Body Master (28 page)

She licked her lips. “You know, Hager could be anywhere in this city.”

He exposed her black bra and black panties and felt the blood rush to his groin. This was going to be a lot harder on him than it was on her.

“We could be out there now, checking the hot spots . . .” She gave a little shudder as he slipped her shirt off.

Max slid the bra straps over her shoulders and pulled it down to reveal her breasts. She inhaled sharply as he leaned forward and wrapped his lips around one nipple. He felt her breathing quicken and deepen. Then he moved to the other one and gave it similar treatment. Seneca moaned a little and arched into him.

Just when he thought he had her, she murmured, “Maybe Hager
is
at Times Square. You never know. We should follow up.”

A lesser man might have quit, but there was no way he was leaving her like this. Max put his hands around her waist and then under her bottom, slowly removing her panties. Seneca lifted her hips enough for him to slide them off.

“Aren’t you worried we won’t find him?” she asked.

“No.” He was, but at the moment, he didn’t care. He was on a different kind of mission. He kissed her to shut her up and ran his palms along her thighs, spreading her legs so he could position himself closer. His thumb rubbed the sweet spot gently, then faster, and her breathing became deeper as he matched his kisses to the caresses.

“Max,” she said against his lips, her voice hushed. His body responded hard and fast, but he held himself in check. This wasn’t about him.

Her arms locked around his neck and she moaned, pushing her hips toward the pressure of his thumb. He concentrated on her body and the small nuances that told him what she needed. Her skin began to flush, heat rising in her face and chest as she kissed him hard.

Finally, she broke off the kiss and dropped her head back. Her expression was pained, but he knew where she was. He flattened his thumb and slowed his motions until she gritted her teeth and he watched her face as she climaxed. It suddenly dawned on him—he’d live for this. To see her do this in his arms.

But then what? Life like this? Making love in a van because they couldn’t go home? Killing Shifters all night? Worrying about every person they ever knew being used for ransom? He’d seen this before, and it never ended well. Too much blood would be spilled to make it work. There was only the present, and for now, she was his.

Her face softened, and she collapsed into his arms, her body trembling. He held her close and caressed her neck as she recovered. He inhaled her scent—moist and sexy.

“I’m not tired,” she said, but she sounded otherwise. Besides, she wasn’t getting off so easy. If he let her go now, she’d drag her exhausted ass back to work.

“I’m not done yet.”

She leaned back, her eyes hooded. “What else did you have in mind?”

He grinned. Her eyes widened as he spread her legs and dipped his head between them.

Seneca surfaced to a gentle shake. She swatted at the hand. It was safe and warm where she was, and she didn’t want to come out.

“We have to move, Seneca,” a deep voice said.

Mmm
. She snuggled in the blankets, aware that she was completely naked. Then she remembered several amazing orgasms and Max.

She opened her eyes and looked up at him. He was smiling at her but something was wrong.

“What time is it?” she asked, waking in a hurry.

“Noon.”

She sat up, taking the blanket with her. “Did we get a lead?”

He shook his head. “Not quite. Apollo called me. He’s in trouble.”

T
hey found Apollo in the alley behind their boxing gym under a pile of cardboard boxes. Sunlight streamed between the buildings. Max smelled the scent of Shifters and blood even before he saw it.

“Oh God,” Seneca said as she knelt beside Apollo.

His face had been battered, both his eyes purple and swollen shut. His workout clothes were caked in mud, his mouth was cut, and blood streaked his shirt. There were numerous bruises and slashes on his arms.

“What happened?” Max asked as he pulled the trash away from his friend.

“Remember I told you that every time you have a plan, I end up in the middle of it?” Apollo said, his speech slurred.

Seneca checked his eyes. “Who did this to you?”

“Shifters,” Max answered for him.

Apollo grabbed his arm and whispered, “We gotta talk. Privately.”

That didn’t sound good. Seneca looked from Apollo to Max with a strange expression on her face, like she wanted to say something but changed her mind. “Noko isn’t here to heal him.”

Max asked him, “How many were there? Did you recognize any of them?”

Apollo shook his head. “Is anyone listening to me?”

Max told Seneca, “Let’s get him into the van. If he shifts, he’ll heal faster.”

Seneca nodded and together they lifted Apollo, each of them taking an arm. They walked him to the van and laid him down in the back.

Seneca handed Max the first aid kit. “I’ll drive us to a safer location.” Then she moved to the front of the van. The second she was out of sight, Apollo slapped a cell phone in Max’s hand. “Hager wants to talk to you.
Just
you. They were pretty adamant about that.”

So Hager was behind this. He should have known they’d start going after people he cared about. Luckily, that was a very short list. Max waited until the van was under way before he flipped open the cell phone and checked the phone list. There was only one number on it. He dialed, and it picked up on the second ring.

“Ah, I see you received my message,” a man answered.

“Hager,” Max said. He finally had the murderer, and all he could think to say was, “It’s about time you stepped out from behind your goons.”

“Well, my goons got the message across, didn’t they?”

Max glanced at Apollo, who had morphed to Shifter form. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was even. He’d survive, for today, but what about next time?

The rage threatened to swamp him and undermine a mission he’d worked on so hard and for so long. Max wanted nothing more than to tell Hager that he knew he killed Ell and all the other Shifters back on Govan. He wanted to, but he realized if he did, he’d lose a key advantage.

“What do you want, Hager?”

“You. I’d like you to join my organization. And bring in Seneca, of course.”

Max tamped down his anger and settled for a heartfelt, “Fuck you.”

Hager chuckled. “Now, now, you must give me a chance to explain. You see, if you don’t join me, I’ll need to resort to drastic measures.”

“You want me? Come and get me,” Max said.

“We could do it that way, but there would be a lot of blood and death. Besides, family is so much more important. I think Seneca would agree.”

Max stilled.
Noko
. “If you can find them.”

“Oh, I already have.”

Max cast a quick glance toward the front of the van where Seneca was driving. Noko would be the one thing she would surrender for. In a heartbeat.

Hager continued. “Besides, now that XCEL is no longer in business—”

“What?” Max said.

“Oh, you haven’t heard. The operation has been shut down by the brilliant committee that oversees it. You have nowhere to go, Max. And no one to protect you.”

Max kept his tone even. “I don’t believe you.”

“Yes, you do. You knew it was coming. And so did Seneca. Think about my offer. You have six hours.” The phone disconnected, and Max closed the cell phone.

“What’d he want?” Apollo asked.

“He wants me to join him. And bring in Seneca.”

Apollo rolled his head back and forth. “You really gotta stop pissing people off.”

“Doesn’t matter. I won’t do it,” Max said.

Apollo grunted. “Figured as much. Although—”

“What?”

“It would be the perfect opportunity to see Hager’s operation,” Apollo finished.

Hell. Apollo was right. How else was Max going to get inside and get to Hager? He could blow them all up, which would be ideal except that Seneca would have to be there too. Unless he figured out a way for her
not
to be there.

“You know I can’t help you with Hager. Not in this condition,” Apollo said. “I need at least twenty-four hours.”

Max squeezed his shoulder. “It’s okay.”

Then Apollo opened one eye with considerable effort and looked at him. “Get the bastard.”

“Plan on it,” Max said.

Once Apollo was settled in a hotel room, Max called Carl from an adjoining room. As soon as he answered, Max asked, “Did the Committee shutdown XCEL?”

Carl replied, “Yes. And all the other agencies around the country. For assessment, they said, which is bullshit because we all know if XCEL comes back, it’ll be a very different agency.”

Max had never heard Carl sound so bitter. “You’ll still be part of the process, though, right?”

“I don’t know, I haven’t been tapped yet.” Carl sighed. “How did you find out?”

“I talked to Hager. He offered me a job.”

Carl gave a short laugh. “Unbelievable. Look, I know it seems bad, but come into the office, and we’ll figure something out. They haven’t locked the doors yet.”

“We’ll be there shortly,” he said as Seneca walked in from the bathroom and lifted an eyebrow in question.

“See you then.”

Seneca crossed her arms and stood in front of him. She looked beautiful, and he wished they had more time. For everything—for sex and laughter and life.

She said, “Are you going to tell me or do I have to beat it out of you?”

He eyed her. “I kind of like the sound of the second option.”

She gave him a no-nonsense smirk, and he went with option one. “Hager’s men attacked Apollo to send me a message. And provided a cell phone so I could talk to Hager directly.”

“How nice of them. And?”

“Hager wants me to join him.” Max left out the part where Hager wanted her too. Knowing her, she’d jump at the chance.

Seneca blinked. “Join his organization? Are you kidding? Does he know that the woman he murdered on the ship was your wife?”

“Doubtful.”

Seneca shook her head. “So what did you say to him?”

Max smiled.

Seneca smiled back. “How did he take that?”

“Not well,” he admitted, and then added, “He knows where Noko is.”

Her smile faded. “I’ll warn her.”

“She’s already being watched,” Max said.

“My relatives can handle it,” Seneca said, but she didn’t sound convinced.

“And the Committee shut down XCEL.”

Seneca took a step back in obvious shock. “What? No. They can’t.”

“They can, and they did. Hager told me; Carl confirmed.”

She ran her fingers through her hair and turned away from him. “I can’t believe this. How can they do this now, of all times? We’re on the verge of war here, don’t they understand that?”

“Apparently not.”

“Idiots,” she continued. “Friggin’ short-sighted, bureaucratic dickheads. How do we fix this?”

It would be the perfect opportunity to see Hager’s operation.
The thought kept coming back to him. “I don’t know.”

Seneca narrowed her eyes at him. “Out with it, Dempsey. How do we stop Hager?”

The perfect opportunity.
And maybe the only opportunity. He didn’t have a lot of choices left. Whether Seneca agreed or not, he was going to have to take Hager’s offer.

“I might have an idea, but I’ll need Carl’s help.”