Stealing Justice (The Justice Team) (15 page)

He shook his head remembering all the dirt he and Monroe had dug up. “Anyway, eventually word got out that we were doing our own internal investigation, with no oversight from up above, and that we were investigating the Panthera’s secrets. Donaldson received threatening calls from the president down to his boss’s boss and his boss. He crawled so far up our asses, we couldn’t sneeze without him handcuffing us. We were ordered to drop the investigation of any and all politicians, foreign and domestic. In essence, we were screwed.”

“You couldn’t go to the media?”

“Monroe threatened Donaldson with that idea and Donaldson threatened in turn to insert criminal charges into Roe’s personnel file and fire him. Monroe doesn’t take well to threats. He told Donaldson he didn’t have to make up a felony to put in his file. He punched Donaldson in the jaw. Knocked him out.”

“Good for him.”

Grey smiled. She rooted for the underdog just like he did. “Yeah, except, that emotional response got him fired and put me in a no-win sitch. Either I helped my partner run from his mistake and avoid prison, or I did my job and arrested him.”

“Following the law to the letter isn’t always the right thing to do.” She laid her hand on his where it rested on the shifter. “You did the right thing, Grey.”

He glanced at her face, saw her eyes were that stormy-gray he loved. “You sure?”

She squeezed his hand. “If The Lion is a murderer, we’re going to catch him, and maybe when we do, you can set things straight with the FBI.”

If?
No if about it. Khourey was guilty. Syd just hadn’t been around him long enough to see it. All she’d seen was the slick politician.
Give it time
. “Monroe’s in hiding. That’s why he doesn’t want to meet you. It’s nothing personal. He’s staying off the grid and doesn’t like unknown factors.”

“I get it. I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize his freedom.”

The weight of a brick lifted off Grey’s chest. It was the first time he’d told anyone the whole story.

“What about your sister?” Sydney shot him a devilish look. “When do I get to meet her?”

“She’s, uh…” Shit. Not ready to open that can of guilt yet. “You can’t meet her either.”

“Why not? Did she punch her boss and go into hiding too?”

She was making a joke but the coffee and cupcakes in Grey’s stomach rebelled. He gritted his teeth, debated whether to tell her the truth. It had been such a nice day, he didn’t want to ruin it with the truth. “Something like that.” He withdrew his hand from the shifter and stared at the road in front of him. “Are you ready for tomorrow night?”

“Not yet, but I will be.”

Chapter Thirteen

Syd slid out of the limo and took a moment to savor a sparkling night sky. Nights like this shouldn’t be spent doing what she was about to do. But she had an assignment. Women were dead, their killer possibly attending tonight’s function and that had to be her sole focus. She banished thoughts of stargazing, did the necessary adjustments to her gown, and headed up the Panthera’s stone stairs behind Jennifer. Here they were again, about to be groped by the so-called security detail.

Two men held the glass double doors open for them and they stepped through. Syd took one long stride ahead of Jennifer to the guard with the hand-held metal detector. Same guy who’d groped her the night before. He gave her a once-over, dragging his gaze across yet another plunging neckline and her cleavage on full display.

Time to set some ground rules with these jerks.
She nuzzled closer to him, their lips just inches apart. “Touch my ass or my tits and I’ll squeeze your balls so hard you won’t walk for a month.”

“Mother of God,” Fed Boy said via her earpiece. “What the hell are you doing?”

The security guy grinned at her.

Bastard.

She stepped back and wiggled her fingers at him. “Long nails. They hurt. Does any of this not make sense to you?”

He ran the wand over her and jerked his head. Apparently, he understood. Except...Syd turned back just as Jennifer’s search began. “Same goes for her.”

“Syd, knock it the hell off.” This from Fed Boy. He’d kill her, she knew, but some things needed to be dealt with on an individual basis.

A minute later, Jennifer grabbed her elbow with a tad too much force and ushered her from the entry. “You can’t talk to them that way.”

“My ass. We may have to do this for the big shots,” she jerked her head sideways, “but these guys? Not a chance. No freebies.”

“But they’re the only ones who will help us.”

Syd doubted that. She stopped and turned to Jennifer. “You think? Have they given you any indication they’ll help if we get into trouble?”

Silence. Just as she thought. “Jen, I’m not interested in making trouble for either one of us. I’m trying to make a little extra cash. That doesn’t mean I’m going to let these pigs run their hands over me. Or you.”

Senator Holden, the man from the evening before, appeared next to them. His smile widened but his eyes were acid on her skin. “Ladies, you look fierce. Smile for the guests.”

Rising to the call in a freakishly smooth segue, Jennifer softened her rigid stance and set her hand on the senator’s arm. “Of course, Senator. Our apologies. Where would you like us to mingle?”

“Much better.” He turned to Syd. “Hello, Cindy.”

Sure. She’d buck up. Chances were Fed Boy was already blowing his fuse over her threatening the pig at the door. All she needed was to piss off a senator and she’d be two for two. “Good evening, Senator. Thank you for the invitation.”

“You were the talk of the party last night. Ahmed was charmed. Do what you can to keep him happy.” His gaze traveled down her body. “It shouldn’t be difficult.”

Pigs everywhere. But she supposed that was the point of having paid escorts at these shindigs. Syd smiled, angled her back to the wall so the senator had a nice view of her chest, and leaned closer. She stared at his lips in a way that left no doubt about her dedication to the job. “Thank you, sir.”

Sure enough, under the cover of the wall, he slid his hand around her waist to her ass and squeezed.

Sickness, hot and sharp and pummeling, filled her. How the hell did these women do this night after night?

She remained still, willed herself not to step away. This was part of the job. “Perhaps we should start in the ballroom?” Syd offered.

Jennifer nodded. “Excellent idea.”

Feeling completely scolded—as if she were the one in the wrong—Syd followed Jen into the ballroom where a small group of men in suits milled about. Four women, all completely stunning and elegant, had already arrived and engaged the men in conversation.

These women could be so much more
.

She scanned the room looking for Grey. He was here somewhere.

“Quit standing around,” he snapped. She spotted him on the far side of the room near the other doorway where he leaned against the wall, a glass in his hand. He wore a dark suit and was clearly trying to blend in. Their eyes connected. “Yes, commandant,” she muttered, not caring if he heard her.

“I heard that. Knock it off.”

A dark-haired man in an impeccably cut suit strode toward them. “Jennifer, how lovely to see you. And this must be Cindy, yes?”

His lilting accent, obviously of Middle Eastern descent, soothed Syd’s fire and she eased herself into something resembling a relaxed state.

“Hello, Bahir. Welcome back to the States. Yes, this is Cindy. Cindy, meet Bahir Chertok. Bahir is a Jordanian delegate.”

Gently, he grasped Syd’s hand. She shook and smiled. “A pleasure to meet you, sir.”

The
sir
couldn’t hurt, right? Make Fed Boy happy.

“Call me Bahir.” He turned to Jennifer and they exchanged a look. A look Syd was sure she hated.

Jennifer glanced over Syd’s shoulder. “If you’ll excuse me. I need to say hello to someone.”

“Of course. Cindy and I will get to know each other.”

A waiter wandered by and Bahir grabbed two glasses off the tray. She quickly snatched one from him, seizing control of the glass before anything funny was slipped into it.

Just then, Fed Boy’s voice filled her ear. “The Lion just walked in. Don’t look.”

Time to get the show on the road.

“He spotted you. Heading your way.”

Bahir sipped his champagne, but his eyes remained on her.
Predator
. She’d have to break away from him and get The Lion’s attention. Shouldn’t be too hard since he’d requested her presence.

But then, he marched right past her.

Could he have not seen her? She glanced over at Fed Boy.

“Stay cool. He saw you. He was staring at your ass the whole time.”

Music to her ears. Or was it? Lord, she didn’t know. This job confused her. Screwed up her thinking.

“Cindy?”

She snapped her attention to Bahir, who had pinched his lips together in an obvious show of displeasure that she’d been ignoring him.
Way to blow it, Syd
. “I’m sorry, Bahir. Forgive me. I have a bit of a headache and my mind wandered.”

“I asked what you did for a living.”

Easy one. She had this from the cover story she and Grey had devised. “I work in Social Services for the county. Stressful work, but so rewarding when we can help neglected children find homes.”

After five minutes of small talk that nearly melted Syd’s mind, she spotted The Lion latching onto Jennifer’s arm. What the hell? The ass requested Syd’s presence and was now ignoring her. And why was it so aggravating?

Could this be some misguided jealousy? Over a man the feds suspected was a serial killer?

Mind games. That’s what this was. The son of a bitch was playing her. Letting her feel the sting of rejection.

“Take a breath,” Grey said in her ear.

She glanced over at him and just the sight of him settled her raging thoughts.

Except, suddenly, Bahir’s hand was on her middle back, sliding its way around until his fingers landed beneath her arm, the tips pressing into her breast.

This one was about to get his balls squeezed too.

She swiveled her head and readied herself to blast him—check that. Fed Boy would tell her this was part of the assignment. After all, her attendance at this party gave the men the idea they could reach out and touch whomever and wherever they wanted.

Just beyond Bahir, she saw The Lion’s son striding toward them. Finally, a break.

“Hello, Cindy,” he said.

She stepped to the right, away from Bahir’s probing fingers and smiled the not-so-fake smile of a woman genuinely happy for a reprieve. “Nabil, nice to see you again.”

The two men greeted each other while Syd organized her thoughts. It didn’t help that Fed Boy was doing his incessant chattering at her.

“Bahir, I need to steal Cindy from you,” Nabil said.

Hold up here.

What?

None too pleased with this development, Bahir took a small step backward and nodded. “Of course.”

“Excellent. I’ll return her to you shortly.”

Now she was being passed around? God, she was bad at this. Really bad.

Nabil led her to the far side of the room, away from the crowd and closer to Grey. A large, stone mantle spanned the wall and Nabil propped an elbow on the edge.

“I hope I didn’t interrupt something.”

You sure did, fella.

“Not at all.”

“You appeared distressed.”

Terrific, Syd.

“Me? Oh, I’m fine.”

He cocked his head and stared at her.

“Well, perhaps a bit distressed. Still getting used to how handsy some of the men get.”

“Christ, Syd!” Fed Boy snapped in her ear.

The waiter swung by with fresh champagne. Nabil chose one, offered it to her. If only the waiter could leave the bottle. But, no, alcohol would not help this situation. She declined the drink, but he kept it.

“Cindy, you don’t seem suited to this work. Why do it?”

“Oh, hello,” Fed Boy said in her ear. “Back him off.”

Her head was about to explode. Grey needed to quit chattering at her. He only confused her and made her more insecure.

“I’m new to it, Nabil. That’s all. Still getting adjusted, but I think it’s interesting work. I get to talk with some of the most powerful men in the world. And, let’s face it, the job pays well.”

He eyed her. “You need the money?”

“I do. We all like nice things. This job can get me those nice things.”

Behind Nabil, Jennifer walked by with The Lion at her side. Syd nudged sideways for a better look. The Lion’s hand rested at the base of Jennifer’s spine almost, well, lovingly, as he ushered her into the library and closed the door.

Closed door. Getting naked.

Son of a bitch.

“Ignore it,” Fed Boy said. “Get back to Nabil.”

Right. Focus. She pressed two fingers into her forehead.

“Are you unwell?” Nabil asked.

She lowered her hand and tried a wilting smile. “I’m fine. A bit of a headache. Would you excuse me for one minute? I need to find the ladies room.”

The one across from the library.

“Of course.”

“What are you doing?” Fed Boy asked.

She wandered to the large open doorway Jen and The Lion had just passed through. Grey stood beside it, eyeballing her with the venom of a snake ready to strike. She stopped in front of him. “Good evening. Would you please direct me to the ladies room?”

He swore under his breath, but gave her a nod. “I’ll show you.”

He swung around the doorway and strode to the bathroom door. Syd caught up with him and with no one directly in front of him to see her speaking, took a chance. “We need to get into that library. Jennifer is in there with Ahmed.”

“Sshh.”

Damn him.

“We need—”

“Sshh!”

At the bathroom door, he waved her in, then poked his head in before closing it behind her. “No library. Stay out of there. Don’t blow this.”

She shut the door in his face.
Pain in the ass
.

Still, he was right. If she blew this, it would be all over. She leaned against the back of the door and huffed out a breath. Jennifer was in that library alone with a suspected serial killer. Could Syd do as Grey asked and stay out of there?