”

Paige turned to look at him over her shoulder when his hand rained down on her, placing a series of slaps across her cheeks. Each one stung her skin until the sensation bled into a hot spike that culminated in her groin. Warm honey coated her lips and she moaned when he slipped his finger between her folds, drawing it slowly along her cleft until he could circle her clit.

“Oh, baby. Do you know how wet you are? Damn, if I’d known you’d love being spanked so much, I would have put you over my knee long ago.”

Paige wanted to tease him back, but his finger kept rubbing her nub with just enough pressure she couldn’t speak…couldn’t breathe. She bit her lip, trying to hold the feeling at bay, until his other hand slid between her legs and he plunged two fingers deep inside.

“Oh, yeah, baby, come for me. You’re so beautiful. God, I love you, Paige.”

Paige smiled, not resisting when he lifted her up and placed her gently on the bed, lying down beside her, his arm stretched toward the headboard. She summoned some inner strength and rolled on top of him, kissing his chest as she draped her body over him. He sighed against her hair, ruffling it across her face as he trailed his fingers up and down her back. She leaned over a bit, slipping her hand to the floor, before moving it up his side and lightly scratching his skin as her hand joined his.

“What the—”

Brogan’s voice cut off, silenced by the click of the handcuff. Paige flashed him a wicked smile, quickly snapping the other bracelet around the metal bed frame. Brogan stared up at his wrist, stunned.