Chapter 9
Never underestimate the power of a red-cloaked girl with a basket and a determined spirit.
Gwen
I have no idea what time it is, but my eyes droop. In addition to a grumbling stomach, my caffeine-deprived head throbs, and my neck aches from leaning against the car window.
Placing my elbows on the table, I dip my forehead between my hands and close my eyes. “Hydrogen, helium… ”
The door slams, and I jolt awake. Smiling, the Big Bad Wolf places a cup of coffee and a humongous cinnamon roll before me.
After a sip of joe and an insulin-spiking bite, I remember where we left off. “Where’s my lawyer?”
My muscular nemesis slinks to the opposite side of the slate metal table, turns the wooden chair, and straddles it. “About that… I want to offer you a way to keep your job and ensure your daughter stays safe.”
I narrow my gaze. He appears sincere, and yet, I see through his sheepskin. Gaslit by my ex for years, I am no longer so easily duped. “No thanks.”
“I’m putting my career on the line for you.” The Fed watches me eat, no doubt fattening me for the final kill.
Eye beams laser-locked, we engage in a silent battle of wills.
Sensing my weakening spirit, my shoulder-Beyoncé puts her hands on her hips and slaps me from my stupor. Honey, get your mind out of his pants.
My brain groans, whines, and clunks into gear. My lawyer will no doubt suggest a plea deal. Jail time could be avoided, but I’ll lose my credibility, my job, and my kid. While weighing the pros and cons, I miss the agent’s following sentence.
“Sorry, say what now?” My eyes focus on his soft, plump lips, and I drift back into a daydream where I might lean over the table and take a taste.
With his blue-eyed stare, which could earn him a million bucks in the movies, his fingers snap in front of my face. “Doctor McGee, your team has a traitor, and you’re going to help me find them.”
My hollow laugh falls flat, and my hands shake as I clamp them to my knees. “What makes you think that? Surely not the EMF weapon? The Russians have been working on this technology since World War II.”
“Are you taking my deal or not? This is your last chance.” His mouth moves closer, and for a moment, I imagine us naked on a desert island.
Momentarily stunned, I nod. “Okay, I’ll do it.”
The moment the words exit my mouth, I wish I could go back in time to retract them.
The seductive beast leans back in his chair and beams, his incisors showing. “Excellent. Help me convince Henry to confess. Can you do it?”
“Wait? You think Henry’s the leak? No way. He wouldn’t do this.” When my voice goes up an octave, the wolf senses fear, snaps his head in my direction, and snarls.
“Prove it.”
Holy shit, I am so beyond my depth all I can do is swallow hard and nod.
“Alright, let’s go.” Jumping up, he holds forth his firm hand.
With no other choice, I take it, stand, and gasp at the electricity sparking between us. Everyone knows lack of sleep causes hallucinations, but in my case, it”s real.
After I check for burn marks, I take a deep breath. Helium, Lithium, Beryllium, Boron, Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen…
We exit via the same hallway and take the elevator to the musty parking garage under the building. As we walk toward a glass booth, a familiar woof turns my head.
“Hey, buddy.” Axel pats Bear’s head, takes the leash from the attendant, and places two twenties in the open palm.
As the uniformed man races off to retrieve the car, the Fed leans into my ear. “You’ve been given a chance to untangle the mess you made. If you play along, you could get your job back. The first rule is easy: Always tell the truth.”
His hoarse warning sends a shiver down my spine. How much does he know?
Once the dark Ford sedan arrives, his fingers wrap around my bicep and brush against the side of my breast. Excited nipples harden, and my clit jolts.
Holy crap, I’m never going to survive his nearness. The mundane act of buckling my seatbelt becomes erotic when the strap rubs on the flesh aroused by his touch. Glancing down at my pointy tits, I cross my arms over my chest.
The master of seduction starts the car and glances over the cup holder. “Are you cold?”
He insisted on the truth, so I purse my lips and mutter, “Mmm.”
One sexy brow lifts as he smiles at me, and my mouth goes dry. About a mile outside DC’s center, he rolls up the sleeves of his white dress shirt and loosens his tie.
Trying not to stare at his forearms, I focus on the expensive brownstones and ask, “Where are we going?”
“My place.” He says it so matter-of-factly that, at first, I think I misheard him.
Bear understands and barks excitedly. Not wanting to spend the night with the two canines, I point at the next intersection. “Drop me off on this corner, and I’ll call an Uber.”
“No way in hell. You and I will be best of friends until we figure this out.” When his hand shoots to my knee, I peel it off and place it back on his.
“Fine, but no monkeybusiness.” I glance down at the bulge in his dress pants, salivate, and almost change my mind.
Then Bear barks and brings me back to reality.
Holy crap, I need a full night’s sleep. God help me, my brain cells have been abducted by hormones.