Criminal Instinct (16 page)

“There was that.” His elbows rested on the arm of his chair and he steepled his fingers. “How are you feeling?”

She was about to brush him off when she remembered being ill in his bathroom. “I’m fine. It wasn’t drugs that made me sick.”

“No, it wouldn’t be, would it?”

She wasn’t sure what he was hinting at. Before they went from polite to loud, she had something to tell him. “I wanted to thank you, and Brooks, for helping me with Paul last night. Not many people would have done the same.”

“What kind of thanks is sneaking out on me like some kind of escapee?”

She shook her head. He was still pissed.

“How is he?”

“As good as can be expected.” She shifted on the couch. “Why did you have me brought here, Jonas?”

“You lied to me.”

She lifted her eyebrows, hesitating only for a second. “Lied about what? I had to get Paul out of here. You weren’t about to let us leave, and I did what had to be done.” She’d followed her orders.

He got up from his desk, never breaking eye contact. Picking up a file from his desk, he walked to where she sat and tossed the folder into her lap. The file was a nice half-inch thick.

Glancing at him, she lifted the front flap.

The mug shot of her battered face stared back at her like a horrible hidden secret.

She flinched and threw the file on the floor.

Ana scraped her palms down the thighs of her jeans. Her jaw was stiff, but she managed to say, “So you know I’m a criminal.”

Jonas pulled over one of the white chairs from in front of his desk and sat two feet across from her, leaning forward, elbows resting on his knees, hands loosely clasped. The chair matched the leather couch she sat on, of course. “How does someone involved in an attempted murder,” her eyes jerked to his, “get let out of a prison sentence with nothing more than a slap on the wrist?”

The truth was, she never served her sentence. But she had been thrown into a cell for a few days to get a taste of what the Big House had to offer. Sarge had thought the stay would sway her decision to join SIDE. Big surprise—it had worked. One thing was for sure, nothing about her job constituted a slap on the wrist.

“It’s none of your business,” she finally answered. Not the most mature of comebacks, but he’d thrown her a curve she hadn’t expected.

“That’s where you’re wrong. It becomes my business when someone starts getting close to something I’m involved in. When someone I thought I could trust lies to me, I make it my business.”

His words brought on a flash of guilt. But she’d had no choice but to do her job. And she couldn’t believe he’d been feeling anything toward her emotionally. Hadn’t Kara told her Jonas didn’t get involved with his charity cases? He saw her as a Latina with a bad childhood who needed help. A statistic, really. That’s how she’d always been referred to by the system. Unless Jonas had the capability to turn back the clock, there was no help he could give her. Not that he wanted to help her after she walked out on him last night.

On his feet, he picked up the file and walked to a window, where he opened the manila folder. “Ana Moreno,” he began, “orphaned at the age of five—or was it abandoned by your mother?” He went on, not waiting for an answer. “Father deceased. First mark on your record, age twelve, caught shoplifting. Given community service. Same year, reported as a runaway. Age thirteen, arrested for disturbing the peace. Sentenced to juvie that time around, served two months. Age fourteen, arrested for joy riding in a stolen car. After that, the judge thought boot camp would set you straight.”

“I guess a sealed file means nothing these days,” she murmured.

At her remark, Jonas turned and studied her face. He must not have liked what he saw, because he threw the file onto his desk with enough force to knock off a pencil holder. Pens and pencils littered his cushy beige carpet. “I’ll cut to the chase. I know you belong to a government organization called Secret Informant Drug Enforcement.”

Holy…crap.

Nerves shook inside of her, her heart pounding with unease. She didn’t so much as shift, and she still didn’t say anything. Not yet.

“An organization to train criminals for undercover drug operations.” His face showed the first hint of anger. “Your codename is Switch. You’ve been undercover trying to find out if I’m behind an illegal Ecstasy shipment heading for San Francisco. You work under the orders of the DEA and San Francisco drug enforcement—Vice, Narcotics, the Chief of Police and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

Before she realized his intent, he was in front of her, stretching the collar of her sweater down as far as it would go. She threw her fisted hands up to knock his arms away, but his arms didn’t budge. His finger glided against her surgical scar where her SIDE tracker lay just under the skin.

She shivered.

“It is true,” he said softly. “My source thought this part might have been a rumor.”

Was that pity in his eyes? Somehow that was harder to take than his coldness. Luckily, the look didn’t last long.

“How could you let them do this to you?”

His disapproval hit hard. “Have you ever been in prison?” she snapped.

He stared at her. Having him so close was unnerving. She could smell his aftershave and no matter how she fought it, the scent still lured her closer.

“Can’t say that I have.”

“Then don’t condemn me for something you don’t understand.”

He released her collar and stepped away from her.

“You’re wrong, I do understand. I’ve heard what goes on in the prisons. You don’t mix with the kind of people I do without hearing stories.” He almost smirked. “But the things I heard about this SIDE organization…I couldn’t believe it was possible.”

Well, believe it.
She pulled the lapels of her coat together. “You either have damn good sources or very deep pockets. Most of that information is classified.”

“I have both,” he said, his voice all business once again. Any emotion he felt evaporated behind some invisible face shield. “I’ll say it again, you lied to me.”

“I never outright lied—”

“Same fucking difference, Ana.”

She swallowed hard at his words. He’d already passed his judgment. She was a liar and he’d told her in the beginning that he didn’t deal with deceit.

Running her hands back through her hair, she cleared her throat. She would let him in on something she’d felt all along. “I don’t think you’re behind the Ecstasy shipment. I may not have the evidence to clear you, but…” She faltered when he cursed. “What?” She was almost too afraid to know.

“I don’t care if I’m cleared off DEA’s damn hit list. It works better for me if I’m not.”

“I don’t understand.”

His arms rose out to his sides, palms up. “What do you think I’m doing here, Ana? What the hell do you think I do?”

“I’m not sure.” She hesitated and then began to crack her knuckles. “You run the club, gallery and security for both. Maybe illegal gambling. Only you don’t work for Brooks. That’s some kind of cover. He works for you.”

“Right on one count. Ray works for me. There’s no illegal gambling or drug trafficking. I may pick and choose the laws I abide, but I’m no criminal.”

She blinked. He said “criminal” as if it was one of the lowest life forms. She was accustomed to hearing the disgust in other people’s voices, but coming from him…it hurt. “Then why? Why the rumors, the false reputation?”

“I put drug dealers away.”

“You’re not involved with an agency.”

“Hell no. I work for myself.”

“All this is a cover?” He didn’t confirm or deny. “Why would you do this?”

A cold smirk formed on his full lips. “None of your business.”

“You’re right.” She stood, her hands clenched at her sides, a plan forming quickly in her mind. “It isn’t any of my business. But if we’re fighting for the same goal, we might as well work together.”

Disbelief flashed across his face before he shook his head. It looked as if she could still surprise him. Good for her. “You want
my
help?”

“I have something you want in exchange.”

“That so?” He raked a hot gaze up and down her body, the blatant ogle meant to intimidate her.

She wanted to turn away, but she jutted her chin and held her ground. “Information. Anything you want to know about the shipment that I know, I’ll tell you. In exchange for what you know.”

He was quiet for so long she thought he wouldn’t answer. “How can I trust you?”

“It’s a risk you’ll have to take. I don’t have a wire, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“No, my men would have found it.”

“So that’s why the pat down. I thought it was for weapons. I should have known you would be thorough.”

“Obviously I can’t be the trusting fool I was with you.” Before she could retort, he held up a hand. “Let’s hear what you know first. If it’s worth it, I’ll deal.”

No time for second thoughts. She had to go with her instinct and trust the man who felt she had betrayed him. She had nothing to lose, everything to gain, since Sarge was ready to put her behind bars and throw away the key.

She started from the beginning, the Thursday night rave when one small-time dealer had leaked Jonas’s name with the information of a large shipment coming into the Bay Area before he’d been killed. She told him about the three suspects given to SIDE by DEA, to her tie to Dolini, the Suits and what Doms had said at the motel last night.

His eyebrows lowered in a scowl. “Why didn’t you tell me Barley gave you my name?”

She inclined her head, just as he’d done so many times to her. “How did I know you really weren’t the bad guy?”

His broad shoulders seemed to square. He turned away and walked to the window, where he stuffed his hands inside the pockets of his gray corduroys. “When I was in your apartment and told you about my employee being killed, you acted strange when I said his name. You thought my man was the dealer from the rave, the one who mentioned my name. Didn’t you?”

She didn’t answer. Didn’t have to. Jonas was a smart man. He grasped things quickly.

“What about Salvador Tyler?” he asked. “You have anything on him?”

“My boss is trying to connect him to illegal porn. Anything to get some kind of lead on the guy.” She crossed her arms. “Someone’s gunning for you. Do you know who that might be?”

“I have my suspicions.”

“A deal’s a deal, Jonas.”

He whirled so fast she jolted, but she forced herself to hold her ground as he took quick steps toward her, invading her personal space. She slowly lifted her head to meet his gaze.

“And what about you?” His voice had gone quiet, his body language aggressive.

She braced her body, not sure what to expect from him anymore. Had she ever? “What are you talking about?”

“Are
you
part of the deal?” She lowered her gaze to his shoulder. The cotton fabric of the T-shirt strained across his bicep. “I told you all I know.”

He tipped her chin up with a finger. He wasn’t looking into her eyes, but staring at her lips. “What if…I still want you in my bed?” he murmured.

A fly ball coming out of nowhere, it took all her will not to duck and run. “You’re not serious?”

“You were willing to get close to me for your job. What’s the difference now?” His eyes flared. The amber in them glistened like gold. “I still want you. For now.”

For now
. “I never intended on sleeping with you for information.”

“When your tongue was in my mouth you seemed pretty damn encouraging.”

Anger flashed hot inside of her. “I told you I’m attracted, but I don’t use that as an excuse to jump in someone’s bed. Damn it, I’m not one of your bimbos.”

“I never thought you were.” He shook his head, stepped back. “You’re free to go.”

Her body vibrated with tension. “I served my purpose, now you want me gone? How generous of you, Saven.”

“It’s your call, Ana.” His face transformed into that distant handsome mask, the one she’d come to realize materialized when he drew back inside himself. And she wanted to smash her fist into it.

She spun away, raking her fingers through her hair. Covering his emotions took amazing restraint. More than anything she resented that—his self-control, his way of turning unemotional in the heat of anger. But she’d seen a glimpse of feeling underneath the shield last night when she wouldn’t tell him what he wanted to know about Dominic Barley. In a way, it was a relief to find out he was actually human before she walked away from him.

She moved toward the door and faltered.

Come on, Ana. Don’t jump the gun
.

Wasn’t that how she always ended up in trouble? She turned back toward him, not entirely sure what she wanted, what she would do. Only that she didn’t want to leave with them pissed at each other.

She met his eyes. “Jonas, I…”

Something about the way he held himself made her hesitate. There was tension in his neck and shoulders, as if he was trying to hold himself completely still and couldn’t.

As if maybe…his ultimatum didn’t sit so well with that moral streak of his?

The ball of tension in her gut loosened by slow degrees.

Oh, he was good.

Just not good enough.

She nearly fell for it. He was trying to get her to walk away without discovering his knowledge of the X shipment. Even though she’d only known Jonas a few days, she could say without a doubt that forcing her into his bed was not his true character. For the life of her, she didn’t know how she understood this. She just did. He wanted to intimidate her, to make her back off. What better way to get her to run in the opposite direction than to throw the proposition of sex in front of her—the one thing she’d been avoiding at all costs.

He wouldn’t get away with it.

This time, she’d outplay him.

“Once,” she said, and her mouth went dry. God, was she really doing this? She swallowed. Yeah, apparently she was. “I’ll go to bed with you once.”

His eyes flickered. A jolt of surprise?

Satisfaction squirmed inside of her. She fought to keep the pleasure off her face. “On the condition you tell me your reasons behind this vigilante deal.”

He dropped his gaze to his shoes as if he didn’t want her to see his reaction. When he lifted his head, challenge shimmered in his eyes.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Damn the man, he was calling her bluff.

“If that’s the way it has to be.” His voice slid out smooth as silk.

She nibbled on her bottom lip, raised her eyebrows. “Well, let’s get this over with.” She tugged at the lapels of her jacket.

“Not here. Jesus.”

She finally let the smile come out. “Where?”

“I’ll pick you up. Tell you what you want to know then.”

“Give me an address and a time.” He’d called enough of the shots already. She didn’t need him to cart her around like a dog on a leash.

“Embassy Hotel. Ten tonight.”

Fancy lodgings. She’d heard enough about it to know she’d never step a foot in there in her life. Well, until tonight. Her cell signaled a text and she pulled it out of her pants pocket.
511. SIDE headquarters ASAP.

“Be there, Ana, and don’t be late. I’ve waited long enough.”

She shot him an irritated look, both for his arrogance and the way her pulse sped up. “I’ll get there when I can.”
If I can
. “Or have you forgotten I have a job to do?”

“I haven’t forgotten.” He walked over to his desk and picked up her switchblade and tools. “Any more problems with the Suits?”