Geek Squad 02 - Operation Foxtrot Page 9

  “What are you going to do with those pictures?”

  I was curious.

  Again.

  “Hopefully, add drug trafficking charges to everything else Cavetti’s going away for.”

  Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.

  Chapter Eleven

  The loud explosion on the far side of the warehouse was our clue to move. I stared for a moment, stunned by the bright blast of color as something went up in flames.

  “Go!” Cooper jumped up and started running for the door.

  I raced after him as fast as my legs would go.

  When guards came at us, Cooper simply shot them. The sound was loud and bracing. I winced and jerked each time. I kept a tight grip on my rifle and kept running. I wasn’t ready to shoot someone. Cooper was trained for that. I wasn’t.

  Cooper stopped at one point to shoot at the guards chasing us. I ran past him, heading for the door. Just as I reached it, the door opened up, and a man stepped into my path to freedom. I recognized him immediately from the pictures Danny had shown me.

  Carlos Mankato, Cavetti’s second in command.

  I tossed my rifle at him. He caught it with both hands. It might have seemed like a stupid move, but it meant both of his hands were occupied, giving me free rein to slash at him with my claws. Carlos screamed and dropped the rifle, covering his face with his hands.

  I took that as an opportunity. I picked up the rifle and jammed the butt of the gun into Carlos’s gut. The man grunted and grabbed his gut. I slammed the butt of the rifle into his face. Carlos dropped to the floor, unmoving.

  I stepped over him and out the door before turning to wait for Cooper. When I saw a guard point his rifle at Cooper as he ran toward me, I knew I’d have to get over my squeamishness over firing a rifle.

  I raised my rifle and pointed it at the guard, lowering the barrel just a bit, hoping I could wound the guy and not kill him. I held my breath as I pulled the trigger. The guy fell back and hit the floor. I had no idea if I hit where I was aiming or not.

  I wasn’t waiting around to find out.

  The second Cooper reached me, I turned and started running again, heading for where we had parked the cars. Hopefully, the others would be there already.

  “Danny, we’re coming out of the warehouse now.”

  I didn’t want to get caught in friendly fire.

  “We’ll be waiting,” Danny replied. “Just get here as fast as you can.”

  That was the plan.

  “Hurry,” I called to Cooper over my shoulder.

  “Right behind you, baby.”

  I heard gunshots behind us as I ran. Bullets slammed into the dirt around us. I squeaked and tried to jump out of the way. The next thing I knew, I was tossed up over Cooper’s shoulder and we were covering the ground at a much faster rate of speed.

  Damn, Cooper really was fast.

  Within a matter of a few breathes, we were around the corner of a building and out of the line of fire. I noted several armed men firing back at the guards firing on us as Cooper raced past them.

  I expected Cooper to stop and help his fellow Marines, but he just kept running. As I watched, the men in Cooper’s unit fell back one by one, racing after us. By the time we reached the vehicles a couple of blocks down, everyone was with us.

  Cooper lifted me into the open door of one of the cars then climbed in after me. “Go!”

  I didn’t even have time to put on my seatbelt before the car shot forward, and we were racing down the street away from the warehouse.

  Cooper’s hands were all over me.

  “Were you hit?”

  I shook my head, stunned at how frantic Cooper sounded. “No.”

  I grunted when I was crushed against the man’s chest. He seriously didn’t know his own strength. “Air,” I choked out. I patted his chest when he didn’t release me. “Need air, Coop.”

  And to not have my rib cage crushed.

  Cooper loosened his hold, but he didn’t let me go.

  I didn’t know why.

  It wasn’t that I minded being where I was, because I didn’t, not in the least. I just didn’t understand it. Last I remembered, Cooper had been firm about there being nothing between us.

  Maybe he was worried because we were sort of friends.

  I drew in a heavy breath. I could do friends if that was all I’d ever have. I didn’t like it, and the snarling cat inside of me sure as hell didn’t like it, but what was my other choice? Not having anything to do with Cooper?

  Tried that.

  Failed.

  Epically.

  “You guys okay back there?”

  I lifted my head off Cooper’s chest and turned to look at the man sitting in the driver’s seat. “Hey, Hank.”

  My cousin smiled at me in the rearview mirror. “Andy. You okay there, cuz?”

  I grimaced as I glanced down. “I need clean clothes.”

  And a burn barrel. This sweater was shot.

  I almost cried.

  “Are either of you hurt?” Hank asked.

  “I’m good.” I looked up. “Cooper?”

  “I could really use some Tylenol. I have a colossal headache.”

  I frowned as I sat up straighter. “Did they hit you in the head?” There was some bruising on the left side of Cooper’s forehead.

  “That jackass who took me from your apartment didn’t ask nicely,” Cooper said. “When I refused to go, he used the butt of his gun to convince me.”

  I growled as I added another person to my list of people I was likely to kill. “That was probably Carlos Mankato. He’s Cavetti’s second in command.”

  Cooper shook his head. “I know who Mankato is. I’ve been tracking him for a while now. It wasn’t the guy who took me.”

  “Then who took you?”

  “I don’t know who it was.”

  “Describe him,” Hank said.

  “About six feet tall, close cropped black hair, wannabe five o’clock shadow, fancy suit.”

  The knot in my stomach grew cold. “Dark blue Armani suit?”

  Cooper’s gaze pinned on me. “How in the hell would I know?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Was he wearing a blue suit?”

  Cooper’s forehead wrinkled for a moment before he nodded. “Yeah, I think he was.”

  Damn.

  “I think it was Max, my agent.”

  Max had blue eyes. He always wore blue suits because he thought they made his eyes stand out. They did, but blue could get boring after a while.

  “Ex-agent,” Ian called out from the front seat. “You fired him, remember?”

  “Ex-agent?” Cooper asked.

  I nodded. “He tried to sell me to…” Holy crap! “He tried to sell me!”

  Why had I not put that together before now?

  Ian gasped before asking, “You don’t think…”

  I did think.

  “Max is in this up to his freaking ears.”

  “He has to be,” Ian said.

  I narrowed my eyes as a slow burning anger ignited in my gut. “Kind of makes you wonder just how many models have found permanent positions through his agency.”

  I glanced at Cooper. He seemed confused by mine and Ian’s conversation. “Did any of your soldiers have aspirations to become models?”

  “I don’t think so, but…” He shrugged. “I don’t know them personally. I can’t say for sure.”

  “Is there any way you can find out?” I asked.

  Cooper frowned. “Maybe, but why?”

  “I think Max is recruiting people to sell under the guise of offering them modeling jobs.”

  It was interesting watching Cooper’s jaw drop. I knew I was pretty. I’d gotten enough modeling work to know that, but I was also smart. I was getting really tired of people not seeing past my looks to the man beneath.

  I had thought Cooper was better than that.

  I didn’t like thinking I was wrong.

  “Look, this is real simple. Max is an ass. He
’s using his position as an agent to recruit people as models, and then he throws these little parties that the models are required to attend, along with his prospective clients. It’s like the before showing at an auction. The clients look the merchandise over and then place bids on whatever model they want. At some point, the chosen model gets a job overseas somewhere or something and simply disappears, never to be seen again.”

  I had no idea how I was connecting all of these dots, but it’s what felt right to me. It just made sense. I had seen too many of my model friends get photo shoots overseas and then disappear.

  “If your missing soldiers got invited to one of these parties,” I continued, “they might have been up for auction without even knowing it.”

  “So, Max recruits them and Cavetti does what?”

  “Arranges the auction? Handles the sale?” How the hell did I know? I wasn’t into selling people. “It’s obvious that they have to be working together.”

  “What about that other guy that was with Max when we went to see him?” Ian asked.

  I shivered with revulsion. “Leonard Lake?”

  “Lake was there?” Cooper asked.

  “He was. Apparently, from what Max said, Lake told him we were dating, and I wanted out of my modeling obligations because I was going to travel the world with him. Max canceled all of my photo shoots.”

  Cooper’s arms tightened around me. “He sold you to Lake.”

  I grimaced. “It looks that way.”

  Wonder how much he paid for me? If it was less than fifty grand, I was going to do more than kick him in the nuts. I’d scratch his eyes out.

  “We need Danny to find everything he can about Lake,” Cooper said. “If he has anything to do with this, I want him to share a cell with Cavetti.”

  Me, too.

  I gasped as another thought hit me. “He knew.”

  “Who knew?” Cooper asked.

  “Do you remember when we were at the party a couple of weeks ago and Cavetti had you out on the balcony?”

  Cooper nodded.

  “I told him you usually accompanied me as my bodyguard. I also told him Max had said it was better that way. If Max and Cavetti are working together, then he knew.”

  “When met up at your apartment, he told me he had talked to your agent and Max told him he didn’t know me.”

  I still felt this was an important clue. “Maybe that’s why he let us go at the party. He needed to talk with Max before he took me because he wasn’t positive if I was lying or not.”

  “Or he didn’t want to take you right then and there. Too many witnesses.”

  “And he probably wanted to get you out of the picture.” I felt like holding Cooper just as tightly as he was holding on to me. “We gave him the impression that we were friends, maybe more. He had to make sure no one would search for me.”

  “Oh, we’re definitely more than friends.”

  I shot Cooper a sharp look. “What?”

  Cooper’s raised eyebrow was aggravating. It was almost as if the man was daring me to refute his words. I wasn’t one to take a dare. I had learned my lesson too well during high school, but I couldn’t let this one go.

  I narrowed my eyes. “I don’t think so.”

  I was done being stupid.

  The second we pulled into the parking garage beneath the hotel where we were staying and found a parking spot, I opened the door, pushed away from Cooper, and shot out of the vehicle. I needed to put some serious space between us.

  Dennis Cooper was very bad for me. He was like my own personal catnip. I wanted to sniff him, roll all over him, curl around him, and never let him go.

  I couldn’t.

  No matter how strong my obsession with the man had become, Cooper wasn’t going to be mine. Not now, not ever. He had made that more than clear. I had just been too stupid to listen.

  I was listening now.

  My heart ached with every breath I took. Tears prickled my eyes just thinking about never having Cooper the way I wanted him.

  I ached for him.

  That might have made me the angriest of all. I had spent a miserable life until I learned to lock my emotions away and not let anyone in. I had let Cooper in, and he had tossed me away. I couldn’t afford to let him in again.

  I didn’t think I’d survive it.

  Chapter Twelve

  In the elevator, Cooper tried to stand next to me.

  I moved.

  He tried to talk to me.

  I tuned him out.

  When he tried to grab my arm, I flicked out my claws, reminding him what had happened the last time he’d tried that.

  I knew the others were amused by what was going on. Ian could barely keep his snickers behind his lips. I ignored it. I had too many other things on my mind. I didn’t know what kind of game Cooper was playing, but I didn’t want to play.

  I wasn’t having fun.

  As soon as we reached our floor, I stepped out of the elevator and hurried down the hallway to the suite of rooms we had rented. I let myself in then walked straight to one of the two bedrooms and shut myself in.

  I closed my eyes as I leaned back against the door and listened to the others coming into the suite. Their voices were low enough that all I could hear were murmurs, but I had no doubt they were talking about me.

  My behavior was odd, and I knew that.

  I just didn’t care.

  After a moment, I opened my eyes and pushed away from the door. I needed a shower and a nap something fierce, and then I needed to think about getting the hell out of there. I had done what I had set out to do. Cooper was safe.

  Now, I needed to make sure I was safe.

  My shower took a little longer than I had been planning on, but that was simply because I spent most of it with my head under the water trying not to shatter into a million pieces. I didn’t know a lot about this ocelot business, but I didn’t think he wasn’t supposed to curl up inside of me and whimper.

  It took time, but I slowly realized my ocelot was grieving, and I was pretty sure I knew what he was grieving over. It was the same thing I was grieving over. That made my decision to put as much space between me and Cooper all that much easier…and all that much harder.

  It was an agonizing position to be in.

  I turned off the shower and climbed out, reaching for a towel. I dried off the best that I could then tied the towel around my waist.

  I gasped when I caught sight of my reflection in the mirror. My skin was pale, and I had large bags under my weary eyes. Even my hair looked listless. What was even worse was the constant down turn of my lips. I felt as if I was permanently frowning. Paolo would kill me if he saw me.

  Good thing I was getting out of the modeling business.

  I wonder how long it would take me to pack?

  I needed to decide what I was going to take, sell the rest, and get the hell out of dodge.

  Might help if I could figure out where to go. Home was off the list. Not only did I not want to deal with my parents and the people from my hometown, but there was always the chance that Cooper would visit Hank, possibly putting him in my path.

  The aim here was to not run into him.

  Paris was nice, and I did have a passport. Maybe I’d spend a couple of months there—and hopefully get a little color back in my cheeks—and then decide where I wanted to go.

  The corners of my mouth lifted.

  That was actually a plan.

  A good one.

  I grabbed another towel and started drying my hair as I opened the door and stepped out into the bedroom. I took two steps into the room before my ocelot sat up and howled. I froze as I stared at the man stretched out on the bed.

  “What do you want?” I asked in the coldest voice I could muster when my ocelot was doing a happy dance inside of me.

  “I told you we needed to talk,” Cooper replied as he got up and walked toward me.

  “No, we don’t.”

  “You may think we don’t, but we do.”


  “No, we don’t.”

  I was positive of it.

  “Andrew—”

  “What do you want from me, Cooper?” I tossed the towel on the end of the bed. It was better than wrapping it around Cooper’s throat. “You made it more than clear that you have no use for me. It took me a little while, but I’ve finally accepted that. Why are you trying to drag me back in?”

  “I love you.”

  “You—” I sucked in a painful breath as my world exploded.

  How could Cooper do this to me?

  “What did I ever do to you?” I had asked that question before when kids in school had tormented me, but my anguish had never been this bad, and they had never been this cruel. “Why do you hate me so much?”

  “Didn’t you hear me, Andrew?” Cooper asked. “I love you.”

  My anguish went up in the flames of my rage. I stalked over to Cooper and punched him right in the face. I was somewhat satisfied when he fell back a step, but not enough to not try and hit him again.

  “I hate you!” I shouted as I raised my fist again. “I hate you!”

  Cooper grabbed me before my fist could connect with his face again and crushed me against his chest. I struggled to get free, my despair turning into sobs.

  “Let me go!”

  “Andrew, baby, calm down.”

  The more I struggled, the tighter his arms became.

  “Andrew, just listen to me, please.”

  I slumped against him, the fight draining out of me. Besides the fact I was exactly where I dreamed of being, my ocelot was so upset, I was on the verge of shifting. I was afraid to find out what would happen if I did.

  I sniffled when Cooper’s hand slid through my hair and came to rest on the back of my neck. I closed my eyes when he pressed my head against his chest. When he spoke, his breath blew out against my ear. “I know you’re upset, Andrew, but if you just give me a chance…”

  I didn’t think I could refuse him.

  He must have felt my surrender. He swung me up in his arms and carried me over to the bed. He laid me out on the mattress and then stretched out beside me, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me into the curve of his body.

  I kept my eyes closed. I just didn’t think I had it in me to look at him in that moment. It was bad enough that I could feel him.