S.O.S. Perk (S.O.S. #6)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

“Remember,” Sloane told Perk, as she, two of her fellow agents, and three operatives from Perk’s SOS team met several miles from the Nelsin house in a small, remote park, readying to approach their assignments. “If it looks like you find yourself in any kind of trouble while attempting to access Mrs. Nelsin’s computer, all you have to do is say the word.” She gently tapped his ear where the comm rested low in his canal where no one would see it. “We’ll be positioned in the woods around the house, and can be on you in less than a minute.”

Perk didn’t look worried. “I know, Sloane. This isn’t my first rodeo,” he told her gently.

Yeah, but it’s mine , Sloane wanted to tell him. Not that she hadn’t watched people go into places undercover. Hell, she’d done it herself too many times to count. But… This is the first time I’ve sent someone I really care about into possible danger, she admitted to herself.

And didn’t that suck. Here she was trying to remain objective. Professional. But all she could think about was how she’d feel if something happened to Perk.

After their eye-opening vacation where they’d spent nearly every moment together, it had been hard enough going back to living in separate places. To imagine that a single bullet might take Perk from her; that she’d never see him again…

No. Uh, uh. She couldn’t start thinking like that.

This was a routine operation that she and her fellow agents had performed dozens of times without jeopardy. There was absolutely nothing to worry about.

So why did it hurt to breathe?

“Hey,” Perk took her arm and led her off to the perimeter of the small, dirt lot where they all stood, conferring and making sure their equipment worked. “I’ll be fine. I promise.”

“You can’t say that,” Sloane grumbled. “You know how these things can go sideways in a blink.”

“I do. But hey. It’s me, right? Six-foot, badass me against nerdy Jeremy and his spa-queen mother,” Perk quipped.

His teasing wasn’t working.

“A pair who kidnapped Kaelyn and probably killed Felix Nelsin,” Sloane growled. “Don’t underestimate them, Perk,” she warned, moving close, unable to keep herself from playing absently with the collar of his jacket.

There was nothing she wanted more than to grab Perk, throw him into her car, and drive away, but…it was probably just stupid fear making her so edgey, especially now that the investigation was escalating.

Still, Sloane wasn’t keen on sending Perk into the lioness’s den because of personal concerns, too; like having the bitch’s hands all over him. But she knew it was nearing “go” time on all fronts, and they couldn’t pick and choose their jobs, nor the side effects.

This afternoon Perk would make every effort to break into Mrs. Nelsin’s computer; a move he now knew exactly how to accomplish, thanks to Sarge, but first he’d definitely have to suck up to the woman, and Sloane would have to listen to it happening. Live.

Well, shit.

The last time Perk had braved Jennifer-the-bitch’s private lair, he hadn’t worn communication devices, but he had worn a wire that had recorded their deeply unsettling conversation.

Sloane had listened to it once she’d had access, and every time she recalled the sick, overt moves Nelsin had put on Perk, it made her see red.

If the woman so much as touched Perk’s nether-parts today while Sloane was actively monitoring, her fellow agents might have to hold her down to keep from going in to kill the fucking perv.

“Sloane? You going to be okay?” Perk asked, his brows scrunching together in concern as he carefully watched the play of poorly hidden emotions running across her face. “We do this kind of stuff all the time. You know that. There’s nothing different happening today that we haven’t seen and been a part of dozens and dozens of times.”

Then why was she having these creepy-crawly feelings that something was going to go wrong?

Were her heebie-jeebies real, or were they because the person heading into unknown, potential danger, was Perk? And should she shut her nervous, nervous-system down if it were just a knee-jerk reaction? Normally she wouldn’t dismiss the prickles on the back of her neck. Every agent, every operative, everyone in the field of defense learned to trust those instincts when they screamed “danger”. Was this one of those prescient times, or was Sloane just being super sensitive because it was Perk?

“I know.” Sloane drew in a huge, fortifying breath, acknowledging Perk’s reassurances. But… It was time she gave Perk some indication of where her head was at. “I, uh, like you, Perk.”

That sounded lame, but he grinned in response, which gave her courage.

“I mean, I really like you,” she amended, then watched that cocky grin of his turn soft.

“I like you, too,” Perk imparted tenderly, bending down to whisper. “And you know I love you,” he added for her ears only. He lifted up and perused her face, almost daring her to declare it herself before they said goodbye.

But she couldn’t. Not yet.

“I’m almost there, Perk. I swear it. If I can just start trusting my instincts…” Her eyes snapped open wide.

Trust her instincts .

Yes. That’s exactly what she needed to do.

“Listen. I think you’re headed into trouble,” she blurted out. “I’m not sure why, but my gut is screaming at me that something bad is about to go down.”

Perk’s face grew serious.

“You’re armed, right?” she asked a little frantically.

“I am.” Perk bent again, this time to pat the inside of his left ankle before standing back up. He regarded her with a gravity that said he was taking her worries in earnest. “And I promise, I won’t take any chances.”

“Okay, then. Go.”

God , those were the hardest words she’d ever said. Probably even harder than—

Instead of blurting out something she might regret during a last second panic, Sloane used Perk’s lapels to pull him down, planting a firm kiss on his cold lips.

She didn’t care at this point, who saw.

When Perk ended the brief buss, she could tell he was pleased with her PDA.

“I’ll see you in a little while,” he told her, kissing her quickly again. He then turned and gave a quick salute to the rest of the group before he trotted away to his Volvo.

Sloane watched, her stomach roiling as he started the car and drove off.

Sucking in a breath, she turned to regard the rest of the team.

Del and Director Baskins in particular were grinning like fools as they walked her way.

“Why so glum?” Del asked with a chuckle. “It looks to me like you two might finally be owning your connection.”

Sloane felt like her head was about to explode. “Yeah, but… I’m having a bad feeling about this. A really bad feeling, Del,” she managed. “Chief?” She turned to her boss. “I can’t explain it, but—”

“No need,” Baskins cut her off abruptly. “You know we’ve all felt it before. What do you think is triggering it?”

“No clue,” she admitted. “But my inner alarms have been screaming for the last ten minutes,” she revealed. “I have to factor in that they might be skewed. Perk and I…” How did she put this? “…obviously have something starting between us.”

“Starting,” Baskins repeated with a scoff. “Vessers, you and that guy have been headed down that road for months. It’s just that, up until this point, you’ve lined that winding highway with booby-traps. I’m just glad you’re finally disarming the land mines and daring to take the drive.” He cleared his throat after waxing uncustomarily poetic. “Now, regarding your trepidation. I don’t think you’re imagining things. You’re too good of an operative for that. Which means we need to go do our job.”

Without additional conversation, Baskins put his fingers to his mouth and emitted a shrill whistle. “Listen up, everybody. I want that house surrounded and everyone in place within the next ten minutes. Be ready to infiltrate on my command. Do I make myself clear?”

There were choruses of agreement while everyone scrambled for the two cars they’d agreed to share, which would give them a smaller footprint when leaving them in a public place.

Their readiness would at least be something.

Five minutes later, the pair of black vehicles rendezvoused in back of a local mom and pop grocery store they’d previously scoped out. It was such a busy little place, nobody would think twice about their cars being left there.

Wasting no time—and once there were no prying eyes watching—they gained the cover of the nearby woods that lay between the store and the Nelsin place.

Making sure they were all armed and ready, each person took off on foot to reach their designated positions.

Sloane began picking up Perk’s voice and that of Mrs. Nelsin as soon as she came within sight of the house.

“…missed having you around.”

Clearly that was a come-on. The smarminess in the woman’s voice was cloying.

“I, uh, had a good vacation,” Perk responded, obviously trying to steer the conversation. “Very productive, actually.”

It was a blatant hint for Nelsin to talk about her part in all things illegal.

“I’m glad,” she simpered. “It’s always nice to visit old friends. But nicer, yet, to make new ones.”

Jennifer didn’t bite; instead returning to her flirting.

One track mind, hussy .

Sloane tried to keep her imagination in check, but she couldn’t help but picture the purring woman sidling up to Perk, her hands roaming freely over his body.

“Yeah,” Perk responded evenly. “I’m really glad Jeremy and I have found some interests in common.”

“Oh, I think we might have a lot in common, too, if you’d just let yourself loosen up,” Jennifer continued breezily.

Was she talking sex, or was she talking her money-grabbing scheme?

“Well, Jeremy and I definitely do.”

Sloane read between the lines. Perk was trying to let the woman know he was friends with her son, so back off.

“Right,” Mrs. Nelsin simpered. “He told me you’ve been…very appreciative of his new video game; passing it along to your friends.”

Bingo! Were they finally getting somewhere?

“Uh…”

Sloane heard Perk suck in a breath. Had the bitch touched him?

“Where is Jeremy, anyway?” His voice cracked, goddammit. Nelsin must have her slimy mitts on him.

“He’s in the basement, working on a project for me right now,” the woman revealed. “But I have something special I want to show you before you head down and join him.”

Sloane just bet she did.

“I’m interested to see how trustworthy you really are,” she continued. “For instance, if…something were to occur between us, would you be able to keep it from my son?”

“Uh, Mrs. Nelsin?” Perk choked out. “What, exactly, are you talking about?”

Sloane chewed her lip until she felt pain. She knew Perk had to play the bitch’s game in order to have the woman trust him, but Sloane’s nerves were strung taut wondering just how far he’d have to go.

“I think you know,” Jennifer cooed. “You’re a very handsome young man, Thomas. And if I find out you can keep your mouth shut where certain things are concerned, I might consider letting you in on a hush-hush deal I have going that will make you a lot of money.”

Balls for blood-money .

“Oh yeah?” Perk’s voice cracked. “What kind of…?”

Perk sucked in a sharp breath.

The cunt was touching him. Sloane knew it. Her feet itched to chew up the distance between here and the house, breaking in to tackle the horrid woman to the ground, but she somehow managed to restrain herself.

“You scratch my back, so to speak, and I’ll…suck your cock,” Mrs. Nelsin preened, laying it all on the table. “It’s that easy. You play my game, and I’ll make you a millionaire before you’re twenty. I just don’t want my son finding out about…us.”

There was some pleasurable moaning from the woman that followed, and Sloane did a hot burn while talking herself down. It’s the job. It’s the job. It’s the job , she repeated. And it wasn’t as if Perk were enjoying whatever was going on. He hadn’t made a sound, and Sloane knew from personal experience that when Perk was engaged, he didn’t hold back—vocally—on his pleasure.

“See how nice I can be?” Jennifer hummed. “Now how about you head to my office and make yourself comfortable. I’ll go make sure that Jeremy is engaged downstairs with a project that will take him enough time for us to…complete our business. After I get him settled, I’ll go upstairs and put on something more…alluring,” she preened. “I’ll be gone no more than ten minutes, stud. Think about me while I’m gone.”

There was something that sounded like slurping in Perk’s comm-ear.

Gross. She’d had her tongue in his auditory canal.

“See you soon,” the woman simpered.

“Not much of me, if I can help it,” Perk muttered bitingly a few seconds later, clearly after Jennifer disappeared. “Heading toward her office now,” Perk said for the team’s benefit. “I have the thumb drive ready, and no time to waste. This will probably be my best opportunity, so I’m going to…advantage… If I…”

Perk’s voice completely cut out.

“Perk. Can you hear me?” Del barked. “Perk?”

Fuck.

They’d lost their connection.