Stealing Justice (The Justice Team) (25 page)

Syd grabbed his hand and led him to the sofa. She laid a hand on his arm. “I’m so sorry, Grey.”

Finally, someone who offered him sympathy that didn’t make him want to scream. That didn’t make him feel more wretched than he already did. “My dad was a hardass, riding Molly and me about everything. She was younger and in high school. I was home for a few days from West Point, waiting on an important call from JSOC. My father had a doctor’s appointment and my mother drove him, and while they were gone, Molly wanted this boy to come over.

“She was a straight-A student. Never said a bad word about anyone. A real sweet kid who couldn’t wait to get away from our dad, just like I’d done. My father hated this boy and refused to let her date him. He claimed there were rumors around town that the boy pressured girls. I figured the kid was just a horny teenager. After my parents left, my sister begged me to let the kid come over so they could play some stupid video game and hang out. I couldn’t say no. She was such a good kid and I felt guilty for abandoning her when I went to West Point. Besides, she was a smart girl. She wouldn’t let him talk her into anything. And I was right upstairs.”

“So the boy came over and what happened?”

He flexed his fingers. “One of my instructors was a CO in an elite black op Delta Force unit and put a bug in some ears about me. I had perfect grades and had passed all the physical requirements with ease. My knack for evaluating systems and coming up with better ways of doing things had been well received.

“This was only fourteen months after 9/11. The army had this Delta Force group doing hit-and-runs in Afghanistan and Pakistan trying to ferret out Bin Laden and his lieutenants. The Delta CO wanted me on board. The only problem was, I wasn’t a West Point grad yet, nor had I gone through the proper training, but I had skills they could use. Some of the bigwigs were going back and forth over the details and I was waiting for that phone call to find out if I was going on the next run. I couldn’t tell my parents or my baby sister. Not even my friends at West Point. I was nineteen years old and about to drop smack dab into a war zone with a top-secret unit to profile terrorists. I was scared out of my mind, but damn if I wasn’t going to do it anyway.”

He took a second, his mind going back to that day. The outside heat. The happiness in his sister’s eyes when he said yes. “The kid came over and he was nervous, wired. I figured he was intimidated by me, so I blew it off. I left them in the house alone and paced around the backyard. The call came, and during the twenty minutes I was nailing down the details of my new job with Delta Force, the kid got mad at my sister because she wouldn’t put out and killed her. Later, we found out he was on Ecstasy.”

The few people he’d ever told always came back with, “you couldn’t have known”, but that wasn’t true. He should have recognized the signs that the kid was on drugs. Should have listened to his old man for once and followed his rules.

Sydney didn’t offer any platitudes. “I understand your guilt, Grey. The voice you hear is a symptom of that.”

“Ever since I put you in The Lion’s path, the voice has been beating the hell out of me.”

She wrapped her arms around him, pulled him close. “Tell it to shut up. You carrying around this guilt can’t bring her back. I’m not Molly. And I’m definitely not a teenage girl who doesn’t know how to defend herself. If something happens to me that I can’t handle, I know I have you. No matter what The Lion tries.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose, swallowed the tightness in his throat. “There’s more.”

“Oh, honey, there always is. Tell me and get rid of it. I’m your partner, remember? You don’t have to carry everything on your shoulders,” she bit his shoulder lightly, “although I have to say, they are very fine shoulders. The rest of you is pretty nice too.”

He tried to laugh, could only smile. But that was good. Smiling at Sydney and having her smile back was very good. “I killed him.”

A small gasped sounded. He knew that sound. Shock. She slapped his back and eased away from him, her hands still resting on his shoulders. “Come again?”

“The kid got off on a technicality, and because he was a teen whose parents had a lot of money and pull with the judge, he was set free. I was in a rage. I used every contact I had to get information on this kid. I found out he
was
a predator. There were girls he’d raped and beaten, but the parents were too afraid to let their daughters come forward. If someone had stopped him, my sister would be alive. Then the son of a bitch went on with his life and acted like my sister deserved what she got. Maybe it was wrong—I’m still not sure—but I helped him have an accident. A fatal one.”

“Get out of here. You? Mr. Follow The Rules?”

He nodded.

“You don’t mess around.”

“Told you, I’m crazy.”

“It’s called justice. A term I think you’re familiar with,
Justice
Greystone. I don’t know what you expected from me, but if you think I’m going to say you were wrong, that’s not me. I deal with predators every day. I’d like to line them up and shoot their peckers off. As far as I’m concerned, you did what you had to. You saved someone, Grey. You resorted to means most people don’t have the balls for, but you made this world safer by getting rid of that monster. That’s what you need to focus on.” She put her hands on his cheeks and squeezed. “You did what you had to.”

The weight pressing on his shoulders lifted. Finally, he’d shared his secret with someone other than Monroe. Sydney understood.
Support
. “Thank you.”

“For what, angry sex? You know I love that.”

“The sex was good. Better than good. But I was talking about understanding my dysfunctional system. You and Monroe may be the only two people who ever have.”

“I happen to think your dysfunctional system, on some level, works. Put my dysfunctional system with it, and we’re the perfect pair. Even if we’re nuttier than fruitcakes, we balance each other out.”

That they did.

“And, by the way, I’m sorry.”

She
was sorry? This should be good. “For what?”

“I should have believed you about The Lion. You knew he was dangerous and I doubted you. I shouldn’t have.”

He grinned, thought about making a wise crack and reconsidered. “My history with him is longer. I had the benefit of that where you didn’t. Now you know and we can plan for whatever else he tries. Would you like to do some surveillance with me this afternoon?”

She walked her fingers up his chest and poked. “Will there be cupcakes?”

“Any kind you want.”

“I’m in.”

So was he. In deep.

Chapter Twenty-one

On the way to the fundraiser, Syd sat next to Jennifer in the limo. She stared out the window as the lights of D.C. illuminated the cloud-covered sky. In the distance, the Capitol Building glowed. If only she could jump out right here and watch the lights for a while. It would be so much better than facing The Lion.

At least she had Jennifer with her tonight. They weren’t exactly friends, but Syd was grateful for her presence. Although she wondered what Jennifer would do if and when she found out Ahmed was after Syd…
‘I’d rather keep him for myself,’
she’d said.

More power to her.

The limo eased to a stop in front of a large townhouse where a valet waited. He opened the door and Jennifer slid out, her peach gown riding high on her legs as she moved across the seat. The valet nodded and made no effort to curb his lustful staring.

Men.

Asses
.

Not all of them, but most that had anything to do with this crowd. Syd opened the street-side door on her own and got out. Might as well minimize the guy’s ability to act like a pig.

At the entrance to the house, two security guards checked their purses and waved handheld metal detectors over them. Obviously, the big shots were in residence. At least
these
guards didn’t try to cop a feel.

“I see you’ve arrived,” Grey said via her earpiece.

Directly in front of her, a staircase with an iron rail curved up to the second floor. She looked left through the large archway to what must normally be the living room, but now contained no furniture and a crush of milling people. Grey walked toward her and an instant sense of calm settled inside her.

“Good evening, ladies,” he said to them as he walked by.

“Damn, he’s a hot one,” Jennifer said. “He did security the other night too.”

“Yep. He’s the one who dragged me out of the library.”

Jennifer snorted. “What a disaster that almost was.”

“Yeah. We don’t have to talk about it.”

“Didn’t intend to, sweetie. Let’s do our thing. The limo will be back in two hours.”

With that, Jennifer headed off into the crowd.

“There she is.” Nabil stepped next to Syd and slid an arm around her waist. “I’ve been searching for you. You look lovely.”

He pressed a light kiss on her cheek and she found she didn’t mind even though he’d helped his father trick her. Nabil had been nice to her. Too bad his father was a madman.

“You stood me up last night.”

“Abject apologies. I intended to have dinner with you but there was a crisis with a Lebanese family here in D.C. and my father requested I take care of them.”

So Nabil had been tricked just like she had. She felt a pang of pity for him, having a father like that. “Well, all’s forgiven. Care to buy a girl a drink?”

“Anything for you, Cindy. Come.”

Not that she’d drink alcohol, but she needed something in her hands.

On the way to the bar, they passed a group of men. In the middle stood The Lion. Syd turned her head hoping he wouldn’t see her. She’d have to face him eventually, but it would be nice to familiarize herself with the house before she did.

That idea landed like a brick when she and Nabil reached the bar. He turned to order her a soda and a hand dragged over her lower back, the fingertips skimming her upper ass.

“Hello, my sweet,” The Lion whispered in her ear.

The one with the earpiece.
Did you get that, Fed Boy?
Her stomach pitched, but she forced a smile and faced The Lion.

“Good evening, Ahmed.”

“I trust you were pleased with my gift?”

What the hell could she say to that?
No, you scum-sucking pig. I hated it.
“Thank you.”

Safe enough answer.

Nabil turned with their drinks, his smile firmly in place. “Hello, Baba.” He handed Syd her club soda.

“Nabil,” The Lion said. “I must borrow this delightful woman. Two minutes. I’ll bring her right back.”

Nabil gave a slight bow. “Of course.”

Syd offered an apologetic smile. Poor Nabil. Always second best. She’d love to tell him he was a far better man than his father.

Now though, she had to focus on her assignment and determine where the hell The Lion was taking her. She cleared her throat.

“I’m with you,” Grey said in her ear. “I’ll stay close. Say
margarita
if you need me.”

The Lion led her to the curving staircase and waved her up. Cripes. They were headed away from the crowd.

“We’re going upstairs?” she asked.

“There’s a sitting room. I’d like to speak in private.”

“Got it,” Grey said.

She glanced up the stairs, then back to The Lion. Now or never. “No funny stuff.”

Once up the stairs, The Lion lightly cupped her elbow and ushered her through an expansive hallway adorned with gold sconces and Renaissance paintings. The cream carpet was almost an exact match to the walls and must have had four inches of padding.

The Lion led her to a set of white double doors on the right. He threw open the doors and welcomed her into a large study. A white desk sat in one corner, its backdrop, floor to ceiling bookshelves. Two sleek chairs and a sofa faced three oversized windows lining the wall.

“Come sit, my dear.”

She did as she was told, but fried a nerve when The Lion closed the doors behind her.

“I’m at the bottom of the stairs,” Grey said. “Which room are you in?”

“I love those double doors,” Syd said. “A perfect way to enter such a lovely room.”

Ahmed smiled genially. “The senator’s wife is quite the decorator.”

Syd lowered into one of the large chairs. She wasn’t going near that couch. She tracked The Lion’s movements until he sat on the arm of the sofa.

“I want to apologize for last night,” he said.

Get outta town.

“My behavior was deplorable. Tonight, I would like to, as you Americans say, clear the air.”

Syd nodded, forced herself to respond. “I accept your apology.”

“Thank you. Obviously, I would like to spend time with you. You have a certain
zest
I find appealing.”

Freaking lunatic.
Who knew threatening to shoot a man’s dick off would get her a date? This was incredibly screwed.

Syd stayed quiet while ideas on how to proceed tumbled through her mind.

“Roll with it,” Fed Boy said in her ear.

“Ian spoke to you?” Syd asked. “About my request?”

“That I not pressure you to make love?”

Make
love
? That’s what he called nearly raping a woman?
Madman
.

“Yes. I will not sleep with a man for money. I’ll accompany you to events, but that’s it. When and if I’m ready to sleep with you, you’ll know.”

He tilted his head, stared at her for a solid minute. Waiting. Assuming she’d buckle. After all, most probably did.

“As long as you understand a man has needs. If you refuse to allow me that privilege, I will find it somewhere else. Is that clear?”

Crystal.
“Do what you must, Ahmed.”

He rose, moved to stand over her, and ran a finger along her cheek, down her jaw and over her neck. She kept her gaze on him, letting him know he was in dangerous territory.

Just short of her breast, he stilled his hand, laid it flat against her skin, the warmth deceiving. But that was his magic bullet, the charade of being a gentleman. Now she knew better.