Ben ran his hands through his hair. “Who the fuck is he, and how does he know so much?”
The man leaned forward then. “Forgive me for not introducing myself. My name is Francois Theroux. You have one week to give me an answer.”
I was trying to figure out how much of a hoax this was. Who had that kind of access? Who could listen in on our conversations? Then the man sat forward and allowed us to see him clear as day.
A thick shock of white hair, well-tamed and styled, swirled atop his head. His face, though years older, was classically handsome. Strong jaw. Cleft chin. Roman nose that looked like it had been broken at some point in his past. There was an air of refinement to him.
Then the video went black.
Ben asked, "Any of you know this arsehole and why he thinks he’ll get away with blackmail?"
I shook my head. "The photos I have of Theroux are of him as a younger man. But it’s a close enough match. That’s definitely him."
Bridge frowned. "Are we supposed to know him?"
Ben scowled down at his phone. “Alright then. We are going to find out everything there is to know about Francois Theroux.”
“On it,” I muttered. I trusted nobody as a general rule, so a helping hand was going to be met with suspicion. One that was trying to blackmail us was even more reason to be cautious.
East
An hour later, I found the woman in the red dress leaning against the bar. The red silk of her dress showed off strong back muscles and a fantastic ass, leaving me to speculate if she had any knickers on.
The approach was easy. Familiar. I knew this dance and knew it well. Approach, banter, shag in the first semiprivate place we could find, walk away. As I approached, anticipation danced over my skin. As I drew nearer, I hesitated a moment. That scent. Honeysuckle? Her dress screamed sex, but her scent was pure tempting intoxication.
Why was it so damn familiar? “You make a hell of a statement in that dress.”
She turned slowly, hazel eyes landing on mine as she shifted her shawl and clutch to the bar. “I certainly hope so. It’s bait.”
I momentarily choked on my last breath as I stared at her. “Agent Nyla Kincade.” Just saying her name had my cock going rock hard. Flashes of our last encounter made me want to drag her out of the gala to check for fucking bruises… and then kiss them all away.
What. The. Fuck.
Listen, you tosser. She is the enemy and will happily stick you and your mates in the nick.
Her grin went wide. "Mr. Hale. Fancy running into you again.”
Think, you knob. I needed to play this delicately. What the hell was she doing here? And why, instead of me unsettling her, was she here in my sandbox unsettling me?
I needed to be careful, tread lightly. After all, she was coming after me and my friends. “I’ve never seen you at one of these charity galas before. I didn’t think they were your speed, Agent Kincade. But now that I know they are, they will be infinitely more entertaining.”
“Of course, you’d be aware of every single woman who comes to these things. Your reputation precedes you.” Her gaze swept over me and I felt like my skin was on fire. Was she playing with me? Did she think it was a good idea to poke the rock-hard bull right now?
“So, you’ve been asking about me? Should I be worried you’ll get out your cuffs? Though that might be all manner of fun.” I went for one of the most charming smiles in my arsenal. One that was a guaranteed ice-melter. But still, all I got back from her was some bemusement.
Her gaze narrowed as it slid over me from head to toe. “I do love my cuffs. And I don’t doubt you’d enjoy the feel of the cold steel against your skin.” She sipped her champagne then. “But I’m not here for you. I happen to love a good cause.”
She wanted to play games. She was here to tempt me, but for what reason? Into making a mistake? I wasn’t going to play.
But you want to.
I had already had a chat with her section chief, so she was walking on thin ice. Playing a game she didn’t know the rules of and one I was quite looking forward to. Turning my smile into a smirk, I lowered my voice and leaned forward. “I must say, you’re an excellent fighter and surprisingly quick. Well done with the Taser. I still have the taste of metal in my mouth. The next time we tussle though, I dare hope there will be significantly less clothing.”
I spent a good deal of time watching people. Nyla Kincade was a pro. Her expression remained cool and placid, save a quick blink and slight purse of her lips. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what you’re on about."
I leaned close, inhaling deep. “Oh, but I know you do. I tracked you as you darted through the South Bank.” The bartender slid a scotch across the bar to me, and I lifted my glass to take a sip. “The quick change, the prosthetics. You are very, very good. But I think I was most impressed with your hand-to-hand skills. I have to tell you, Agent Kincade, you left some bruises. I should probably discuss with my therapist just how arousing I found that, but that’s neither here nor there.”
“Your kinks are none of my business.”
“Oh, but they could be.” My blood hummed, even though I should be afraid, worried. At the very least wary. She met my gaze and lifted her chin. Christ, I wanted to taste her. “I should be worried about you, Agent Kincade. How’s the eye? The make-up job is excellent. It’s hard to see the bruising. I am sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“Again. Not me. You’re mistaking me for some kind of badass. I wish I could meet this woman and have her teach me her ways. But alas, I’m not who you think I am.”
The humming had found its way to my brain, short circuiting it. Because instead of trying to get answers, all I wanted was to take another deep whiff. Find out if she smelled like sweet honeysuckle all over her body. My guess was yes.
“I think you're very naughty and have found yourself in way over your head. All you have to do is tell me what you were hoping to achieve, and I’ll give you back your SD card, unwiped. Honestly, there wasn’t anything good on it, but you worked so hard to sneak in and disguise yourself. Hell, I might even give it to you if you say please just right.”
She leaned into me and the last remaining ability I had to think vanished in favor of my cock acting all kinds of inappropriately.
“Mr. Hale.”
“Hmmm?”
“Feel free to hold your breath. See how long you can last. I dare you. You might as well, because I’m never going to give you what you want.”
Nyla
First of all, up close and personal East Hale was make-you-stupid handsome. He smelled like something piney and clean. And it was debilitating. I was lucky I had functioning brain cells around him. The other times we’d met had been fleeting, and he hadn’t been so… close. And well, the last time I was focused on not getting caught. But now, with his low voice and sandalwood cologne helping to amplify his potent masculine swagger, it was a wonder I could speak.
He also has you dead to rights.
How the fuck had he tracked my movements? I’d had that route mapped out. There were very few cameras. And how did he have access to CCTV? He wasn’t law enforcement or intelligence services.