The Mission (12 page)

He pulled a face as he started the motor. The large engine rumbling into the quiet night. ‘Jaz, I think you have me mixed up with Anna. I don’t do intimate details,’ he said with a laugh. ‘Where did you have to go first?’

Jaz gave him Ryan’s address as they pulled out onto the road.

‘Why are we going here? Who’s place is it?’

‘Ryan’s,’ she said quietly.

Taylor glanced across the car. The only light came from the street lamps, but it was enough to see he was a little confused.

She didn’t reply. Hell, she hadn’t really worked out what to say.

‘Jaz?’

‘I just found out he’s back.’

‘And what? You thought you’d drop by while looking fabulous in this dress and see if you could make him jealous?’

Great. Taylor had come up with his own explanation. It was better than any she could think of. ‘Something like that,’ she said, running with it. ‘I just need to see him and see what is going on. You know. Sort some stuff out.’

They rode the rest of the way in silence. Both preoccupied with their thoughts. Jaz made every effort not to start chewing her nails, but began chewing her lip instead. And then her foot wouldn’t stop jiggling. Before long Taylor had pulled up outside Ryan’s place and Jaz felt faint. She looked down, but the low cut V of the dress made her more nervous.

‘Are you sure about this? Do you want me to wait?’

Jaz shook her head. She wasn’t sure about either one. But she didn’t think Taylor’s Mustang sitting outside Ryan’s house would be a good thing. Too easy to recognise and it always drew attention. She could easily call a taxi from here.

‘No, you go back to Si. I’ll be fine. Thanks, Tay.’ Jaz made for the door but Taylor stopped her.

‘You are going to the ball with Marcus, aren’t you? Afterwards I mean?’

Was he worried she wouldn’t turn up? Marcus must have made an impression when they met at Molly’s. ‘Yeah, of course. I promised Marcus. I’m looking forward to it.’ But the truth was she hadn’t thought about it. She couldn’t get past seeing Ryan. Her mind refused to think past this big event.

Jaz got out and thanked Taylor again, before shutting the door and watching him drive off. She was alone in the night with just the streetlights. Jaz turned and looked at the fence around Ryan’s house. Her chest was rattling with a million bouncy balls. Her skin was prickling with anticipation and her breath was barely normal. She sucked in the night air and headed to the gate. Reaching over, she found the release button Ryan had told her about after she’d climbed over the fence and fell into his daisy bush. Walking towards his house was familiar yet scary. Each step to his door seemed to match the pounding of blood in her ears. Her hand gripped at her purse so hard she was afraid she’d draw blood and stain her pretty dress.

With a deep breath, she raised her hand and knocked. Then stood back and tried to smooth her dress and make sure it was sitting on her shoulders right.

‘Come in,’ she heard him yell. His voice, she had missed it; it was just how she remembered it. Deep and alluring.

Jaz turned the handle and entered his house. It was bright inside and she felt self-conscious out of the dark.

‘I’m in the kitchen, hang on.’

She followed his voice as her mouth went dry. He stepped out, drying his hands on a tea towel, but paused when he saw her.

‘Jaz.’

Her name on his lips sent tingles down her back as her eyes feasted on him. His hair was still clipped short and the shadow of stubble along his chin was neat but gave him that sexy rustic look she’d missed so much. She stumbled over his lips; feeling her pulse race, she moved upwards to his deep dark eyes. Still so mysterious and full of strength, but she saw something tender pass through them also.

‘Hey, Ryan,’ she replied.

He cleared his throat. ‘You look nice. Going somewhere?’

Heat touched her skin as his eyes trailed paths over every inch of her dress, setting a fire alight deep in her belly. ‘Yeah, I’m off to a ball. But I got your note.’

The mention of the note broke something as he cleared his throat again and threw the tea towel into the kitchen. ‘Come,’ he said gesturing to her. ‘We’ll go sit in the lounge and talk.’

Jaz walked down the passageway; as she went past Ryan, she heard a noise, almost a groan from deep in his throat. It was faint but she’d caught it. A smile grew as she remembered the backless part of her dress. Jaz went to the couch, sat carefully, and watched as Ryan paused between the couch and the single chair. Was he wondering which one was safer?

‘I don’t bite,’ she said with a smile.

Ryan clenched his fists but Jaz was more taken with the way his grey trackpants clung to his hips. His shirt was white with a circular print in the middle, but it was the way it snuggled against his chest and the muscles in his arms that had Jaz swallowing hard.

He scratched at his chin. ‘Can I get you anything? A drink?’

‘No, I’m fine thanks. But I do need to talk.’

‘Right. Yes. I did get your text message.’ The thought of work spurred Ryan on. He stepped towards the couch and sat beside her. ‘I’m guessing you really needed to talk. Is it your mission? Has something gone wrong?’

The concern that sparked through the dark depths of his eyes warmed her heart. How was she going to be with Marcus tonight when her whole body and mind wanted to stay by Ryan’s side?

‘No, the mission is going fine. Marcus is great.’ Ryan frowned, not what Jaz was expecting. Would he be jealous of Marcus? Jaz doubted it. Ryan probably didn’t suffer those emotions. ‘But it’s Taylor. He was held at gunpoint.’ Jaz went on to explain the events of that day; how she was hit, and the guy in the balaclava with the gun.

‘Jesus, Jaz. Trouble seems to follow you,’ he said, but he wasn’t laughing. ‘Are you okay?’

‘Yeah, I am, but I’m worried about Taylor. I don’t think he feels safe at home any more. The thing that I really wanted to tell you about, Ryan, was this guy’s tattoo. I only saw a part of it but it seemed familiar. I contacted you when I finally worked out what it was. Actually, I’d drawn you the picture of it once.’ Jaz waited to see if Ryan remembered the time he’d asked her to spy on some guys at the club he was working in and she’d spotted the tattoo on one of them.

She knew she wouldn’t have to wait long.

‘The snake tattoo in the circle? Are you sure?’ He looked less than impressed with this news.

‘Yep. I am. Taylor’s dad is really stressed at the moment, and with the things the guy said to Taylor as he held him at gunpoint…’ Jaz faded off.

‘You think something’s going on? What are your thoughts?’

Jaz was thrilled that Ryan wanted to hear her musings, that he trusted her opinion and was taking this seriously. He believed in her.

‘I’m wondering if this snake tattoo guy belongs to the same drug mob you were looking into, and maybe they are trying to get Taylor’s dad to spy for them at the police office by threatening Taylor. He’s the Deputy Commissioner of Operations. What if they want Mr Stewart to help them by tipping off raids or other little bits of information from the inside? Who’s going to argue with a mob like that, who can break into your house and threaten your only child? They’re my thoughts. Something is definitely going on, because when I told Mr Stewart what the man had said to Taylor, his face drained of blood. He knew what it meant, I’m sure of it.’ She repeated the gunman’s words as she remembered them.

Ryan sat back in the couch. Jaz watched him carefully.

‘This isn’t good, Jaz. That tattoo you found, we linked it to a large mob who call themselves the Shesha Serpents. They’re like a bikie gang, but instead of wearing their colours on their leather jackets, these guys have it tattooed on the wrists or necks. They have been on our watch list as we gather more info. They make it hard to get into their gang. We have someone working to get in with them now, but they don’t trust anyone but their own. I think what you said could be on the money. Why else would they go after Taylor’s dad? Having a guy inside the police would save them lots of problems, and it’s not the first time something like this has happened. There are leaks everywhere, Jaz. Guys held over a barrel by these unforgiving bunch of pricks.’ Ryan turned away in frustration.

‘So what should I do?’

His hand shot out to hers. ‘Nothing, Jaz. You do nothing. Leave this with me. I’ll see what we can do from our side, but keep an eye on Taylor. There is quite a chance the gunman could be back if his dad doesn’t cooperate enough.’

‘Don’t worry, I am,’ she said. Meanwhile her whole body was reacting to his touch. His strong, calloused hand had zapped against hers like static, but she couldn’t deny how safe his grip felt. How much she had missed it and how much it felt like home. As if he’d read her thoughts, he withdrew his hand. It probably didn’t help that she’d been staring at their hands like they were set in gold. ‘I just can’t believe how bad this all is and how it can affect people like Taylor.’

‘Once you open your eyes to the world, you find so many dark, hidden secrets. I’m really sorry you had to go through that with Taylor, but I don’t want you taking any unnecessary risks. We are trying hard to bring the Shesha Serpents down.’

Jaz closed her eyes, taking comfort in Ryan’s words.

‘There is another reason I needed to see you,’ he added, spiking her interest. ‘I have another mission where I could use your help. It’s something I can’t do alone and everyone else is tied up. You don’t have to do it, though, if you’re not comfortable.’ He watched her carefully.

Jaz just about yelled out ‘yes’. Hell, she’d do anything for him. ‘I’m keen.’

‘Hmm, just wait till you know all the details,’ he said with a hint of a smile.

A normal person may have missed it but Jaz knew Ryan, the shape of his face, the hidden emotions and the curves of his lips. He was happy with her eager response.

He sat forward on the couch, which brought his knees close to hers. ‘It means coming to Pakistan with me, pretending to be my doting girlfriend while I play an invalid in a wheelchair. It’s just a ruse to smuggle information out of the country, but eyes will be everywhere so we have to play the game on the plane and in Pakistan. Do you think you could handle that?’ He was dead serious.

But so was she. ‘Yes.’

‘Good. Pax is due back tomorrow. I’ll get him started on your passport.’

Jaz didn’t even want to ask how Pax managed to make a fake passport but she was sure it would be realistic.

‘Don’t worry, Pax knows his job. He has all the same stuff the government use, so it’s a real passport, just a fake you.’

Jaz didn’t understand how Ryan always seemed to know what she was thinking. Was she an open book? Should she be working on controlling her expressions better?

‘When do we go?’

Ryan ran her through the details. They would be going next week and she’d use Pax as an alibi, as they would be gone for a few nights. Just the thought of a night with Ryan made her tremble. Jaz knew she should be a little fearful of a trip to Pakistan. It would be a place full of trouble, unsafe and teeming with guns. Yet she was ready to go tomorrow. She hoped her eagerness didn’t show on her face.

‘Have you done something like this before?’ she almost whispered. She longed to touch his face, to run her fingers across his stubble and to feel the shortness of his hair tickle her skin. She was losing focus. Gritting her teeth, she tried to concentrate on his words forming from his all too familiar lips. Oh, that didn’t help either.

‘I have. Don’t worry. I’ll walk you through it again before we go. I’ll come to Pax’s the night before we go to cover all the little details. What to pack, what to say, how to act. I’ll have the hard part of not speaking for the whole plane trip.’

‘Somehow I think you’d cope better with that than me,’ she said.

Ryan’s deep chuckle just about made her melt into his lap. Their knees were now touching and she wondered if he’d noticed too.

‘Will I need a gun?’ she asked. Taking a big risk, she moved her hand to his leg. She felt his muscles spasm under her touch. But it still wasn’t enough. She wanted his arms around her and his breath against her neck. Just as her fantasies were taking off, a knock at the door startled them both.

Ryan sprang up from the couch. ‘Who could that be?’ He looked at her and Jaz wondered if he was deciding whether to hide her in a cupboard.

‘Do you want me to hide out in the spare room?’ she asked. He raised his eyebrow, as if contemplating it.

‘Ryan, hurry up.’

Jaz knew that voice.

‘Oh, it’s Steph. She could be here for a while. I can’t hide you. We’ll just have to wing it,’ he said, as he headed to the door Steph was knocking on again.

‘Sis, what’s up?’

As they greeted each other, Jaz fidgeted on the couch, not sure whether to stand or stay here. She felt like a robber in a jewellery store but she hadn’t done anything.

‘Come in. Jaz is here. You remember?’ said Ryan, as he brought Steph into the lounge.

Steph’s dark eyes found her and she smiled brightly. It just made her more beautiful than Jaz remembered. Her blonde hair was swept up into a high bun and she was dressed in skinny leg jeans and a cute olive jacket.

‘Jaz. Hi. God, you look gorgeous.’ Steph shot a curious glance to her brother.

Jaz stood up, realising now was her chance to escape. ‘Hi Steph. Yeah, I’m on my way to a ball.’

‘Oh, I loved them. The downside to growing up,’ said Steph. She sat down and motioned for them to do the same. All that was left was the couch so she shared it with Ryan again.

‘So, to what do I owe this visit, sis? You got time to hang around for a while? I’ve got dinner roasting in the oven.’

Jaz realised she could smell roast meat in the air. Funny that she’d missed it, but her senses only had Ryan in their targets. His clean soap and deodorant scent had taken over anything else.

‘Sure bro, I’d love to. I’m not interrupting anything, am I?’ she asked.

‘Na, we were just catching up. I’ve only just got back from my trip,’ he said with ease. Jaz wasn’t so sure she could have pulled it off right now. Her heart was racing, wondering what Steph was thinking.