Chapter 7

• Unlocking the encrypted message, Ian read the offer again. He wanted to believe he was doing it for the money because it was a nice set of numbers to peruse, but the truth was he really didn’t need the money. In the past few years he’d gone from one job to the next with a high payout, his investments could see him into retirement if he chose that.
• So, why was he going ahead with this job? The risk was high—higher than he usually went for. Many power figures were involved, and he’d be putting a lot more on the line than his reputation, he could be tossing his life to the wind by doing it. It wasn’t some corporate theft, edging in on some other company’s breakthrough; this was taking down corruption. Ian only hoped he didn’t take himself down at the same time. The heads he’d have to surf through were not low-life criminals or greedy executives; these were the people with money and power and having it taken away from them was something they would go to any lengths to prevent, even murder.
• Standing back, he crossed his arms and looked at the printouts he’d nabbed online, faces to go with all the players involved. This was pure insanity, nothing but. He wasn’t an adrenalin junkie, so he knew that wasn’t his reason for having to do this. The challenge of it did pitch his heartbeat into another tempo, but that wasn’t it either.
• The reason had nothing to do with practice either, he’d had enough of that in the last three nights of bar hopping with a scantily dressed detective that he’d exercised his skill quite enough. His patience and restraint had gotten a workout as well. Reaching up, he ran both hands through his hair then spun away from the table with his hands clasped behind his head. Just the fact he was second guessing if he should do this would normally be enough to have him pass, politely, but pass on the job all the same.
• With a loud sigh, he dropped his hands to his hips and stared at the black tiles of the floor. He knew he wasn’t doing it to impress Alec, not when she could never know a damn thing about it or his involvement. His brain paused for a moment at the idea that he even wanted to impress Alec...
• “Fuck,” he whispered to the silent room. “I’m turning into Dudley fucking do right.” Those morals were nagging again and along with that, his conscience had made a comeback. Since when did he have this problem? It was such a rare occurrence he didn’t remember. Suddenly he was turning into a model citizen that felt inclined to do the right thing. That was it, he was so drawn to do the right thing and take down the scum, his survival had taken a back seat. Where had this problem come from, he didn’t know, but he hoped it was temporary. Maybe there was a pill to suppress these insane hero urges.
• Shaking it off, he went back over and leaned on the table to study the faces. They seemed like upstanding people and maybe one or two of them were, but he’d find out the truth that lay in wait behind the seemingly innocent smiles. If he took the job.
• Glancing at the message again, he clenched his jaw. Who would pay for something like this? If he agreed to do it, they would be paying him very well. Leaning over the tablet, he responded to the message. Who is paying for this party? Encrypting it, he tapped send and stepped back. He looked at the pictures again. This wouldn’t be a quick in-and-out job, it was going to take some research, recon, and shoulder-rubbing to get close enough to the right people.
• The tablet pinged, signaling a reply. Ignoring the knots in his stomach he went over and opened the answer. A little bird that wants to be free but doesn’t have a strong enough voice to sing. Your call. In two days I pass it along. One-month deadline before the bird flies. He studied it for a few moments. Little bird meant a woman. Wife? Girlfriend? But she didn’t have enough facts to go to the authorities. That thing he’d identified as his conscience started pulsing to life again.
• Grabbing up the papers he stacked them neatly and set the tablet on top of them. Conscience or not he wasn’t jumping into this without some more research and serious thought. When his phone rang, he grabbed it, happy for the distraction.
• “Ian?”
• Alec’s voice was on the other end. His gut tightened, but in a much better way than moments before. “Yeah.”
• “You up to another try tonight?”
• Try to get you in my bed? “Sure thing. Which wonderful establishment are we trying tonight?”
• “I thought we’d go back to Lucky’s, it is Friday night. All the little lowlifes will be out tonight.” She said it with such a hushed voice, he had no problem picturing the expression on her face, she would have that ‘can’t wait to kick some ass’ look in her eyes.
• “Sounds good. Are we meeting there?” He turned and walked into his room, eyeing the jeans in his closet while he waited for her to answer.
• “I have to go home and rinse off some sludge first.”
• “Sludge?”
• She made a sound of annoyance. “Some perp thought I was too girly to follow him into the sewers.”
• He smiled at her tone. “I bet he paid dearly for that assumption.”
• “Oh, yeah.”
• There was a commotion in the background, telling him she was still at the station.
• “Do you want to stop at my place and pick me up? Brent and Reid are going to be a little tied up for a while.”
• “I can do that.” I’d love to have you somewhere with a bed...a couch...hell, a counter would do just fine too. He rolled his shoulders and tried to shake off the sudden flash of lust. He’d been doing that a lot lately and she was the reason why.
• “Shit. I have to go.” The noise in the background grew louder. “I’ll text you the address.”
• “All right. See you in a bit.” Tossing the phone onto his bed, he grasped his shirt and pulled it over his head.
• Hopefully, tonight paid off. Not that he wanted to be rid of the tall sexy detective, he didn’t want that at all but finding the man that wanted her dead took priority over his male urges. Since the first night, he’d kept his distance and hadn’t made the mistake of kissing her again. It hadn’t been easy with her cuddled up to him like a sex kitten, more than once he’d had to move away from her to keep his mind in the game.