By one act that couldn’t be taken back.
I’d fucked Reese.
Had I enjoyed every moment? Absolutely. The feel of having her in my arms, the taste of her sweet pussy, and the way her muscles wrapped around my cock were entirely too memorable.
Sleep afterwards? Forget it.
I’d worked the remainder of the night, putting as many pieces together as possible. Reese had stayed with me for a couple of hours, drawing a few sketches that we’d tweak later. Developing a database of information was vital, key to finding the bastards and all their hiding places.
I’d researched shell corporations, but in a city like Miami, those were a dime a dozen. Every crime lord and sheik, every dignitary and foreign corporate mogul either doing business in the United States or laundering money had at least one lurking in the shadows. Cross referencing would take days. Even then, finding anything of value to lead to an arrest was improbable. Just like Raven Intel had safeguards in place to hide who we were, those with wealth beyond our means paid a team of experts to keep their operations in the dark.
Even with the odds against me, I’d spent hours on the computer, talking to several members of the intel we’d established, men and women in every sector of intelligence. I’d become frustrated given there was no new information and no one was talking on the dark web. Everything sordid was on the web and yet the group remained largely in the dark. Still, even the little bit I’d discovered could prove helpful.
But not nearly as much as receiving a call back for another audition, which could come anytime or never. At least the wheels were turning, Steven Powell’s name and the sketch Reese had provided from my memory emailed to the group. Chase was in charge of making inquiries through his various sources in hopes of identifying him. If he got a hit, it would be in the next few hours, but I wasn’t holding my breath.
Everything seemed to be a dead end at this point. I’d heard from Chase, who’d left a message on the main system that TikTok and other social media platforms had been scoured, protocolsset in place that would send alerts for any videos that popped up regarding modeling, acting, even hostessing duties. Anything that might lure young women into their web.
So far, nothing.
The frustration only continued to grow.
I’d also gotten a jump on Briana Murphy, hoping that by getting her picture out there someone might see her. That was if she’d been bought the night before.
Again, a big nada.
Reese’s sleep had been fitful for hours. I’d checked on her often enough that I was surprised she hadn’t tossed me out of her room. What was I saying? I’d sat in the chair in her room watching her like some glorified stalker. That wasn’t the behavior of someone providing protection. That was a man possessed.
Which was completely unlike my personality.
Every time she’d stirred, even moaning in her sleep, I’d experienced vivid visions that would keep me on the naughty list.
I’d certainly managed to keep my chivalry at the club then had tossed it aside later. Bad timing. At least now, she was resting peacefully while I paced the office floor.
“What?” Hudson managed, still coughing.
“You heard what I asked. Did it change anything about the mission?”
“Um… Well, what it did was create an intimate feeling that tossed out everything subjective. Why are you asking? Because you had to perform as Maverick warned you about?”
I rubbed my eyes, which I’d also been doing for hours. Even after two doses of Tylenol, the headache remained. “Partially, but there’s more.”
It took him a few seconds to realize what I was insinuating.
“Let me guess. You two made a connection.”
“She’s an amazing woman.”
“Who you fucked after getting her to safety.”
I cringed; just hearing his matter-of-fact comments made me feel more like a horrible person. “We hit it off.”
“I’ll say,” Hudson said gruffly. “Okay, look. You’re both grown adults and can do whatever you want. However, I don’t think I need to remind you that when you’re close to someone, whether physically, emotionally, or both, you lose objectivity. I’m not going to lie to you that with Valentina, I was prepared to die to keep her safe. That sounds good in theory, but it clouded my judgment, making the mission much harder.”
Well, shit. Maybe I was looking for absolution at this point. Not only for the act itself, but because of the thoughts continuing to ravage my mind. I wanted nothing more than to crawl into her bed taking her several times.
Exploring every inch of her body.
“Yeah, I hear you. I’m worried that Lucifer will see through the charade. If I even hear from him.”
