The Perfect Stroke (56 page)

Roman swears he’s doing his best to help me with my brother. He hasn’t shown me proof, but I still find myself believing him, which makes me wonder if I didn’t have Roman Anthes pegged wrong to begin with. He’s becoming more relaxed around me, so much so that in this past week, he’s even beginning to talk business in front of me. Not a lot, but little things, enough for me to understand he’s brokering a deal with the Russian mob. That should terrify me—and maybe it does—but not enough to turn me away from him.

My phone vibrates. I look at the text with a feeling of dread:

About fucking time. I’ll be there.

The more I see the words, the more I want to vomit. I clear off all history of the texts and bury my phone back in my purse. I can’t put this off any longer. I jump in the shower. It’s a busy day and I don’t have time to waste. I’ve got the doctor’s appointment, the fight with Paul (and it will be a fight), and then tonight I’m accompanying Roman to a dinner party. He bought me the sexiest, barely-there little black dress I have ever seen. I’m all set, but I’m a nervous wreck about it, too. I may need medication to survive today. That’s my last thought as I go jump in the shower.

Time to stop putting things off. 

The doctor’s appointment threw me off. I’m feeling like the world’s biggest idiot. How did it not register to me that I had been having unprotected sex with Roman for two weeks? Unprotected sex with a man I’ve been trying to get information on to prove he’s part of a Miami underground drug ring? A man I suspected at one time of killing my brother? Unprotected sex. Maybe Paul’s right and my brain is all fucked up. Maybe the best thing would be to have the DEA and FEDs pull me.

I’m kicking that around in my head as I make my way to the first floor to meet Paul. My appointment was at one and I’m now ten minutes late. I texted him and told him to wait for me by the pharmacy area. There’s an alcove right off the main room where I can meet with him briefly. It’s the most I can chance right now. I don’t think Roman has me tailed, but I’m sure he has Robert watching me and making sure I’m okay. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Roman Anthes, it’s that he’s very protective.

“You’re fucking late,” Paul barks at me. I look around to notice the area is empty. The pharmacy is shut down for a late lunch, so thankfully no one is around to hear him.

“Will you shut the fuck up for Christ’s sake before you blow my cover?”

“You’ve been radio silent for two fucking weeks and you expect me to be concerned with blowing your fucking cover? What’s wrong, Ana? Afraid Roman won’t fuck you anymore if he knows you’re a cop?”

I don’t even think. I slap him across the face. The force of my hit turns his head sideways. He brings his hand up to his face and looks at me with contempt. Had my relationship with Paul not already been deteriorating, that look would have destroyed me. “Fuck you,” I growl.

“Who knew sleeping with a felon would give you spunk,” Paul says, his voice deadly. He brings his hand up to rub where I hit him. “Maybe once you’re done playing Roman’s whore, I’ll give you a go so you can compare.”

His words make me want to hurl. They literally make me gag. The man I looked up to and thought I owed so much to says these vile things. I thought of him as a father. My stomach cramps with the need to vomit. I breathe through it, instinctively determined not to show weakness to him.

“I want a new handler. If you don’t make it happen, I will. The choice is yours,” I tell him, my voice quiet. I turn to leave and he grabs my hand, pulling me around to face him.

“You think you’re getting off that easy? You signed up for this fucking job and you’ll tow the line or you’ll pay. I’ve had Anthes in my sight for over a fucking year and I’m not letting some wet-behind-the-ears wanna-be-detective ruin it for me. You have until tomorrow afternoon to plant that shit, or I’ll have someone else do it.”

“You can’t—”

“Watch me. Do your fucking job, Ana. That’s why you’re here. That’s the only reason you’re here. Don’t forget for even a minute that if Anthes knew you were a cop, he’d kill you without a second thought. You’re nothing to him. Nothing but an easy piece of ass who keeps her legs spread.”

I start to slap him again but he grabs my hand, preventing me.

“What happened to you?” I ask confused.

“Not a fucking thing. Except a woman I used to admire has become the fuck-toy to one of the vilest men in Miami. Get your head out of your ass and back in the game, Ana. Do your job, or I’ll do it for you.”

“I’m no one’s fuck-toy. You’re overstepping your bounds. I could have you—”

“What the fuck is going on here?” Roman snarls.  My face goes pale as I turn away from Paul to see Roman standing at the door.

Fuck.

The last thing I expected to see was Ana standing there yelling at the one man I’m dying to kill. 
Paul Banks.
If there’s a man more deserving to be on the wrong end of a pistol, I haven’t met him. Which is saying something, in my line of work. My eyes narrow on the hold he has on Ana and the strange look on her face. I walk to them, anger fueling every step. There will be no saving the motherfucker now.

“I suggest you let go of my woman, Banks.
Now
, while you still have a hand.”

Paul turns her loose with a look of disgust. “Anthes. I didn’t realize they let scum out on the streets this early.”

“What the fuck is going on here? Ana, how do you know this weasel?” I ask, and her face blanches and goes even whiter.

“Ana and I go way back. I never figured you were one to take my leftovers, Roman. I guess you’re growing bored of sampling the women who work for you.”

I hear Ana’s gasp, but my attention has turned to the fucker in front of me.
All
of my attention is on Banks.

“Ana, go to the car,” I order.

“Roman, he’s lying. I never slept with him.”

“To the car, Ana,” I tell her again, showing no emotion, but I’d be a fucking liar if I didn’t admit to the fact that knowing she hadn’t been with Banks doesn’t soothe something inside of me. “Robert, escort Ana to the car,” I tell my driver. I don’t turn to make sure my order is followed. I know it will be, and I don’t trust Banks enough to take my eyes off of him. “You come near Ana again, and you’ll regret it.”

“Has the mighty Roman Anthes fallen for a pussy?”

“You heard me, Banks. You can push your weight around all you want, but you and I both know what a bottom dweller you are. Be careful you don’t end up at the bottom of an ocean.”

“Is that a threat, Anthes? Threatening cops can get you in deep shit these days,” he responds arrogantly.

“Not a threat. I don’t waste my time with threats. I’m saying you so much as sniff the wind in Ana’s direction and I’ll end you. Take that any way you want.”

“Maybe she’s the one sniffing in my direction. Trying to find a real man who—”

I strike out before he can finish, my knuckles crunching against his teeth. He goes down with a thud. Blood pours from his lip and I hope I’ve at least knocked his teeth loose.

“Ana is not on your radar.
Ever
. Consider this the only warning you’ll get, Banks. You might hide behind your badge, but don’t forget I know where you’ve fucking buried the bodies.”

It’s a useless warning. He signed his death warrant when he put his hand on Ana. I planned on ending him for a while; I was just holding off, not wanting to draw possible attention as long as I was talking to Kuzma, but some things a man can’t ignore.

I walk away from Banks then, pulling my phone out and calling Bruno. “Banks has overstepped for the last time. You got the number of that guy we used near Orange County? Marcum?”

“Yeah.”

“Call him. I want this fucker handled. Set up a meeting tomorrow. I have that damn charity dinner tonight.”

“You got it, boss.” 

I click the phone off and walk out towards the limo. I need to find out from Ana what the fuck is really going on because I don’t believe for a minute she’s let Banks between her legs. I hope like hell I’m not fucking lying to myself.

Ugly.
What just went on brought new meaning to the word “ugly”. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. The bad vibes Paul gave me when trying to force my hand the other day at my apartment were bad, but I didn’t think they’d go this far south. I never expected Paul to morph into someone I did not know. Someone I don’t
want
to know.