Too Far Gone (15 page)

“Exactly,” he answered. “Let’s create a Lauren Marie sighting to bring out a police response.”

“You can’t possibly believe a cop or two will deter Polzin’s henchmen?”

“We just need that bastard to blink,” he said, pleased when she tossed the black wig to the floor and removed the contacts. “I’ll give the car to a valet and we’ll hit a packed club. We can get away on foot.”

“On foot? Oh my God. You’re serious.”

“I still have a friend or two in this town.”

She slapped a hand against the door as the sleek car leaned into a curve. “Will you introduce me?”

He smiled, changing lanes to get around a dawdling truck. “They’ll ask you for autographs.”

“No way. You have friends who watch
Harper Cove
?”

He laughed, willing the car to reach the city before Polzin’s men caught them. “No, honey. I have friends who’d be happy to make some easy cash
selling
a Lauren Marie Woods autograph.”

“Oh. That makes more sense.”

If he’d expected a rant, he would’ve been disappointed. Another actress might’ve gone off on him for that crack, but not Lauren. She kept him on his toes and he liked it. “You took that news easily enough.”

“Blame it on priorities.” She looked back. “The mobsters are gaining on us.”

He glanced in the rearview mirror, knowing this would be too close for comfort, if they made it at all. Two big SUVs were closing in on them. “Lauren, if this backfires—”

“Where’s your gun?” she asked, interrupting him.

“Seized at the mansion.”

“Damn it.”

He agreed. A few more blocks and Polzin’s men would have to shoot or come after them on foot. The phone in her purse started ringing. Only Claudia had the number. As Lauren answered, he prayed it was good news while he navigated the increasing traffic on his way to The Vibe, an LA club owned by Derrick, one of his best friends from high school. He didn’t want to bring hell raining down on the place, but he might not have a choice.

“Well?” he asked when she dropped the phone back into her purse.

“Claudia says Vanya and the other women made it to the FBI office. Claudia had two agents standing by.”

“Good.” He felt her watching him and wondered what she was thinking.

“You’ve been holding out on me.”

He wasn’t surprised by the assessment. Lauren was a quick study. Not just with a costume and a role, but with everything life threw at her. She kept pushing on regardless of the obstacles, determined to reach her goals. Right now it was simple survival, but after that... well he knew she wanted to do big things on and off camera. And he wanted to be there.

He was done suppressing his attraction to her and her multi-faceted personality. She was a once in a lifetime kind of person and he didn’t want to walk away when the case was over. Somewhere along the way, Lauren had become more than a client. He had to find a way to let her know, to show her he was sincere. Then, if the attraction and personal interest only went one-way he’d deal with the consequences.

She had no idea what he’d been withholding and chalking up to Claudia’s assistance. When he’d first met her, he saw her only as another client who didn’t need to know his friends or connections in California. Hell, he’d been ignoring his friends and connections since he’d returned from the Navy.

But all that had flipped on him while working this case for her. He was about to bring her into The Vibe as herself. That hadn’t exactly been what Derrick had agreed to. His friend would either punch him or give him a high five for showing up with a nearly A-list actress and the Krushka syndicate in tow. As Mike veered into the valet lane, he braced for anything.

Well, anything but Lauren. She emerged from the Lotus with a toss of her long blond hair and a sparkling laugh as though the murder accusation was the fantasy in this scenario. She was amazing. The rip in her dress only served to display more of those gorgeous legs.

The big SUVs behind them rolled right by, moving with the flow of traffic. The windows were down halfway, but no one fired. Had the change in disguise thrown them off so badly... or had they been called away to a different problem? The worry niggled at him. Whatever the case, Mike knew better than to assume that meant the chase was over. He reached for Lauren, enjoying the way her hand curled around his bicep as she leaned into him. He might not be armed, but for her, he thought he could conquer any trouble with his bare hands.

At the door, they were ushered inside and merging with the crowd on the dance floor within moments.
Personal connections were a good thing
, Mike realized for the first time in a long time. Derrick had promised his staff would grant Mike and Lauren full access tonight. It was a calculated risk, knowing Polzin’s men might attack the club, but they would’ve been cornered at the hotel or the safe house and he couldn’t take that chance.

“Your friend owns The Vibe?”

He nodded.

“Mike.” She pressed her body close to his as though her hips were compelled by the music. “You’re full of intriguing secrets.”

He brushed his mouth across hers, his palms sliding over the thin fabric wrapped around her hips. He wanted her out of the clothes, away from everything related to this case. He wanted her. With him. No secrets, no roles, no looming threats. “You gave a stunning performance tonight,” he murmured against her lips.

“So you do like me with dark hair.”

“I don’t.” He shook his head, forced himself to scan the dance floor. “I need a drink.” Anything strong enough to dull his desire was out of the question, because it would give the Russians an edge. He ordered a beer and she asked for the same. With the longneck bottles in hand, they made slow progress to the opposite side of the dance floor.

Derrick had given him the code for the suite upstairs and he wanted to retreat to that quiet safety. First they had to make sure plenty of people saw her here, living it up. She was bait again, but this time for the police.

They danced through each song, using the crowd as a shield to move through the club while Russians skulked around the exits. It was standard predator procedure. Too bad the prey wasn’t leaving.

“Can you give me a hint?” she asked, her gaze sliding toward the men from Polzin’s operation. “A time frame?”

He bent his head to her ear. “We’ll move when the police arrive. I’ve got this.”

She graced him with a wide, genuine smile. “I trust you.”

His blood turned hot in his veins. He recognized the sweet stab of lust when she peered up at him through her long eyelashes, but he wanted something else from her. Something he wasn’t sure she wanted to give to him or any other man.

It took longer than he’d hoped for the distraction and commotion as police arrived flashing badges but not guns. “Now we move.” He drifted into the shadows with her and then through a staff access door.

“This way,” he said, nudging her into a stairwell. “Up one more flight. Derrick has a suite armed with cameras.” And much more. “He’s letting us hide here tonight.”

“Won’t the police search the place for me?”

“Claudia is already working on drawing them away with another Lauren Marie sighting.”

“But Polzin’s men won’t give up on us,” she said pausing at the landing. “Not after we helped Vanya and the women escape.”

“They won’t get to us here.”

“You’re sure?”

“I promise.” He brushed his knuckles across her perfect cheek.

She studied him a long moment, then nodded. “Lead the way,” she said, lacing her fingers with his once more.

He hoped she meant that as he entered the code and drew her into the suite. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d wanted a woman the way he wanted her. She stirred a dark need inside him. He wanted to worship every sensual curve of her body, master the things that brought her pleasure, and unveil every nuance of the woman behind the persona. He’d never experienced the pounding demand he felt with her. More troubling, he felt sure he would never experience it with anyone else.

He stopped inside the door and pushed his hands through her hair. Tugging gently, her chin came up, exposing the pale column of her throat. Pressing his lips to that soft, warm skin, he felt the quickening of her pulse. “I need you.” It was an understatement, but he wasn’t in any condition to deliver a monologue.

She pushed her hands under his suit jacket, her fingers tugging at his shirt. “It’s mutual. Do we dare? There are cops and bad guys just downstairs—all looking for us.”

“Oh we dare, baby.”

He kissed her, hard, giving her a hint of what he sought. She opened for him, drew his tongue into her mouth, and arched her body against him.

He broke the kiss long enough to catch his breath and flip on a light. “Fully stocked,” he said. “Derrick said to help ourselves.”

She licked her lips, her gaze locked on his mouth. “You’re my only craving.”

Thank God for common ground
. “Same goes.” His hands clutching her rounded hips, his mouth fused with hers, he backed her into the room until she bumped into the back of the sectional. Nothing would stop them this time. It took every ounce of strength to slow down. He was all too ready for her, too eager to act on the fantasy he’d built around her. If he only had tonight, he wanted it to count. “Turn around.”

Her eyelids fluttered open and her pale eyes smoldered with heat. He waited, wondering if his struggle for self-control showed on his face. Finally she turned, giving him her back. “Lift your hair.” He smiled as she gathered the long tresses into her hands, revealing a wealth of creamy, silky skin. “Hold still.”

She complied and he pressed his lips to her nape as he slowly lowered the zipper on her dress. He tasted every fresh inch of skin on the way down and back up again, relishing the little tremors he created.

“So responsive,” he murmured as his palms cruised over her body. He reached around and weighed her breasts in his hands. She arched into his touch as he brought her nipples to hard peaks. Flexing his hips he rocked his erection against her bottom, leaving no doubt what her reactions were doing to him.

“I want to touch you,” she said.

“In time.” He caught her wrists and lowered her arms, until her hands rested in the hollow just above her hips. Keeping out of her reach, he turned her and claimed her mouth again.

Sliding the thin straps of her dress over her shoulders, he stripped away the fabric, exploring her with his hands and mouth until only her heels and lacy panties remained.

He traced the scalloped edge of lace with his tongue, teasing a nervous laugh out of her. He wanted her at his mercy, no disguises, no role-play. Tonight he wanted all of her, the real woman, the brave woman behind the successful entertainer. He wanted more than that, but he didn’t have the words.

With his hands and mouth, he explored every rise and hollow of her body. Drawing away that last bit of lace, he teased her with his tongue and fingers, giving her everything he couldn’t articulate. He let the sensations build, learning what made her pant and sigh, then he pushed her until her knees quaked and she surrendered completely to a shuddering climax, his name on her lips and her hands spearing through his hair.

His body caressed hers as he stood and she trembled. He caught her in his arms and settled her across his lap on the sectional. The heat of her scorched him through his trousers, made his body ache to thrust. She pressed soft kisses to his neck, his ear, then turned his head so she could claim his mouth. He nearly pounced on her, all too eager to drive himself into her hot, wet body.

“You’re overdressed,” she whispered, nipping his jaw with her teeth as her fingertips worked at his shirtfront.

“Do you want to fix that?”

“Oh, yes.” She sat up, her nude body surrounding him in open invitation as her legs straddled his. “Can I have my way with you?”

“Always.” The answer was out there and he didn’t even want to snatch it back. He knew, beyond any doubt, he’d always be hers. But this wasn’t the time to discuss it.

“Mmm.” Her eyes sparkled with mischief. “I’m a lucky woman.”

He wasn’t about to argue as she dispensed with his jacket and shirt, her hands running over his skin and setting him on fire. She stood and pulled him to his feet. When she dropped to her knees in front of him, he lost his breath. He lifted one foot at a time for her to remove his shoes and socks. Her delicate fingers unfastened his belt and trousers and slowly worked them down his legs. He stepped out of them, his body shuddering as she touched him through the silk boxer briefs. He closed his eyes and prayed he would survive as she gripped his waistband and tugged his briefs off. She pressed her lips to his hip, her cheek brushing his erection.

No more. He pulled her up, but she wasn’t ready to relinquish control just yet. She pushed him back onto the sofa. With her hands on his shoulders, she lowered her hips over his erection in one smooth motion. Slick with passion, her body clutched and released his length as she moved. He filled his hands and mouth with her breasts as her head fell back and her eyes closed on a little moan of pleasure.

His desire spiked as he watched her react to his touch, inside and out. His body jerked and he gripped her hips, holding her tight against him as the climax crashed over them both like a wave.

Here’s the real Lauren
, he thought as she collapsed against him with a satisfied sigh. He didn’t deserve her, he knew it, but he intended to do everything in his power to keep her in his life.

Lauren wasn’t sure where her body stopped and Mike’s began. His heartbeat, pounding under her hand, felt more real than her own. She needed to move, but couldn’t quite make it happen.

He’d thoroughly exposed her, body and soul, and she wanted to start all over again. She pressed her lips to the hot skin of his shoulder and tried to catch her breath. Pleasure seemed like too tame a word for what they’d shared. For the woman who kept herself under control in all things, surrendering to him left her feeling cherished and precious rather than just a useful toy or convenience.

He’d asked for the real Lauren and she’d given him all of her, allowing him to see something she didn’t realize she’d had welling inside. She eased back, the air chilling her skin as their bodies parted, but he stilled her with his hand splayed across her lower back.

“Not without a kiss,” he said.

Lauren happily obliged, letting her mind fade to a blank canvas as she sank into the tastes and sensations that were uniquely him. Reluctantly shifting away from him, she slipped into his dress shirt as she stood up. Catching the possessive look in his eyes, she smiled to herself as she wandered off to find the bathroom. That look should’ve scared her. It didn’t.

She’d seen possessiveness lead people down dark trails of obsession and worse. But when Mike gave her that look, she felt secure in a way she’d never experienced or expected. She’d suspected from that first day that letting him close could be addictive. Tonight’s events from the rescue to the escape to the magnificent, hot sex proved her theory beyond all doubt. It was strange to realize she wouldn’t regret a single minute of her time with him.

They’d taken risks and they’d been in serious danger, but survived. Together. She’d been more than a little scared for Vanya and those women and herself, but she realized her confidence in Mike hadn’t wavered.

When she emerged from the bathroom, he’d straightened up and pulled on his slacks, and was staring intently at his phone. “What now?” she asked, savoring the view of his muscled torso. She’d had her hands all over that body. A delicious tremor slid through her. She hoped he would be game for an encore.

“Now.” Standing, he walked over and took her hand, raising it to his lips. “We rest. Tomorrow we’ll take what we have to the feds.” He led her toward the bed. “Derrick says this place is ours for as long as we need it.”

His connections had been a surprise, as he kept so much of himself locked away. Private. At first, she’d assumed it was merely professional distance, but now she knew better. He was afraid his friends, like his father, believed the worst about him. She knew how that felt, understood what it was like when the public persona didn’t match the truth, but couldn’t be corrected without making things worse. “You have a good friend.”

“Yeah.” He pulled back the bedding. “Ladies first.”

He expected her to sleep? That felt far more intimate than sex, but she slid between the cool sheets, happy just to be near him. “What aren’t you telling me?”

The mattress dipped a little as he stretched out beside her. “It can wait.”

She studied the shadows in his eyes, the tension in his jaw. Whatever he’d learned, he knew she wouldn’t like it. “I’d rather hear it now.”

“Vanya is dead.”

“What?” Lauren sat up. The euphoria of success evaporated in an instant as shock and anger rolled through her. Tears welled in her eyes, blurring her vision. “That’s impossible. We got them out. They went to the authorities.”

Mike sat up and gathered her into his arms. “Polzin guessed right. He knew her better than we thought he did. Claudia told me Vanya gave her statement, but was killed in transit to an FBI safe house.”

Lauren curled into Mike’s strength. A statement wouldn’t be as effective as a witness in a courtroom. “This has to stop.” She swiped the tears from her cheeks. “We have to find a way to stop him.”

“The others are safe. That will be enough to put him behind bars.”

Lauren disagreed. “His men will take the fall for the kidnappings and the crimes at the school. You know as well as I do that tonight won’t put a dent in his operation. He’ll just keep supplying those awful buyers.”

“I have names and faces on video, Lauren. We’ll turn everything in tomorrow morning.”

“This has gone too far,” she insisted.

“Shh.” He stretched out and drew her down with him. “Rest now.” His hand stroked through her hair, soothing her. “I promise Polzin will pay.”

“But Vanya...” Lauren’s voice trailed off on a wave of grief. While Vanya wasn’t a friend, there’d been some camaraderie. They had shared a mutual goal and determination to break the horrid part of Polzin’s organization Desmond had helped to create here.

When they’d first identified Polzin, Mike had warned her about the dangers and cost of failure. She’d believed him, and yet she’d also believed he was close enough to invincible that it would all work out perfectly. She’d been more than willing to step up and stop this madness, but she’d never intended for anyone to be hurt.

She shook her head. “I can’t sleep. Not now.”

“Just close your eyes. Let it all go. For an hour.” His hand worked some magic on her skin, in her hair, lulling her into a twilight doze where the sting of failure wasn’t as sharp. “Just an hour,” he whispered.

Mike kept soothing her until her breath evened out and her body relaxed. She’d been through an ordeal, followed by one shock after another as they’d peeled back the layers Trinity had used to insulate himself from Polzin and the law.

While Lauren slept, Mike reviewed every detail, looking for his mistake. Saving the redhead from the party had potentially put Polzin on alert and while they’d escaped, he knew Polzin wasn’t done. Not with Lauren and not with his lucrative human trafficking plans. The feds had a good start with Vanya’s statement supporting the claims of those women, Trinity and Polzin’s ownership of the finishing school and the club. But Lauren was right. Polzin could still slip free.

She snuggled closer to him and his body responded, but not with lust or passion. No, like a reflex he automatically curled around her, giving her shelter despite their safe surroundings. What was wrong with him? He told himself to get up, to go sleep on the couch until they needed to leave, but he couldn’t do it. Hadn’t his dad always said he invested too quickly in people?

It had been true enough with Lauren.

Thinking of his old man typically irritated him. Not this time. Quick or not, investing in Lauren as a client and a woman felt right. There was no use fighting it, so he let the feeling wash over him. He didn’t have to know right here and now what they would do about their connection, about this need for her building inside him. Those answers could wait until the biggest dangers in her life were paparazzi, happy fans, and competition for choice roles.

Saturday, December 13

Mike managed a couple hours sleep, rising as the sun shimmered on the edge of the eastern horizon. He didn’t need a window or a clock, his body knew when to get moving.

Sliding away from Lauren’s tempting body, he showered and borrowed a shirt from his friend since Lauren still wore his. It wouldn’t take any time for a club limo to get them to the safe house where they could change into something less provocative for the interview with the feds.

He returned to the bedroom to wake her up, but she was sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for him. “Good morning.”

She shrugged. “Any coffee?”

“In a bar?” He grinned. “Always.”

“Good.” She pushed her hands through her hair. “I’ve been thinking about Polzin and Desmond.”

He would’ve been surprised if she hadn’t. “And?”

“We’ve followed everything but the money.”

“You said all his money was tied up in the agency and his other companies.”

“I’m wrong. I must be if Claudia couldn’t find it,” she said, gathering her hair into a loose ponytail. “I woke up thinking about Vanya, about why she was at the office with Desmond that night.”

Mike waited, but she didn’t elaborate. “Hold that thought.” He went out to the kitchenette and started a pot of coffee for her, then grabbed a cola from the refrigerator for himself.

Lauren joined him, wearing the dress from last night. “Even you said she agreed too quickly to help us.” Lauren watched the fresh coffee fill the carafe.

“But she didn’t betray us,” he replied. “She got the women out. She saved them.”

“And paid the ultimate price.” Lauren dropped her head into her hands, but when she looked up again her eyes were clear. “Desmond did terrible things, but what if he and Vanya were together because they wanted to escape Polzin?”

“In your police statement you said Trinity claimed he’d stopped sending product because of legal scrutiny.”

She sighed. “Desmond always said whatever suited his purposes in the moment. Implying a federal investigation sounds much better than admitting you’re trying to help the boss’s mistress escape. We can confirm my theory easy enough when we meet with the FBI.”

“True.” He’d been with the buyers long enough for a firsthand look at Polzin’s ruthless streak. The women they’d rescued were samples, meant to be tokens to ease the impatience for the real shipment. Polzin had ordered Vanya’s death, but he’d be looking for Mike and Lauren now. Mike knew that, and while he trusted Lauren’s disguises and Claudia’s skills at erasing a trail, they wouldn’t be safe until Polzin was behind bars or dead.

They’d embarrassed a powerful, narcissistic man. The mob boss would have to retaliate and quickly or someone would try to take over his operation. “How would Trinity and Vanya have expected to get away with their plan and how can we turn that back on Polzin?”

“After getting caught in Desmond’s office, Vanya was dead whether she helped us or not,” Lauren suggested. “She must have sensed that Polzin was growing unhappy with her. It’s the only thing that explains her willingness to help us. She likely knew it was just a matter of time before he figured out what she’d really been up to. Not to mention, she was getting older. She surely understood that would become an issue soon.”

Mike couldn’t argue with her logic. “How do we prove it? How do we use it?”

“There’s a safe in Desmond’s house. I wouldn’t have considered it before, but knowing what we know now there could be something there.” She shrugged. “It’s worth a look. We have nothing to lose but time.”

“Chances are Polzin’s men have already been there.”

Lauren shook her head. “They’d never find it. I lived there and I found it by accident after four years of never knowing it was there.”

“But can you open it?”

She smiled. “Desmond used the same password for everything. His code for his security system at home and at the office is the numbers from that same password. I’ll bet the combination for the safe is the same.”

“For a clever guy, he wasn’t so smart. What’s the password?”

Lauren grabbed her clutch purse. “The word
god
and Desmond’s birthday.”

“The guy had an ego, that’s for sure.” Mike put his jacket around her shoulders. “Let’s see what we can find.”

“I really need to change.”

“We can stop by the safe house for clothes.”

When she put her hand in his, he felt like he could conquer the world. For her. Navy SEAL training had honed his body and his skills, giving him confidence to tackle any situation until he’d had no choice but to become the scapegoat on the op that ruined his career. He hadn’t realized, beyond the professional fallout, how much he’d let that mess get into his head. Sure his Dad had refused to speak with him since the incident, but the old man had always been tough. Becoming a SEAL had been Mike’s only worthy accomplishment in his dad’s eyes. His departure from that career had ruined the one thing about him his dad respected. While Mike had long ago given up on a relationship with his dad, he’d never noticed that he kept the rest of the world at arm’s length after that, too. Until this case required a little extra help from an unexpected source, he’d avoided his old friends, using his surfboard and the ocean for companionship. He’d never thought of it as a problem before.

Lauren changed all that. Not just her case.
He
r. She turned him inside out, made him assess and reevaluate. He wasn’t sure he liked it, but he was damned sure he didn’t want to go on without it.

9:15 a.m.

From the back of the limo Derrick provided, Mike watched to ensure they weren’t followed and sent a few instructions to Claudia. Lauren stared at the cityscape passing by the windows. “You’ll need a new look for today,” he said, pocketing his phone. He was almost looking forward to what she might come up with this time. “Polzin will be scouring the city looking for us.”

She gave him a weary smile. “Renae Ford was a one-night wonder. I think today is a job for Lauren Marie Woods and Mike Stone.”

“If you’re sure.”

She nodded and put her hand in his. Again, he found himself wanting to say something profound and meaningful, something to boost her morale, but any words that came to mind turned to dust on his tongue.

At the safe house, she showered and they changed clothes in separate bedrooms, meeting in the kitchen to review the approach to Trinity’s house and what they expected to find in the safe. Being in the same room with her as she changed would have him struggling for control again.

“Do you want a gun?” he asked.

“No thanks,” she replied. “Can I call Officer Cooper?”

“Not a bad idea.” He handed her his phone, listening as she left a quick message with Trinity’s address and her intention to pick up a few things. “That should get some attention.”

“Let’s hope it’s the right kind of attention.”

She was quiet for the duration of the drive to Trinity’s neighborhood. He was tempted to draw her out, worried she wasn’t ready for what they’d find, but he didn’t want to make things worse. He cruised by the house and, not spotting anyone from either side of the law watching it, he parked the Camaro a block away. The media circus was long gone. The buzz shifted quickly in Hollywood.