Chapter 12

They sat in the silence of the darkened car, watching the entrance. Alec glanced once more at Ian’s darkened profile. “Thanks for hanging in and helping finish this. Brent and Reid reek of cop...”

He didn’t turn to look at her. “No problem. What happens if more than one shows up here tonight?”

She chewed the inside of her cheek, trying to make the call. “We stick to the plan, take out the bottom rungs first, weaken them one peg at a time. If we go for the top too soon, they’ll all break and go to opposite ends of the globe.”

“So, Willard or the third brother first?”

Alec nodded and continued to watch him; he still hadn’t looked away from the building. “Willard Jacks or Rick Pelts. Pelts would be preferred; I’d like to know how far his plans to take me out go.”

“And you can’t just arrest them without reason...” He finally turned and gave her a quick glance.

“I could, but they’d be on the street again in an hour.”

He nodded. “Pelts two brothers, you’re the reason they’re doing twenty?”

Looking away from him and back to the building, she swallowed. “Yeah, Paul and...” she closed her eyes for a second. “Jeremy won’t be out for quite a few more years.” Alec willed her heart to slow down. It was a long time ago and over. Done.

“You want to tell me which one of them was personal for you?” Ian’s voice was so quiet; she hoped she heard him wrong.

“Why do you say that?” Turning, she studied him in the dark, her pulse beating in her throat.

Ian looked over at her, silently for a few long seconds. “I saw the look on your face when you studied the profile sheet.”

Clearing her throat, she looked back out the windshield. “It was nothing.”

“It didn’t look like nothing...”

She squinted out the window and almost sighed in relief when she spotted the young guy going into the club. “That’s Willard.” Grasping the door handle, she sent him a quick look. “Let’s go.”

Ian grabbed her arm when she was practically running toward the club to escape his questions. “Slow down. Let’s not send him out the back door.”

Stopping she took a deep breath and nodded. “Just anxious to grab this guy after...” Ian stepped closer and she tried to ignore how much she wanted him to.

“I get it.” He looked over her, his eyes moving slowly like he was appraising her.

“He won’t recognize me.”

Ian grinned. “No, he won’t, if anything he’ll hit on you instead and not even know you’re the same cop that chased him through the sewers.” He ran a hand up her bare arm across her shoulder, brushing the few locks of hair across her bare skin. “You look like class tonight. I prefer it to the trashy get-ups you wore to the bars.”

Alec tried to ignore the shiver his touch sent through her. “I still hate the heels.”

Ian laughed. “I, along with any other male in view can’t say the same thing.” Brushing a thumb along her jaw, he cleared his throat and stepped back, holding out his hand. “Let’s go.”

With trembling knees, Alec took his hand and smiled. “Same persona as the bars?”

His hand tightened around hers. “A sacrifice I’m willing to make, pretending I want to touch you all over.”

She caught the light tone in his words and grinned. “Yeah, it sucks rubbing my body against you all night and having to pretend I like it.”

Ian made a noise like a growl. “Better stop there, sweetheart, don’t make me have to prove something.”

The kiss they’d shared earlier flashed through her mind like a replay and Alec felt her cheeks flush. Without saying another word, she let him lead her to the entrance and only smiled sweetly at the doorman admitting people.

Once they were inside, the loud music assaulted her ears. She looked down the stairs that lead to the main area and almost turned around when she saw the number of bodies packed in such a small space. There was a reason she stuck to small-time bars. The bigger clubs were filled with far too many people and deafening music that made her feel like she was prostituting herself rather than being out for an enjoyable evening.

Ian’s breath was on the back of her neck. “Ready?”

Nodding, she let him go passed her and lead her down the stairs. She tried not to let her eyes take their fill of him in the tight black pants he wore, but her eyes had other plans as they moved down over his backside and legs as he went down the stairs. The man had a body that filled all the right spaces of the material. Releasing the breath she held, she looked back up at the broad shoulders covered in the dark cloth of his shirt. Yep, all the right ones.

When they reached the bottom, he took her hand and began to weave them through the crowd. The temperature went from cool to clammy as bodies brushed against them. By the time they neared the bar, Alec was being held close to Ian’s side and she was happy for the security of arm around her. He stopped and turned her into his arms and leaned down to speak beside her ear.

“You okay?”

Taking a deep breath, she shook the feeling off and nodded. Remembering she had a part to play, she ran a hand up the front of his shirt, over well-defined muscles, and smiled up at him. “Missing my jeans and boots,” she whispered with her cheek against his.

She felt the chuckle in his chest against her hand. “You want to dance first or sit and observe?”

The idea of rubbing their bodies while dancing sent heat shooting through her. “I’ll grab us a table.” When he nodded that he’d heard, she turned and surveyed the area near the bar. Seeing an empty table between the mob of bodies, she quickly headed in that direction. She better get to bust someone tonight, or she was going to be really bitchy later on.

Ian watched Alec walk away, or more the sway of her hips. In the heels she wore, there was no choice in the matter as far as taking feminine steps and making that perfect ass swing. His groin tightened. Damn, she looked good tonight. He hadn’t been joking when he’d told her he preferred the way she was dressed. Every inch of his body was humming in approval of how sexy she looked. He didn’t know what it was called, what she’d done with her hair but the way she had pulled it up, almost haphazardly, causing some to fall and surround her face while leaving her neck bare, made him want to kiss every inch of her bared throat.

The silky dress she wore hugged her in all the right places, without revealing too much flesh. The deep blue material hung loosely over her hips and ended in a jagged hem about four inches below her ass. He tried not to admire her legs too long, or else the images of her in nothing but those narrow high heels, black sheer stockings, and nothing else filled his mind. The thought of wrapping those legs around his naked body sent a jolt of lust to the already alert bulge in his pants. Damn good. Shaking it off, he turned to the bar, needing a drink for real now.

By the time he was headed back to the table, he was frustrated even further. What happened to men making the moves? He’d been groped and rubbed against by at least a dozen women while he had been waiting for the drinks. Half of that dozen were closer to girls than women. Sidestepping another female smiling up at him, he glanced over at the table Alec was at and wanted to growl. She wasn’t escaping notice either, not that he expected it with the way she looked. Several males were hovering closer to the table, sending her leering looks. Alec didn’t even glance at one of them; she was too busy looking around taking in everything in the club.

Stepping through the throngs of bodies, he finally reached the table and put the drinks down. Sending a few of the men standing a little too close a scowl, he slid the stool next to Alec’s and sat down. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he leaned closer and dropped a kiss on the exposed skin on her throat. “You have admirers.”

She gave him a grin and leaned her cheek against his. “And those women at the bar, they wanted directions to the ladies’ room I guess?”

Chuckling, he straightened and pushed her drink in front of her. “Spot our friend anywhere?”

Nodding, she picked up the glass and sipped it. He tried not to notice her glossy mouth against the rim of the glass. “He’s over at one of the tables by the dance floor. Not sure of the people sitting with him, but one of them looks familiar.”

Ian swirled the liquid in his glass and glanced around the area she motioned to. He felt the brush of Alec’s body against his as she stood up and leaned into him. Turning, he wrapped an arm around her, a move that seemed almost routine now after the bars they’d been to in the past week. No matter how many times he did it though, it didn’t stop the warm buzz of having her near to him.

“How close do you need to be to use your sonic thing?”

Grinning, he ran his hand up her back and pulled her head down to his. “I need to be...” he brushed a kiss over her mouth, tasting the gloss she wore, “much closer with the crowd in here.” He looked over at the area again and then back to her. Leaning in, he kissed her throat again. “Drink up sweetheart, we’re going to dance.”

Her eyes widened. “Seriously? Have you seen what I’m wearing? These shoes...”

Pulling her tight into his body he smirked and brushed his lips over her ear. “Will make every man watching you come in his pants.” He watched her cheeks flush. “I need to get closer.”

Shaking her head, she glared at him. “This music is...” The song changed and Ian hid the grin when she realized it had just switched to a much slower, sensual beat.

Moving her back with a light grip on her hips, he stood up. “Come, show me your moves.”

With a panicked look, Alec swallowed down her drink in a big gulp and looked up at him. “You better get me something...”

Grabbing her arm, he nodded. “I know, I got it. You need to break some heads after the sacrifice.”

Glaring at him, she took a deep breath and loosened the grip on his hand. “Just get something.”

Ian pulled her through the grinding bodies on the dance floor. The swarm of bodies made him feel like he was walking through an orgy of half-dressed people. Clenching his jaw against the obvious visuals he received from that thought, he turned when he reached a much closer range to Willard and swung her into his arms. He didn’t even know if he could zero in on one person’s thoughts with all the minds in the place, or the hormones swamping every brain here with lusty wants, but if he had to try he was at least going to torment the hell out of himself for a few brief moments and enjoy the pleasure of feeling the leggy woman in his arms against his body. If he could just keep the end objective foremost in his mind, he’d be fine. Alec’s life.

She was tense in his arms and he felt for her discomfort. Somewhere in the crowd were two of her co-workers hiding in the mix as back up and he knew she was hung up on what they’d think of the way she acted. Swaying, he pulled her tight against his hips and leaned down nipping a trail along her bared neck. “You can dance, can’t you?”

Her arms loosened around his neck a slight bit. “Yes. I just don’t dance in heels or in clubs,” she hissed against his jaw.

Grinning, he lifted his head and looked down at her. “Consider it a challenge then.” Her eyes flared at his words. “You have about four minutes to distract everyone from even thinking you look familiar and show me you can dance.” The set way of her jaw told him she was going to make him eat his words. Lowering his head, he bit her bottom lip gently and smirked against her mouth. “Think naughty thoughts if it helps.”

Lip to lip, she watched him with a serious expression in her eyes for a second, then she blinked and when she opened her eyes again he forgot to breathe. A sensual look from her ate away every thought in his head. Damn.

Clamping his bottom lip between her teeth for a heartbeat, she moved back and raised one hand to slide along his arm. When her hand rested behind his head, his heart skipped a beat as she began to sway her body against his. Feeling like the luckiest bastard on the floor, he picked up the rhythm and moved with her in time to the bump-and-grind sensuality of the music.

He couldn’t help watching her for a few moments and appreciating the way she moved. It was more than he could ask for and he had visions of her doing the exact same moves, naked, on top of him. Torn between the sweet torment of feeling her slide against him and feeling his blood reach the boiling point and doing what he was supposed to be doing, he grabbed her hips and pulled her into his throbbing hard-on for a few beats. Lust-filled pale eyes jumped to his before he moved back to give them more space and lowered his head, and focused on what he was supposed to be doing.

Find something, Ian, anything. Don’t think about licking every inch of her...this was one of your dumbest ideas yet. Dancing with her, feeling her... closing his eyes, he pushed away the thoughts of how it felt to feel her moving against his body and began to surf through the minds around them.

Most of the thoughts he perused were right along the lines of his own right now, all about sex and anything closely related to it. He was pretty sure several of them were about Alec too. Pushing past the anger that sprung inside him, he ran a possessive hand down her hip and made sure she stayed close to him before moving on to the next thought floating out there waiting for him to grab.

How long are they going to make me sit here and wait? That blonde over by the bar keeps looking at me and I am totally into that.

Turning Alec, Ian angled them so he could glance at where Willard was sitting. Sure enough, he was sitting there tapping his hand on the table, watching the bar. At least he had the right mind. Leaning down, he nipped at her bare throat and pulled her into him, loving the way she fit against him. Closing his eyes, he kept his head down and reached for the same thought threads again.

Oh shit. They didn’t tell me one of the big dogs was coming. Man, if I get slapped for that bullshit yesterday, I am vanishing for good. Fuck. Here he comes.

Releasing his hold on the mind, Ian leaned into Alec’s neck. “A quote, big dog, is joining them at the table.” She made no sign that she heard him until she leaned in and ran her lips across his throat while reaching up under her hair.

“Get me pics of the new arrival.” She said as her lips brushed over his skin.

Ian was momentarily shocked to realize she had an earpiece in. Grasping the back of her head, he pulled her face back, so he could give her a hard kiss. The song changed into one with a heavy driving beat. When she paused, he shook his head. “Not done.” He said against her mouth and waited for a few beats until she began moving against him again.

It was going to be a long restless night for him, the base of the song pounded through his body as she moved in perfect time to it, like an erotic dream. Taking a deep breath, he glanced over to see a tall dark-haired man moving over to the table Willard was sitting at. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that the two giant goons that paused on either side of the table were muscle and the big dog was an important one. One Ian may need to know more about as it happened.

Inhaling the appealing fragrance of Alec’s scent, he closed his eyes again and relaxed into the sway of her hips. Did he want to try to get into the big dog’s head? Surfing quickly, he made out the two goons’ thoughts, nothing intellectual there. Feeling the familiar signature, he went back into Willard’s as a starting point.

I love how they just sit there talking like I’m not even here. Why the fuck did I have to be here again? I’d love to know what’s in that envelope. Shit.

Ian could almost hear the conversation, at least the one side as Willard thought exactly what he was saying. Guess multi-tasking was out of his IQ level.

Accept the package and get it to Andrea Weaver at the Mayor’s office. Simple job.

Letting himself flow back out of the mind, he filed away what they’d been talking about and tried for the closest thoughts he could find, hoping he could get into the important brain at the table.

If Willard fucks this up, I will beat his ass into a grave. I am not getting my head smacked off a wall again because he’s a fuckup.

Nope, not the right brain.

Why Pierre uses idiots like this, I can only wonder. He owes me for coming here tonight, anyone could have delivered this. The kid looks like he’s pissing his pants. Maybe Pierre was right and having me present might expedite things a little. The kid just has to make sure he’s outside the damn courthouse at ten tomorrow. I’m sick to my stomach having to wait and do this in little bits at a time.

Feeling Alec bite against his throat, Ian pulled from the mind and grasped the back of her head, holding her close to him. “He gave the other one an envelope. I think it should be followed.”

She leaned up and brushed her lips against his, still grinding her body into his as she reached beside her head again. “We need a tail on the one in the white shirt. He has an envelope we’d like to follow.”

Ian smiled against her mouth, and then nipped at her bottom lip. “Give me until the end of this song.”

Wrapping her arm around his neck, she nodded and straddled his leg between hers, and began moving slower to the music.

Oh yeah. Ian clamped down on his thoughts and turned his face away from the pale eyes watching him. Focus. Glancing down at the floor, he quickly reached for the brain waves again wanting to get enough so that he could get off the dance floor. Much longer and there was no way he was walking away from the woman his hands held onto.

I think that’s enough of an appearance. I could be at home with a woman like that blonde right there. I wonder how attached that guy is...enough money flashed usually does the trick...

Pulling out, Ian spun Alec away from the view of the table and began to dance her in the other direction. She didn’t question him, just moved with him without pause. Once they were on the other side of the floor with many bodies between them and the table, he pulled her tight against him and kissed her hard on the mouth. “Something’s going down at the courthouse tomorrow at ten and Willard will be there to accept a package.”

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Alec stretched her body against his. “The song wasn’t over, you could have got more.”

He looked down at her flushed face, a light sheen of sweat covering it, and groaned inside at how appealing he found even that. “The big dog was sounding a little too interested in your sweet ass, so I thought you’d want to get further away.”

Alec blinked like she was shocked. “Oh. Yeah. Thanks.” The song came to an end and the next loud one came on. A fast techno beat. She straightened away from him and turned to leave the floor.

Grasping her hand lightly, Ian began weaving his way through the crowd. “Let them know we’re out of here.” He wanted to put as much space between her and the man across the room that wanted to buy her into his bed. Not that he even paused on the thought that she’d fall for it, more likely she’d knock him cold with one well-executed uppercut, but he still felt better getting her out of here. All tonight had confirmed for him was that the job he’d agreed to take and the people that wanted Alec out of the picture were connected and it left a sour taste in his mouth.

He’d also confirmed that at some point he was going to seduce Alec and do everything to her that his overactive hormonally stimulated brain had imagined. Ian couldn’t remember a woman that had turned him on more than Alec did. It would probably be the biggest mistake of his life to get more involved in all of this by sleeping with her, but right now the lust riding him didn’t care.