Edge led them farther into the living room, and they all sat down on the L-shaped pale blue sofa.
“All right,” Edge said. “You’re here. We’re here. What can we do for you?”
“I’m going to jump right in and guess you didn’t just come to Vegas for a vacation. You were hunting Daniel Henson in Denver. You were hunting him in New Mexico, where you managed to find him and turn him over to law enforcement. I figure you’re also hunting the man who was paying him—Ivan Petrov.”
“So Henson rolled on his boss. Is Daniel in protective custody?”
“Henson’s clammed up tight. He’s lawyered up and not saying a word. We got the name from a different source. Now answer the question.”
“And if we’re here for Petrov?”
“Then we have the same goal. Petrov’s running the show. Put him out of business for good and his whole empire comes crashing down.”
Edge said nothing. He wanted to know Cross’s plan.
“I assume the idea appeals to you,” Cross said.
“Of course, it does,” Skye answered. “Petrov has ruined thousands of lives with the drugs he manufactures, to say nothing of the people who die from using them.”
“Getting Daniel Henson off the streets isn’t enough,” Edge said. “It’s Petrov who needs to be put away.”
“Exactly.” Cross’s shrewd gaze ran over the black suit Edge was wearing and Skye’s long, sexy, body-hugging gown. “You wouldn’t be going to the Four Winds tonight, by any chance?”
Edge stiffened. He didn’t like the idea of being dogged by the DEA. On the other hand, Cross might prove useful. “Actually, we are.” He flashed a phony smile. “Five stars on Tripadvisor.”
The corner of Cross’s mouth curved up. “You’ve already agreed our goals are the same. If we work together, we can make this happen.”
Edge hadn’t planned to take on Petrov this soon, but if the opportunity was here, he intended to grasp it. “What, exactly, do you have in mind?”
CHAPTER THIRTY
THEY POSTPONED THEIR DINNER RESERVATION. TWO HOURS LATER, they were finished with agents Cross and Jackson and were ready to leave for the second time that night.
Edge straightened his black suit coat, custom designed to allow for the shoulder holster he was wearing. He and Skye were both legally permitted to carry. The rest of their weapons and the disposable phone Cross had given them were locked in the room, safe in the closet.
“I’ll get my bag and my wrap.” The temperature in Vegas the first of October was in the low 80s during the day, but it was cool at night. Edge watched Skye cross the room to the bedroom, the dress hugging her slender curves. He closed his eyes against a fresh rush of heat.
She returned with a small gold bag and a black lace shawl he draped over her bare shoulders. He wanted to press his mouth against her sun-bronzed skin, kiss his way up the nape of her neck, and inhale the scent of her soft perfume. He wanted to cup those delectable breasts, feel her nipples harden in his hands. He wanted to do a whole lot more.
Turning away from her, Edge narrowed his focus on the task ahead. The mission came first. They were there for Ivan Petrov. He wanted to wrap the Russian up in a shiny red bow and hand him over to law enforcement. He hoped to hell Petrov would be at the restaurant tonight. If not, they would need to try a different approach.
He smiled to himself. Staying in Vegas wouldn’t be tough duty in a luxury suite with Skye in his bed. His smile slowly faded. Whatever happened, the task they’d undertaken was infinitely more complicated now that the DEA was involved.
His phone rang just then. Edge checked the number, saw it was Zoe. “What’s up?”
“You can cross Wiser and Andreyev off your list. They work for Petrov, but they’re just placeholders. They do menial work, mostly get paid for signing their names to whatever papers Petrov shoves in front of them.”
“Like corporate land-ownership documents.”
“That’s right. Petrov wants to keep things anonymous, but in the case of the property in Colorado and New Mexico, Wiser and Andreyev’s names on the corporate filings worked against him. We were able to connect the ownership of both properties to Petrov.”
“The DEA probably has the same info by now. Thanks, Zoe. Saves us a lot of leg work.” The call ended, and Edge looked up to see Skye walking toward him.
“Ready?” With every step, the dress slid sinuously over her body, and Edge felt another sexual kick.
“The hotel limo’s waiting out front,” he said, forcing himself to concentrate on the task ahead.
In theory, the plan was simple. Get a meeting with Petrov and convince him to bring the two of them into his organization. By now, Daniel had no doubt reported who they were. Petrov would know Edge Logan and Skye Delaney were the ones who had destroyed his meth operation in Blancha Springs. Odds were, he also knew they had turned Daniel in to the Colorado authorities, destroying any plans to rebuild in Chamaya.
