Chapter 5 #3
Some days, it felt as if she was losing her family. Both Jamar and Jezebel, vanishing at the same time. Not that she blamed Jamar. He wanted out so that his family could be safe. So he could be with his twins and his wife, and Charlotte wanted him happy.
But he’d watched her back for years. Just as she’d watched his. When he was gone, she would miss him terribly.
“We are not losing Charlotte,” Jezebel vowed. “We are bringing down a dangerous predator. A predator who very well could have been in that VIP room tonight. Our top suspects were right there, and I am sure that Charlotte left an impression on them.”
She’d put her knife to Ares’s throat. Did that count as an impression? Probably. Then again, all of those fists to the face that Ares had taken from Logan must have made an impression, too. “Logan and Ares fought.” Understatement. “Logan had to be pulled off the guy.”
Jamar leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees. “Just what led to that incident?”
“Ares lost a very large bet to Logan. He didn’t take the loss well.”
“Dammit!” Jezebel’s fury was obvious. “The last thing I need is for Logan to be antagonizing targets on this case. He’s supposed to be your intro to them. He’s not supposed to fight the individuals we are investigating!” A huff. “Why didn’t Logan just let Ares win?”
Uh…
Because Logan had no intention of letting me go. “It was an unusual bet.” Charlotte cleared her throat. “Very high stakes.”
“Huh.” From Jamar. “What were those stakes? You mentioned something about a casino and a villa, but what else was on the table?”
Awkward. “It was—”
Me.
Only she didn’t get to add that last part because Jezebel demanded, “Where is Logan, right now?”
“Probably in his room. Or his office. Pierre and Ares were going to transfer the winnings to him. I’m sure he’s making certain that is all handled properly.” They were talking extreme monetary value with those winnings.
“No. Logan won’t give a damn about overseeing that transfer. He has people to do that for him.” Jezebel’s instant reply.
Charlotte frowned.
“But Logan would still be furious at Ares. If they fought, hell, Logan is too much of a wild card. I knew that going into this mission, but he was my best shot. Our best shot.” Frustration boiled in Jezebel’s voice. “You need to go find him, Charlotte. Make sure he’s not doing anything extreme.”
“The man’s entire life is extreme,” she mumbled. “I’m afraid you’re going to need to be a lot more specific for me.”
“Make sure he’s not killing any of the players who were at his table tonight.”
Okay, that counted as extreme.
“You need to step up your surveillance detail for Logan. I heard you were on a different floor from him last night. That can’t happen again.
You have to be closer. We need to know what he is doing at all times.
” On the computer screen, Jezebel’s brows snapped upward.
“Do you think you can do that? Can you convince the man that you have to be closer?”
Considering that plenty of people would now suspect they were lovers… “Sure, it’s doable.”
“Great. I knew you would not disappoint me, Charlotte. Go find your man. Make sure he doesn’t murder our suspects. I’ll check in tomorrow.” The screen went dark.
Charlotte blew out a hard breath. One. Two. “He is not my man.” Even if she could still taste him. Still feel him.
“Just so you know…” Jamar’s mild voice. He tended to always be mild.
Few things riled him. “One of the security cameras I hacked at the hotel?” He motioned to a second monitor on his desk.
A monitor that showed at least six different images from the hotel and its attached casino.
“It caught Logan heading down on an elevator about five minutes ago. He was wearing a t-shirt, running shorts, and sneakers. Not exactly business meeting attire. Or the type of thing one would wear to go clubbing.”
Great. “He’s gone for a run.” Those runs had been documented beforehand during their reconnaissance work on Logan. The man loved to take late-night runs. A rather dangerous hobby considering his long list of enemies. But at least he typically had guards who watched his back during those runs.
As they struggled to keep up with him.
“Better lace up,” Jamar advised her. “You’re gonna have to chase him.”
“Dammit.” She whirled for the door.
“By the way…” Jamar’s voice was still just as mild. “What didn’t you tell our boss?”
Her hand froze as it extended toward the door’s lock.
“Because you know I can always tell when you’re holding back. Perk of being your partner.”
He was far too observant.
“So just what really went on when the glasses stopped transmitting?”
Logan cheated in a hand of cards in order to keep me.
Then he kissed me, and I wanted to fuck him right there, on the poker table.
“Nothing major.” Did her voice rise on those words?
Hopefully, not. She didn’t look back at Jamar.
After all, he could always read her expression too well.
“Logan made a lifelong enemy in the form of Ares, and I got an up close look at some of our suspects. The mission is going perfectly according to plan.” She flipped the lock and rushed into the hallway. And as the door shut behind her…
The mission is not going according to plan. I’m crossing lines. Everything is screwed up. And Logan is driving me crazy.
And, now, she truly did have to chase him.