Chapter 9
“Don’t worry about the wolf; worry about the sheep who thinks he’s a lion.” ~Unknown
Axel
Shit. Standing in the kitchenette, I pour a cup of coffee from the Box O’Joe and visualize potential scenarios in my head. “We’ll need to move up the Danbury meet-up.”
“Excuse me?” Eyes wide, Gwen’s voice raises an octave. “You’re wanted for murder, and he's your first concern?”
Some on my team may be thinking along the same vein, so as I add sugar to the bitter brew, I carefully select my words. “If the locals intended to arrest me, I’d already be incarcerated.”
Hunter removes his suit jacket and rolls up the sleeves of his starched white button-down shirt. “Trev, call Brittany and have her change the time to one hour from now.”
Ignoring my wife’s glare, the analyst shouts, “On it.”
Gwen’s misgivings cannot influence my decisions. If we miss this opportunity, we may never capture Ledbetter. I have no idea what he is doing in the States, but apparently, it is important enough to risk the FBI closing in on him.
At exactly ten-o-five, I park my car in the three-store strip mall, press my phone’s flashlight app, and follow the smell of stale cigarettes through the six-foot cornstalks.
“Stop where you are.” A heavy-set man wearing a pink flamingo Hawaiian shirt jumps between the rows, wielding an RF detection wand. “Arms up.”
“I’m not wired.” Ready to kick his ass if he makes one wrong move, I let him wave the stick around my body.
When he finishes, he reaches into his breast pocket, pulls out a pack of Camels, and taps the end on his palm.
“After what happened in the bar, I needed to be sure.” He flicks his lighter and returns his rheumy eyes to me.
“Britt said you know where we can find Ledbetter.” Uneasy, I get right to business.
He coughs, puffs, and frowns. “Did she mention what I want in return, mate?”
“Why don’t you tell me ?” The cornfield seems closer than it was a minute ago, a clear sign from my subconscious that we need to close the deal.
Danbury scratches old needle marks in the crook of his elbow and, bird-like, glances around. “I’m under investigation for fraud. I want all charges dropped. If you do that, I will hand you one of the FBI’s most wanted criminals.”
My boss allows me some leeway when negotiating with criminals. That being said, I’m not ready to give away the store. “I'll have to run it up the chain.”
He drops the cigarette, toes the red tip into the black dirt, and then mutters something unintelligible. “Brittany said it was a done deal.”
“She works for Interpol. She has no authority to make promises.” It shouldn’t be, but in a way, it’s a relief I’m not the only man my ex has screwed over.
“Fucking cunt. I knew she was lying.” When the man swivels on his flip-flop, I tap his arm.
“Wait. I didn’t say no.” Dammit. I almost lost the deal.
“Listen. You don’t understand. He’s only going to be here for a day, at most. You’re either in or out.” The skittish informant ducks further into the corn, a useless move. If drones fly overhead, our body heat will signal our location to the infrared cameras.
My skin itches the way it does before all hell breaks loose. “What makes you think the dealer will show?”
His eyes widen, and his voice lowers to a whisper. “Thomas asked me to set up a meeting with you, specifically.”
“Why me?” I have my own opinions, but I wait to hear his.
“I have no idea. So, do we have a deal or not?” Hands shaking, he extracts another cigarette.
After craning my neck to the moonlit clouds, I motion for him to go first. With my right hand near my weapon, I follow him out of the corn and wave goodbye.
“I’ll be in touch.”
Fuck. I can’t believe Brittany roped me into this shitshow. My team and I could be walking into an ambush. On second thought, this is precisely the nonsense she pulled at our office and why she no longer works for the FBI.
Once Danbury disappears, I wait in the dark parking lot. Lights off, I ease down the road and stop behind an abandoned mobile home. Convinced I’m not being followed, I send an encrypted text to Trever to let him know I’m headed back so everyone can rest. We can talk in the morning.
By the time I arrive back at the hotel, my lids droop. Not bothering to change, I kick off my shoes and drop onto the mattress.
Gwen lifts the blankets, curls behind me, and brings her mouth to my ear. “How did it go?”
“I’m not sure. Danbury says he can schedule a meeting, but only with me, which makes no sense. I want him arrested and put in prison. I’ll speak to the rest of the team tomorrow, but I’m not buying what he’s selling.”
My naked wife massages my shoulders, taking away the stiffness which migrates to my cock.
“I presume this means you’re not mad anymore.” No longer tired, I turn and cup her cheeks.
“I wasn’t… I guess. I mean, I was until I spoke to Callie, who said you guys put a lot of trust in me.” Those brown eyes lift to mine, and I’m undone.
“We do. We all respect you, babe.” While I make short work of losing my clothes, she frowns and sticks out her lower lip.
“Brittany doesn’t.” My gorgeous, sexy wife needs to stop worrying about my ex.
To help her understand how I feel, I pull her on top of me and kiss the tip of her nose. “Who cares what she thinks? Do you want to discuss her or make love?”
“Your team will hear us.” Straddling me, she leans over to bite my earlobe.
Her tits in front of my face, I nip one and grin. “We’re on our honeymoon. It’s expected.”
As I suck in earnest, she moans, hisses, and her wet heat soaks my abs. “If you insist on calling this our honeymoon, we may never get a real one.”
Our gazes connect, making me realize I’ve been a selfish bastard. “Ah, babe. I’m so sorry my work interfered. You’re not having second thoughts about being married to an FBI asshole, are you?”
“Only if you can forgive me for ruining your investigation.” Her pelvis grinds against me, I roll her onto her back, and I claim her mouth as she writhes.
I kiss down her neck, lick her clavicle’s hollow, and stop to ravish her plump breasts. Pinching one nipple with thumb and forefinger, I suck and tease the other until the tip points and glistens.
An all-consuming, raging desire to pleasure her roars inside my head as she widens her legs. I kiss my way down past her belly button and kneel on the floor. Hands under her knees, I tug her to the edge of the bed and toss her thighs over my shoulders.
“Wolfman, enter me now, dammit.” Her fingernails dig into my scalp and drive out what little sanity I have left.
One thought takes the lead as I bring her higher. She needs to understand. She is my everything. My finger inside her lovely cave locates her G-spot. When her heels press into my back, and her butt lifts off the mattress, I admire my work.
God, how I love how she responds to me. My fucking cock aches as her blossom swells, and she turns her head back and forth on the pillow.
“Oh, oh…” About to come, she quivers.
“Mmm.” As my breath warms her, my tip weeps.
Unable to delay any longer, I stand, place my dome to her core, and thumb her blastoff button.
She orgasms like a bucking bronco out of the gate. Gasping for air, I plunge inside her with no goal except her second release. She arches up, I thrust down. The old mattress sags, the headboard bangs, and the bed slides across the floor.
Tightening, she swells. A tingle starts in my spine. My balls fill, and I bite my lip to hold back. Her sudden scream sets off my detonator, and I explode in total ecstasy.
I don’t even remember falling asleep.