The ringing in Danita’s ears sounded like a freight train with bells. Her eyes narrowed, her fists clenched. Then she saw that hint of humor in his hypnotic gaze.
He was enjoying this.
The entire process. The arrest, the challenge, the idea of putting his life at risk. It was all a game to him.
And she was playing right into his hands.
All it took was one deep breath to clear the red haze from her eyes, gather her wits and reclaim her poise.
After a quick glance at Hunter for permission, Danita tilted her head to one side and offered Black a chilly smile. “I’m a government agent, Mr. Black.”
“So?”
On his face was the same lack of respect Danita usually got from men. Pretty little girls were good for one thing, or for faking one thing. Even here, after four years as an FBI agent, she still saw that look daily.
Frustration was now a bitter, biting ball of fury in her belly. But Danita didn’t let him see it. Instead she let her smile slip into condescending.
“So, Mr. Black, not only am I perfectly capable of, how did you put it? Keeping your ass safe? But I’m also the best person for this job. Especially because of my talents as a fake whore, as you so charmingly put it.”
Whether she wanted to keep his ass safe was another thing altogether. Danita had to give him credit. From the look on his face, Gabriel Black knew it, too. Maybe he was right to have doubts. She certainly did.
As if sensing her doubts, Hunter handed her a third file. Gabriel frowned, obviously wanting to know what it contained just as much as she did.
Danita flipped it open.
Names of some of the biggest crime bosses in California. A list of the illegal activities suspected of being run from Black Oak. An outline of the extensive criminal web they’d be dealing with. There were notes, not only from Hunter, but from his father. An agent, who, even five years retired, still commanded massive respect. This was a career-making case.
“You in?” Hunter murmured.
She lifted her gaze to his, then shifted her eyes to Gabriel. The man was guaranteed to be a pain in her butt. But the reward if she kept him alive and broke the case?
Incredible. A promotion, yes. But more, a bust that would guarantee her respect among her peers.
The risk?
She was walking into the lion’s den without backup. As Hunter’s pet project and a favor to his father, this case was off the FBI grid.
“It’s your call,” Hunter said.
“Hers?” Black protested. “I thought you were in charge of this little game.”
“Not any more, Gabriel darling,” she purred, “You’re going to be taking orders from me now.”
IT WAS A WONDER he could breathe, what with the noose looped around his throat. The closer they got to Black Oak, the tighter the ball of anger in his belly got. Gabriel clenched his fists to rein in the frustration.
“I’m the one who knows the area,” he snapped to Danita, who was driving a sleek black Corvette like a woman used to commanding powerful beasts. “Why are you the one driving?”
“Because it’s my car,” she said with a dismissive shrug of one shoulder. “Don’t worry. The bad guys won’t think you’re a wimp for having your girlfriend drive. All you have to do is make a show of playing with your cell phone and claim you were doing some business.”
“This is total bullshit,” he snapped. Bullshit he’d be ignoring if it wasn’t for that damned file. Hunter had a tidy compilation of charges he was ready and willing to level against Gabriel’s father in that file. Charges that would humiliate the family, ruin his brother’s wedding and break his sister’s heart.
“Hunter might believe you can handle this,” the blonde said. The quick glance she shot him said she believed nothing of the sort. “But to use your own charming terminology, it’s my ass on the front line here. If you can’t man up and play the game—and play to win—please, let me know now. I’d rather take a slap on the wrist and a write-up in my file than a bullet over you.”
Gabriel rolled his eyes.
“I seriously doubt this situation will involve bullets.” And people called him a liar? He was sure this entire thing was a big scam, blown all out of proportion to get him to go along with their little FBI game.
He barely paid attention as she pulled off the highway and motored down a quiet, boringly peaceful road toward the Black Oak Manor. His eyes were locked on Danita, trying to read her.
“We should be safe enough. We’re simply gathering information, not pushing any real buttons. Our sources indicate the meeting is being held here at the manor,” Danita said as she parked, then killed the engine.
She gave him a veiled glance. “Still, be careful. Word is the stakes are high. Five key crime bosses are here, all with the goal of grabbing the reins of this little alliance. Arrangements have been made to get your name on the guest list, but you’re going to have to convince them that you actually have something to bring to the table. Or these guys are likely to toss you out. Or worse.”
Bored, Gabriel stared out the window at the manor. A little run-down these days, but mostly it hadn’t changed. Given that Black Oak was about two miles up the road, he’d seen the quaint Victorian plenty of times before.
“Are you paying attention?” Danita prodded sharply.
“Babe, the tune is getting old. Your buddy Hunter sang it earlier, now you’re humming the same refrain. Big scary criminals are taking over Black Oak. Guns and drugs and the suspicion of money laundering. They’re all gathering to hobnob and plan their futures and you’re here to crash the party.”
“And you still think it’s an exaggeration?” she asked, turning in her seat to give him a long look out of those big eyes. Like the night before, those blue eyes were once again smudged and shadowed to make them sultry and huge. Her lips were shiny red this time. And her outfit? Gabriel had damn near swallowed his tongue when she’d let him out of his temporary holding cell that morning—as he’d taken to calling the cheap hotel room Hunter had locked him in.
That glorious body was poured into jeans that showed every dimple, every curve. A tight red cashmere sweater molded over the breasts he’d spent a restless night fantasizing about. Toss in more big curls and a sexy pair of stiletto heels and she was the epitome of a good-time girl with a taste for the expensive.
“Actually, I think it’s all bullshit,” he said again, trying to focus on the conversation instead of which part of her body he wanted to taste first. “But you’ve got me by the short hairs so I’ve got no choice but to play along. So let’s go in there, use my connections to get you a room so you can spy on these guys, and clear my debt.”
“Just like that? You think you’ll just waltz in there, use that charming smile of yours to get a room and then call it done? Like this is nothing?”
“Babe, I’m sure this is nothing. If there was an actual problem, I’d have heard. You’re claiming my father is being set up to take the fall for some attempted murder, possession of illegal weapons and dealing drugs. I’m saying he’s not.”
His grin was more wicked than charming as he leaned across the console to rub his thumb over that temptingly plump bottom lip of hers. Even without the shiny gloss, it still looked tasty.
Who knew uptight could be so cute?
Before he could do anything stupid—or stupider, since that mouth was what had got him into this mess in the first place—Gabriel pulled back.
“Let’s get this over with,” he snapped, losing patience with himself, and with her. He wanted done. If possible, before he had