“When I get back to my unit, maybe I will take him up on his offer for another dinner?”
Aunt Rachel was right, but her nagging inner voice wouldn’t shut up.Soiled goods.
She awakened on the bathroom floor fifteen minutes later, then reached into her reserves, brushed her teeth, and put the finishing touches on her makeup.It’s up to you, Cass. You’re on your own.
In her previous session with her therapist, she thought she had things under control. On Monday, she had another appointment scheduled with Stephanie. “A tune-up. I just need a tune-up.”
She placed her mother’s ruby teardrop earrings into her ears and added one final little touch: the nearly invisible earpiece relaying a constant squawk of noise from the perspective of her fellow FBI agents stationed throughout the room.Game face. She used the same concentration she needed to fire a rifle. Taking a deep breath, holding it three counts, and exhaling, she slid the particular holster up her right leg to hide the Glock 27.
“Haute couture of holsters. The men don’t have this damn problem.” She chuckled, sounding more frantic than amused.
Her feet slipped into the crystal four-inch Manolo Blahnik strappy heels. Ensuring everything was in place, she grabbed her pale rose dress off the hanger. “Choke on this, Wilds.” The Stella McCartney designer gown with racer back complimented her complexion. The illusion panels gave an impression of exposed skin but kept her scars covered. The slit up the left side ended at the top of her thigh.
A full twirl in the mirror assured her no one could see her gun. Her hair was tied into an elegant chignon. The look was subtle and stylish. She grabbed the Judith Leiber crystal clutch and waited for the signal to meet up with her team for the evening. Bynum would never make her as an FBI agent.
Chapter Six
Lines of limos discharged their well-heeled occupants in front of the Four Seasons. Twelve blocks from the White House, the five-star luxury hotel was the site of the Helping Hearts fundraising gala.
Ian moved around to the curbside door and escorted Monique into the waiting crowd. Photographers snapped pictures as they called out their names. Ian whispered, “We’re going to start rumors tonight. It’ll be all about Monique Lillie Chase chasing the other brother.”
“Kieran is going to love it, darling.” She wrapped her hand around his bicep and put on her best professional smile as the cameras whirred.
Monique air-kissed their way around the cocktail soirée while Ian shook hands and made small talk. As they moved about, his eyes scanned and assessed the growing crowd. Looking around the large, packed room, he chuckled to himself, spotting the attempting-to-be discreet security details, including men from two competing agencies. The three Chase Security personnel present blended in well with their clients. One was protecting a basketball player; one was with an up-and-coming actress, and one was with the widow of a retired senator.
Colby and Jason watched their personal targets at a comfortable distance. Both men appeared a far cry from what they were present to do.
“What a multi-jurisdictional Charlie Foxtrot,” Ian whispered into Monique’s ear, military slang for clusterfuck.
Monique chuckled, leaning back into Ian’s ear, appearing to anyone watching like she was nuzzling him. The paparazzi went crazy. Camera phones flashed.
“You’re such a bad girl, Monique.” Ian wrapped his arm around her waist.
“And you love every minute of this. Relax, darling. You’re not on the clock. It’s time for us to play.” Monique ran a finger down his cheek.
* * *
When Greg Wilds rapped on Cassie’s hotel door three times, she took one more deep breath. “You clean up nice, Modine…or should I say, Dr. Ellis?” His eyes feasted on her. Without a hint of warning, he pulled her to him. “We will finish what’s between us tonight. You’re beautiful—wouldn’t want to waste the room.”
Cassie pushed him away. “Stop. We have a job to do. What’s the ETA for the senator?”
He looked down at her feet. “How do you walk in those things? Bynum is en route. Are you ready?”
Cassie opened her clutch to extend the jeweled strap. He wrapped his arm around her waist—with a glancing touch to her bottom as they walked. She tripped on purpose, jamming a heel into the top of his foot. “Oops.”
He bit back a curse. “Turn on your earwig, Princess.”
She wasn’t going to take his bait. The comlinks were recorded.Make it through the job.
Five tuxedo-clad men stepped out of the elevator. “Galloway checking in.”
Cassie heard his voice in her ear. “Thanks, Preston.”
“Got you, Cass. Have fun tonight,” Brice replied.
“Looking good, Cass,” Vincent Cruz said.
Quinn Marcus and Hector Villanueva followed. Cassie’s expression cleared, and the ice princess veneer reappeared.
