“What’s going on with you and Katie? Tina says you’re shacking up together.”
Chris raised one eyebrow. “Shacking up? Not exactly. I did ask her to move in with me.” Now the FBI agent looked carefully around and lowered his voice. “She’s in a perfect position to get information from the back room. But she wasn’t safe in that shithole she was living in. With her in my suite she can get me information easily.”
“You’re using her as an informant? She’s okay with this? Does she know how dangerous that is?” Heat crept up his neck into his face. “It could get her killed.”
“I know and I warned her. She’s well aware of the dangers. She wants to do it anyway. She’s quite stubborn, you know.”
Dave chuckled. “Yup, that’s our Katie. Gets her in trouble sometimes.”
Chris frowned, his eyebrows drawing together. “She’s got bruises all over her arms. How often does Moreno get heated like that?”
Anger rose to the surface and Dave took a deep breath. “More often than he should. I’ve had to bite my tongue and stay in control a few times when I’ve wanted to beat him senseless. But I’ve been here two years. If I get made it’ll take forever to get someone else in as tight as me. Then all the people I’ve gotten in place in his other establishments would be in jeopardy too.”
“Well, let me worry about Katie from now on and you concentrate on doing your job.”
“And what aboutyourjob? Does it include screwing your informant?” His tone was harsh.
Chris glared at him. “Look, I’ll admit she’s beautiful but we have a professional relationship. That’s all. We’ll put on a show where Moreno is concerned so he buys the act but it’s for appearances. There’s nothing going on. I don’t have time for someone like her in my life.”
“Someone like her?”
Chris sighed. “Yeah, you know, a forever-after kind of girl. I don’t need or want anything permanent. Katie’s not someone you fool around with temporarily.”
Glad the man figured that out. “As long as you remember that. Now get out of here and make some room at the bar for real customers. It’s getting too crowded for any kind of decent conversation.”
Chris tipped the bottle up and finished off the rest. He put it on the bar and smirked. “My one beer for the night. I’ll be drinking gin and tonic the rest of the time. Make sure you fix them the way I like them.”
The agent walked away settling himself into a seat in Tina’s section. He’d fix his drinks all right, the way a man undercover needed them. No gin and all tonic.
* * * *
Chris smiled as Tina approached his table. She didn’t return the gesture. Was she pissed too that he and Meg had gotten together? Even though they hadn’t.
“Mr. Martin, what can I get you tonight?” Her tone was even and unemotional.
He tried a bigger smile, one laced with as much charm as he could manage. What he used to give to his grandmother so she’d give him another cookie. Tina wasn’t buying.
“Dave mentioned you’re a little concerned about Katie staying with me. I won’t hurt her, I promise.”
Tina’s shoulders sagged and she relaxed her stance. “Katie may talk tough but on the inside she’s as innocent as a kitten. I don’t want anyone taking advantage of her.”
“I’ve figured that out already. Katie’s got a hard crunchy outside but she’s all soft and gooey on the inside. Like some of my favorite candy.”
At Tina’s frown he continued, “I don’t plan on taking advantage of her. I felt bad when Dave told me what happened to her. She looks kind of like my little sister. If she was in this situation, I’d want someone to help her. I’ve got that big suite. I thought we could share it while I’m here. Maybe she could save up enough money to get a better place.”
“So you’d want someone kissing your little sister when they helped her.”
Shit, Meg must have said something about the kisses. So, not the best analogy. “No, but I like Katie and she seems to like me. We’ll spend some time together and see what happens. She’s a big girl, Tina, she can make her own decisions.”
Her face fell. “She hasn’t always made the best ones. I don’t want to see her get hurt again.”
He shook his head. “I’ll do my best to make sure that doesn’t happen. And if I can do anything to get her out of here, I’ll do it. You have my word.”
A tiny smile made its way onto the waitress’s face. “Thank you. So what can I get you?”
“Gin and tonic on the rocks. And tell Dave it’s for me. He knows how I like it.”
Tina walked away and he leaned back in his chair. He hoped the bartender wasn’t still ticked at him.
