Wanting (25 page)

Carrie had also spent
numerous hours when not at the club searching out everything she
could find on club employees and even the regular patrons. Nothing.
Sebastian’s team’s computer technician was overseeing the searches
while the band was on duty.

Benito, Jr. was supposed to
return later that evening. Carrie’s instincts told her that tonight
was the night something would happen. But she didn’t know what.
Still, she was never this edgy without reason. Ever. In fact, the
last time she felt this way was when Paige had been stabbed when
they were seventeen.

She’d been rummaging for
food and had inadvertently stumbled into someone else’s territory.
The guy—bigger, stronger, meaner than Paige—had attacked Paige with
a switchblade. He’d stabbed her three times before Carrie was able
to stop him with a board upside his head. That memory—and the
memory of how Paige had nearly died from infection from the dirty
knife—had Carrie shivering on stage. It had been so damned close.
If she hadn’t bargained with the Devil—a legendary man who had once
lived on the streets himself—to get Paige some antibiotics and
basic first aid, Paige would have died.

And Carrie had felt just
like this in the few hours before the attack. Just like
this.

***

She sat in her chair and
forced herself to do the relaxation exercises she’d learned in
college while applying her final layer of stage makeup. They didn’t
always work, but the routine of the exercises did sooth her most
times. Al and Paige were out at the van the team had procured as
Dan’s vehicle, bringing in the equipment, along with Dan. Josh was
somewhere in the club, supposedly hanging out with some of the
bar’s employees. He’d fit in well with the regular patrons, too,
blending in much better than Carrie, Paige, or Alessandra. They’d
drawn too much attention, and the patrons seemed to be a bit
confused as to their roles. It had taken a big altercation between
Josh and Dan and a few of the more persistent customers over
Alessandra before it became clear that Al, Carrie, and Paige were
part of the band and not part of the stripping crew.

Thankfully, Carrie hadn’t
gotten too much attention. At least none that got out of hand.
There had been a few men approach her, but Sebastian had always
been there, playing the overprotective lover routine perfectly. So
perfectly that everyone believed it.

Where was he? He always met
her in the dressing room as soon as she arrived. She usually rode
in with Dan and Al from the house they’d rented in the
neighborhood. Hell and Sebastian had insisted that they keep their
appearance as a struggling band authenticate, in case Benito Jr. or
someone had them followed.

Josh and Paige were sharing
an apartment near enough to the club that one of them could always
legitimately keep an eye on the place during the day hours. They
had to catch Benito Jr. or his men in the act of trafficking in
order to make anything stick.

What did it say about her
that she was actually looking forward to coming to this dumpy club
so that she could see Sebastian every night? He was staying in the
apartment with Josh and Paige, and the story was that Paige and her
boyfriend were staying with her brother until they found a place of
their own. It was believable. And Paige and Sebastian had done a
good job setting up a cover as brother and sister.

Dan had played his part,
too. He’d warned both Carrie and Sebastian to stay away from each
other, multiple times. Carrie knew everyone believed it.

Kem, the club’s manager,
had even taken it upon himself to protect Carrie from Sebastian
whenever Dan couldn’t be around. Carrie liked the man, and really
hoped he wasn’t involved in whatever it was that was going on. He’d
spoken to her several times about his daughter, Regina. She was
high-functioning autistic, and was obviously the most important
person in Kem’s world. She was only six, and Kem was a single
father. Carrie really hoped he was clean. For Regina and her little
brother’s sakes.

And something was going on.
They just hadn’t been able to get any evidence in addition to what
Courtney had given them. He’d listed three men from Benito’s who
were involved, and despite how closely the CCU had watched those
three men—Benito Jr. and two of his friends—they’d found nothing.
They were going to have to face the fact that whatever was going
on, it wasn’t going on at the club.

She sighed and finished
putting on the lipstick Al insisted she use. It wasn’t a color
Carrie would normally prefer, but Al was better at this undercover
stuff than Carrie.

It wasn’t easy for Carrie
to pretend to be someone she wasn’t. It was hard to remember how to
act and what to say, and it was starting to drain her.

She hoped this case ended
soon.

***

Sebastian knew she was
tense, he could see it in the way she held her shoulders as she
sat. He understood it, too. They—and the rest of the team—were
holding out hope that Benito Jr.’s return would bring them the
information that they needed. He hadn’t been able to sneak away
with her tonight like he’d wanted. Like they did every night before
she took the stage. They still had close to an hour before the main
show started, and the opening act was currently going through their
set routine. Carrie and the others would take the stage at nine. It
was just past eight, now.

Sebastian didn’t know why
he stood just watching her, but he did. She fascinated him, and
with every night on this damned case, the fascination just
deepened.

The door behind her—that
led into the hallway opposite the backstage area—opened, and Benito
Jr. walked in. Sebastian stepped back, remaining half-hidden by the
back wall.

“
You don’t need all that
make-up.” Benito Jr. crowded the space between Carrie and the
second make-up table. Carrie put a bit more space between her and
the man. “You’re gorgeous without it.”

“
Thank you.” Carrie’s tone
was wary, and Sebastian forced himself to stay where he
was.

“
I hear you have been
doing great. The customers really like you and your sister.” His
tone was far too intimate for the conversation, and Sebastian knew
what he wanted.

“
That’s good. I do need to
finish getting ready. My dad will be here any minute. Then we’ll
have to go over any changes to the show.”

“
No problem. The show
doesn’t start until I say it does, anyway. Surely your dad won’t
mind you spending a little time making friends.” Benito Jr.’s hand
dropped to Carrie’s shoulder. She tried to dislodge it, but the man
squeezed. Held her in place.

“
Let me go.”

Sebastian had seen enough.
He stepped out of the shadowed hall. “Carrie, baby...we’ve got
maybe four minutes...” He made a big production of stopping short,
staring at the other man. “Well.”

“
Get out of here,” Benito
Jr. said, irritation clear on his face and in his tone. “No one but
staff is allowed back here.”

“
I’m with her.” Sebastian
stared the other man down, hoping he wasn’t ruining the work they’d
put into the sting by challenging their target. “Carrie, baby? You
ok?”

She stood, dislodging
Benito Jr.’s hand. “Of course, sweetheart. What were you
saying?”

“
I was saying that we
should...”

“
We don’t have time. Why
were you late?”

“
Damned dog of my sister’s
got lose and I had to chase him down.”

“
P.J. loves that dog. Mr.
Quirino, thank you for giving the band this opportunity. Sebastian,
I’m ready whenever you are.”

“
Ready for what?” Benito
Jr. still eyed Sebastian with suspicion.

“
My father doesn’t like
Sebastian. We are going out back for a few minutes. Just for some
private time. You understand?”

Benito Jr. snorted. “You
sneaking around like teenagers? Aren’t you old enough to make
decisions without daddy’s approval?”

“
Of course. But...it makes
it easier if we are together when my father isn’t around. He has a
weak heart...I don’t want to upset him.”

“
Whatever.”

Sebastian was proud of her
for the way she kept a straight face while delivering the lie. He
knew lying was difficult for Carrie. He also knew the other man
wasn’t convinced, but what other choice did they have? He pulled
Carrie from the staging area and out into the bar. They’d have to
convince Benito Jr., just as they’d had to work at convincing the
rest of the bar staff in the previous five nights. Sebastian knew
he was up for the task.

He guided her around tables
and through the die-hard crowd that arrived around seven each
night. The patrons barely looked at them, though a few male eyes
lingered on his companion.

He glanced over his
shoulder, once. Benito Jr. watched them, a considering look on his
face.

“
Come on.”

“
Where?” Her confusion was
clear in her voice. “I don’t understand what you’re
doing.”

“
We need to convince
junior that you and I are an item, so that he’ll get the hint and
leave you alone.”

“
And how do you suggest we
do that?”

“
Just trust me.” He kept
her at the edge of the dance floor, as far from her supposed father
as possible. Sebastian could feel Benito Jr.’s eyes on him as he
pulled Carrie against his chest. He knew his partner felt the same.
“Just relax, Carrie. Make it seem as if we’ve done this before. You
know you’re safe with me.”

He kept his tone low, the
same as he’d do with a cornered animal. And that was the look in
her eyes. Cornered. He stepped left, guiding her until she faced
the larger part of the dance floor. He had backed her to the corner
without realizing it.

“
I know. I just don’t like
dancing.” He felt her words brush against his neck. She was the
perfect height for him to dance with. She had to be close to five
nine, making her a head shorter than him. He could guide her head
to his shoulder and press her body against his. If she would let
him.

“
Why? I happen to love
dancing—at certain times.” Now was definitely one of them. He
pressed her closer.

“
I don’t like all of these
people around me. The smells, sounds, and knowing they’re watching
us.”

“
Just focus on your
partner, me. Let me worry about them watching us.” He brushed his
hand down the exposed skin of her back. The dress she wore was
designed to draw male attention, to focus everyone on her. He could
see where she wouldn’t be comfortable with that. Carrie didn’t like
being the center of attention, ever.

She shivered beneath his
hand and he fought the urge to tighten his grasp. He wanted to. He
wanted to pull her against him so closely that the dress was just a
mere whisper between them.

The music slowed, a
seductive instrumental that Sebastian recognized. Carrie would be
taking the stage in less than forty minutes. The first band always
played a set list of songs from seven until nine o’clock, when
Carrie and the rest of the undercover team would take the
stage.

Before then he needed to
convince that idiot goon Benito Jr. that he and Carrie had touched
each other before.

That shouldn’t be too
hard.

He pulled her closer. She
tried to resist. “What are you doing?”

“
Trying to make it
convincing. Have you never danced with someone before?”

“
I don’t like it.” She
frowned at him. “I’ve danced before. I just choose not to do it
that often.”

“
Tell me the first thing
that pops into your mind when I pull you closer. Close your eyes,
forget the people around us.” He waited until she did. “Now, take a
deep breath and tell me what you feel.”

“
I smell you.” Her words
escaped in a sigh. “You’ve changed colognes. You don’t smell like
him anymore. I like it.”

She moved closer, tilted
her head towards his shoulder.

He trailed a hand into the
riot of red curls falling down her back as he thought about her
words. Him—Agent Stephenson. She always called Stephenson him. The
first time he’d met her she’d been battered and broken from
Stephenson’s attack. And so wary of him. “Hmm. I’m glad you like
it. What else can you feel?”

“
The music. They missed two
bars. The bass player isn’t all that competent. Not like
Alessandra.” Her hand played with the back of his collar as she
spoke. Fingers brushed his hair. He resisted the urge to purr at
her touch.

“
What else?”

“
The heat. You are warm.
It’s surrounding me.” She snuggled closer and Sebastian almost
stopped dancing.

“
Do you like
it?”

She was silent for a long
moment. He tilted his shoulder toward her head, making it easier
for her if she chose to move closer.

She did just that, slipping
one arm around his waist and dropping her head to his shoulder. “I
like it. Like it’s just us here. I don’t mind dancing with
you.”

Sebastian struggled to
remember all the eyes focused in their direction. It took
everything he had to resist pulling her body completely flush
against his and sinking into the music with her.