She expected the slap and moved into it to lessen the blow.
"What the hell is going on here?"
She closed her eyes in gratitude, hearing the cold, precise tones that meant James was ready to kill someone.
"This fucking bitch just raised a hand to me, Pine! I want her disciplined!" Fassell was furious but knew better than to grab her again.
"It appears to me," snarled James, "that you were trying to fuck my R&D employee in the middle of the bloody hallway. And it doesn't appear MacLaren appreciated it. Go visit the brothel and let off some steam, but don't touch what is mine... again." His voice lowered to a degree of malice and deadliness Maura had never heard before.
Fassell angrily straightened his jacket, then smoothed his hair. "You need to decide where your loyalties lie before it impacts your future here, Pine," he sneered.
James smiled mirthlessly. "I'm really not concerned, Number Three. I'll see you tonight.
Inside his office, James lifted her face with a hand under her chin. "Did he hurt you?"
Maura forced herself to smile, shaking her head. "Eh. He hits like a girl." She expected him to chuckle, but a dark shadow slid over his patrician features. She put her hands on either side of his face, running her fingers through his hair. "I'm fine. It's nothing. But I'm glad you came when you did."
He let out a sigh, clenching his jaw. "I'm going to have to take care of this problem one day soon."
"You mean- what? Me or him?"
It burst out before Maura could stop herself, and she watched as the cool and collected James Pine actually looked shocked. A nervous giggle burst from her as his eyes narrowed, an azure color that she decided meant amorous, as he lowered his dark head and kissed her with a rather arousing level of savagery.Mark that down,she thought as he thrust into her on his desk, her legs wrapped around his narrow hips.Azure is a good sign. Very, very, good.
Maura was kept to the office with Nicholas that night, ready to check bank accounts for the bidding partners. Yagura, as he predicted, was stationed outside the door.
"I'm stuck taking these fuckheads out for cocaine and potty breaks," he hissed to Maura during a brief face-to-face.
"Where's Kennedy?" she asked, checking the hallway. He shook his head, frowning.
"Not sure. I updated her on the mic placement and your theory on the REE's."
"Did you-" her head dropped shamefully, "I mean, the-"
"No." Yagura shook his head, looking the other way. "Maybe it doesn't need to be brought up."
He walked away before Maura could finish her, "Thank you."
She was barely capable of stringing a sentence together that night, waiting for the meeting to be over. Maura couldn't gather the data from the tiny mic until she returned to the houseboat. As she and Nicholas finished their work, a loud (and well on their way to being drunk) group of Algerians and other guests passed noisily by their door.
With a shudder, Maura recognized Fassell’s voice as he drunkenly promised, "You'll love this bathhouse! All the prettiest Japanese girls you can imagine! A long soak in the tubs, a brisk scrub, and you're pounding into a tiny Asian pussy in no time!"
Maura turned, carefully keeping her expression passive as she finished her work. Perfect. A good soak and scrub would take care of those two mics she'd stuck onto that asshole's scalp. No need to involve James at all. Walking to her car later, Maura turned to see him graciously open the limousine door for the Algerians, some of the company escorts, and... Flower, who kissed his cheek as she slid in. His gaze looked up to meet hers as she got into her car, shutting the door and looking away.
"Remember who you're working for," Maura repeated it over and over until she reached the houseboat, angrily showering off his smell from that passionate episode on his desk. She almost believed the mantra by the time she fell asleep.
***
It was near dawn when Yagura stumbled into an alleyway, cursing his shaking hand as it took three tries to dial MacLaren’s burner. Leaning against the wall, he listened to the angry buzz until she picked up, slurring, "Lo?"
"MacLaren!" his voice was steely. "We've been made. Get the fuck out and go to a safe place before you dial the extraction number."
He could hear her horrified gasp. "Yagura! Are you all right? Are you sure? Who- we've been so careful!" He heard drawers opening, the soft sound of Maura’s dressing.
"I'm pretty goddamn sure since they just shot me in the leg,” Yagura’s voice was hoarse, “It's Kennedy. Has to be. She's the only one who knows what happened tonight."
Maura managed, "Are you okay? How bad is it? Should we meet up?"
"Fuck, MacLaren, pay attention!" he groaned, trying to tie off the blood spurting from his leg. "Get the audio from tonight. Get the fuck OUT. Don't worry about me, you stupid bitch!"
