Read Too Far Gone Online

Authors: Debra Webb,Regan Black

Tags: #Melinda Leigh, #hollywood, #Melissa Foster, #Literature & Fiction, #Suspense, #Harlequin Intrigue, #Romantic Suspense, #Military, #Romance on the Run, #Mystery & Suspense, #bodyguards, #woman in jeopardy, #Romance, #Navy SEALS, #celebrity romance

Too Far Gone (9 page)

BOOK: Too Far Gone
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Her steady work, sure, but that felt trivial in comparison to what the women who might be trapped at that school had to lose.
What in the world did you do, Desmond?

And Mike... she needed his help without a doubt. If her situation spilled over and hurt him, she’d never shake that burden. A good friend or psychologist would probably tell her she was taking on too much, too much that wasn’t her responsibility. Too bad. She wouldn’t stop until those women were safe.

“I bummed you out,” Mike said, watching her closely.

“No.” She managed to force her lips into a smile. “How could your story do anything but inspire me?” Rising from the desk chair, she crossed the room. Keeping her eyes on his, she reached up and laid her hands on his cheeks, the stubble of his trim whiskers rasping against her palms. He didn’t resist when she drew his face close, but he didn’t touch her.

She pressed her lips to his and the first contact was soft, sweet, and warm. Her eyes still open, she watched something spark in those midnight-blue depths. Her body responded, fanning that spark to a hot blaze and she felt a soul-deep recognition of someone who would either complete her or shatter her. She stepped back, uncertain of the next step.

“That’s some academy-award winning tenderness,” he whispered, echoing her earlier words. “No need to keep up the act now.”

She almost snapped at him, angry that he’d try to ruin the moment, before she realized the classic defensive maneuver. Instead of words, she’d give him the truth in a more visceral way. She kissed him again, this time letting loose a small taste of the desire pounding through her blood. If she had a magic wand, she’d erase his lingering doubt and frustration. He hadn’t failed anyone, no matter what the official documents or the media said to the contrary.

His hands landed on her waist and she lost the ability to think clearly. His fingers curling into the fabric of her dress, he changed the angle of the kiss. She sighed and his tongue, laced with hot spices, swept into her mouth, tipping her world upside down.

She clutched his shoulders for balance. He was her anchor in a sudden storm of longing that slammed her from every side. It was too much of the unexpected, more intense as one sensation after another crackled through her.

With her last shred of self-preservation, she pulled back and the strong arms that had banded around her fell away.

They stared at each other for a long moment. She wouldn’t call it a mistake, though it must have been. She should probably apologize, but she wasn’t the least bit sorry and wouldn’t ruin the encounter with a lie. Not after everything he’d just told her.

Which left... what? Her mind couldn’t come up with another option, her thoughts caught in a whirlwind of happy, girlish endorphins. Finally, she forced herself to move, to break the invisible tether holding her in place, and retreated to the privacy of the bathroom. She might just stay in here until morning, except that felt cowardly.

Behind the safety of the closed door, she pressed her fingers to her tingling lips. Yes, if something happened to Mike in the process of saving her or clearing her name, that would be an entirely new lifelong torture.

She splashed cool water on her face and then gave in and ran a cool shower. He’d probably decided she was a tease and he might be right. Chemistry, adrenaline, or outright attraction, she couldn’t risk acting on any of it now. It would be more than unfair—to both of them. It would be irresponsible to create a potential distraction. She might not have his experience with criminals or investigations, but it was common sense if two people relying on each other suffered a breach of communication, things would go from bad to worse in a hurry.

She’d been a fool once already.

On the set, the director just ordered another take. But in their very real situation the slightest problem could mean failure for the missing women, Mike, or an innocent bystander. She didn’t want that kind of disaster on her conscience.

She didn’t want what she felt happening between them to be a mistake.

 

Chapter Seven

Malibu, Friday, December 12, 5:20 a.m.

Mike was up before the sun and longing for an hour with his surfboard. He needed the constancy of the ocean, the surge of the tide. There’d been no nightmare despite talking about his last mission and the subsequent fallout. He needed space to think about what that meant, although after that mind-blowing kiss he wasn’t sure thinking was possible.

He’d given her a wide berth when she’d come out of the bathroom and he’d refused to hear any argument when he’d told her to take the bed while he slept on the floor. Amazingly, he’d even succeeded in keeping his eyes on his laptop when he heard her sliding under the covers. His prayers that she’d fall asleep quickly weren’t answered, but that was no surprise. At least she hadn’t wanted to talk about the kiss or anything else.

Turning to the bed, he watched her sleep and marveled at the view. She was lovely and so much deeper than he’d expected of a woman in her line of work. He rubbed his eyes. When a man stared at a sleeping woman without thinking about sex, he was in big trouble. Now he sounded like his old man—never a good thing. What a jacked up mess he was making of the situation. His job here—his only job—was to keep her safe until the bad guys were in custody. End of story. The problem with that neat ending was the glaring fact that the bad guys would never be in custody unless the two of them made it happen. Making it happen was where things got tricky.

Reclaiming a small bit of focus, he set up the coffee machine for her. Sliding into his shoes he grabbed his wallet and room key before heading to the vending machine for his morning cola. He’d accused her of acting just to keep her at arm’s length. What a dumb move that had been. She’d taken it well, but she deserved his apology for that petty attack. He would do that, he vowed, just as soon as she brought up the subject of the kiss. He popped the top on the can of cola and drained half of it. Why was he afraid of a simple conversation? Of a heartfelt kiss?

The answer would take far more time than he had at the moment.

She was awake when he came back in and cradling her cup of coffee between her hands. “Thanks for this,” she said, raising the cup. “Did you sleep okay?”

The gratitude shining in her pale eyes made him feel as if he’d slayed a dragon. “I did.” He drained the rest of his cola, eager for the infusion of sugar and caffeine. He held up his phone. “Email from Claudia. She went back over the travel routines of a few groups who deal...” He hesitated.

“In women,” Lauren filled the gap.

He nodded. “Seems several of them are in the area. She did some backtracking and California is an annual stop this time of year.”

“I can’t believe I didn’t pick up on this.” She closed her eyes for a second. “I keep telling myself I’m not going to dwell on my ignorance and yet here I am beating that dead horse again,” she griped, striding across the room to her bag. “If we’re reading Vanya’s coded message correctly, there are five women waiting at Desmond’s so-called finishing school for pick-up. Maybe the school is one of the annual stops.”

He agreed, but they needed to approach their next step with extreme caution. “Let’s go be naturalists then. No wig, but wear your hair up with a hat or something.”

“Yes, sir.” She tossed him a mock salute, grabbed her clothes and headed for the bathroom.

He used the time to prepare and order room service for breakfast. An hour later they were geared up and following the navigation prompts toward the address in a canyon outside Malibu.

In the car with the windows rolled down to enjoy the crisp winter morning, Mike relaxed. It helped just getting away from the temptation of Lauren in the hotel suite with that huge bed. The ocean breeze muted her enticing scent. He had to get her out of his head. She’d unknowingly burrowed in deep. Since she was a client, he needed to find and keep a reasonable professional distance.

“We’ll drive by and then double back,” he said as the computerized voice gave him the next step in the directions. “I don’t want to make anyone suspicious.”

“Do you think it’s like a prison?”

He’d been considering that. “Out here it could be nothing more than a glorified shipping container.”

“How awful.” The agony in her voice warned him she blamed herself for what Trinity had gotten away with for so long.

“The most successful organized crime rings are ruthless. It’s why they succeed. They fool a lot of people, Lauren. They’re very good at making sure no one sees the ugliness except the victims.”

“I get the theory,” she muttered. “I don’t have to like it.”

She watched the map on his navigation system while he watched the real road. “It’s remarkably isolated out here,” he said. He shouldn’t have been surprised, but when it seemed as if every square inch of available land in the world was under development, barren areas were an unusual sight.

“That’s it,” he said. They passed the turn off and the computerized version of Claudia’s voice filled the car with suggestions, rerouting them back to the destination.

Lauren twisted in her seat, straining for a glimpse. “Nothing but road.”

He didn’t see any type of security or guard at the intersection, but he supposed the
Dead End
and
No Trespassing
signs hanging off the gate deterred the majority of recreational drivers. “We’ll have a better view from the rise in a few minutes.” He pressed a button on the steering wheel and called Claudia. When she answered, he asked, “Anything more on the ownership of the school?”

“Good morning to you, too.”

“Sorry,” he said. “I could lose the signal any time.”

“I’ve been at it all night.” Claudia didn’t sound impressed with his excuse. “At first glance, the land is owned by the county and protected for wildlife.”

“Where were those officials when the Russian mob started using the property?”

“Looking the other way with a fistful of cash, I...”

Claudia’s voice faded away as the signal was lost.

“Damn.” Mike glanced at Lauren. “Don’t worry, she’ll have answers when we get back to the hotel.”

Lauren drummed her fingertips on her knees. “Maybe we’ll bust them for zoning violations.”

Mike laughed. “You’ve got a point. They got Al Capone on tax evasion.”

The levity didn’t last. When the silence had gone on too long, he chased it away with a promise. “I won’t let you take the rap for Trinity’s murder.”

“You’re sure we shouldn’t go to the police? Officer Cooper would listen.”

“He might listen,” Mike said as he pulled the car to the side of the road. “The news alert on my phone still shows you’re a wanted person of interest. Officer Cooper can’t protect you from Kozlov and the syndicate that need you silenced. If he thought the LAPD was your best bet, he wouldn’t have given you the Guardian Agency card in the first place.” Mike cut the engine and gave her a reassuring smile. “Grab a camera and let’s go see what kind of view we have of this
finishing school
.”

When she popped out of the car she looked like the perfect tourist with her ponytail threaded through the back of her ball cap and the camera around her neck. A bag designed to carry extra lenses was slung across her body, making her full breasts that much more prominent. Mike gave himself a mental slap as he hooked his small pack over one shoulder. Stocked with binoculars, surveillance devices, his weapon, ammo, and a couple bottles of water, he was as set as he could be. He was impressed as she kept pace with him while they hiked up the rise and then crept low until they could see the building, presumably the school, below.

“That’s it?” Astonishment filled her tone. “It looks real. Like a small private school campus.”

“It is real,” he said.

She bumped her shoulder against his. “You know what I mean. It looks respectable. Permanent.”

He kept his opinion to himself until she realized what she’d said.

“This isn’t a setup that came into existence just a few months ago. They’ve been doing this... for years.” She groaned. “I’m going to be sick.”

“That won’t help us or anyone inside.”

With the binoculars, he studied the setup. One road in. A small gravel parking lot wrapped around the tidy, two story building. From this angle they could see the rear, west end, and front of the building. No windows on the first floor at the back or side of the building, but plenty on the second floor. A window flanked either side of the door on the front of the building. The only other door visible was on the west end facing their position. Mike’s money had been on modified shipping containers or even the temporary offices used at construction sites. But Lauren nailed it with
permanent
. The building was even up to code with a fire escape that led to a second story door on the west end.

Mike lowered his binoculars. “I’m going in. If you hear any trouble, drive back down to where you have cell service and call Claudia. She’ll know what to do. Another protector—”

“I’m going with you.”

He clenched his jaw, biting back his impatience. “You don’t have the skills for this and I won’t subject you to more danger.” Regardless of last night’s success, they had gotten far too close to Kozlov.

“You have the skills to cover both of us.” Her conviction was almost contagious. “I’m going in. With you or after you’re inside, your choice.”

“Hold on a minute and let’s think this through.” He paused, taking his own advice and preempting another pointless argument. “The truck and the sedan parked near the side entrance tell me there’s at least two people inside. Probably guards or other staff members. Let’s watch for a bit to see if we can spot any movement.”

“I can do that.” She snapped a few pics with the camera.

As he studied the landscape and the building more closely, he appreciated her affinity for silence. The side door opened and a man stepped outside. He walked over to the truck, leaned against the tailgate, and lit a cigarette. His white polo shirt and dark jeans looked normal enough, but the heavy-soled work boots and semi-automatic weapon stationed on his hip missed the mark of schoolteacher.

From behind her camera Lauren gasped.

“Do you recognize him?” Would they be that lucky?

“No,” she whispered. “Do you see that gun?”

“The only reason the guard would be armed is if there’s something inside that needs to be protected... or kept under control.” It looked as if Vanya had come through.

“What now?”

“Let him finish his cigarette.” It gave Mike time to think. “Then we’ll find a way in.”

“What about cameras, motion sensors, or other guards?”

He lowered the binoculars and caught her gaze. “Good question. No cameras or sensors that I can see. Whatever they’re up to, they’re damned confident nothing can touch them out here. I’m hoping we can get in through the fire escape door.”

“Let’s do it.”

Her words made him smile in spite of himself. He wouldn’t insult her bravery or downplay her dedication again, even if he didn’t want her being too brave or dedicated and getting herself hurt or killed.

“When we go in,” he’d resigned himself to her joining him, “you have to do exactly what I tell you. Otherwise you could get yourself or one of the women inside killed.”

“I won’t ask questions or argue with you. Promise.”

He hoped for all their sakes she could keep that promise. “Whatever we find, we’re only gathering information.” He might plant some listening devices, but she didn’t need to worry about that part.

“What if we find the women in there?”

He shook his head. “This isn’t a rescue. Yet,” he added when she started to protest. “Reconnaissance first, then action with the right kind of backup. We don’t want to be the reason anyone dies today.”

She shuddered. “Got it.”

As they made their way down the hillside, Mike mentally prepared for the worst. The absence of cameras and any other sort of sensors on the exterior of the building gave him pause. Anything that looked this easy rarely was.

When they reached the west end of the building Mike jumped a couple of times until he got a grasp on the pull-down ladder of the fire escape. The creak as it slid downward made him wince. Since the guard didn’t burst through the door right next to him, he was able to breathe again. He hustled up the ladder first. Lauren followed right behind him. Once on the landing he fished his lock pick set from the pack. It took a good thirty seconds but the tumblers finally released. Now if only there was no security sensor on the door. They’d soon know. Mike grasped the knob, gave it a twist, and eased the door inward...

No screaming siren and no thud of rushing boots echoed around them. Relieved, he surveyed the room they’d entered. Big and empty room. One wall was mirrored while the opposite one held ballet bars.

“Dance studio,” she whispered, a furrow appearing between her pale eyebrows.

He nodded. Crossing to the doorway, he paused to listen. Met with silence, he eased the door open and stepped into a long corridor. Doors lined both sides. He pressed a finger to his lips and moved forward. Laruen followed.

It was a serious risk, but he peered through the window of the first door. A young woman paced the small prison cell sized room. The window in the door was one-way glass he realized when she paused, stared at the door but didn’t react to seeing his face there. The room was sparse, furnished with only a narrow cot and a change of clothes hanging on the wall. There in the far right corner near the ceiling was a camera, its red light indicating it was live. He’d figured there had to be some electronic security around here somewhere. On the wall to the right of the door was an intercom box with a call button. A way for the prisoner to let the guard know she needed something, he supposed. He moved aside so Lauren could see. She pressed a hand over her mouth to hold in her reaction.

Again he pressed a finger to his lips to remind her that absolute quiet was essential. She nodded and they moved past five more rooms, a young female occupied all but two. Since all but one of the rooms had a change of clothes hanging on the wall, Mike decided there were likely a total of five prisoners—which seemed to confirm the information Vanya had passed along. There was a common bathroom and a central lounge void of furnishings. Midway along the corridor a stairwell led downward, presumably to the first level. At the far end of the corridor was a well-equipped gym just as deserted as the dance studio they’d entered.

BOOK: Too Far Gone
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