Operation London (26 page)

Stepping off of the bus, Ava felt her heart slam into her chest
. A black Ferrari glinted in the hot sun, and Angel leaned against it, his hands in the pockets of his immaculate khakis. He was staring straight at them, like a beast stalking his prey, silent and hungry.

Magdalene didn't miss a beat
. "Angel!  It's so cool that you came to pick us up!" she screeched, running to give him a hug and a kiss on his smooth cheek. Ava tried to ignore the way his hands grabbed at her friend's backside, roughly and as if he possessed it. She tried not to notice the carnal glance he sent towards her, even as he pulled Magdalene against his body a little too tightly.

"Chicas, welcome to my home," he said when Ava came closer
. "Don't be shy, beautiful. This is going to be one of the best times of your life."

He extended his hand to Ava and she looked at the long brown fingers for a few endless seconds before taking his hand
. She was shocked to find it warm and smooth. She had become so accustomed to thinking of him as a reptile that any human qualities he exhibited surprised her.

"I'm sure it's going to be so much fun!" Magdalene cried, bouncing up to kiss Angel on the cheek
. Her act was so concrete Ava would have been a little nervous, if not for the glint like steel in those soft green eyes. Magdalene was taking it all in and making sure that Angel swallowed every last act. "Just let us go upstairs and change and we'll be right back!"

Thankful for the escape, Ava followed Magdalene into the lobby to the desk
. She calmed her breathing while Magdalene negotiated getting the room key in very good Spanish. They headed to a crowded elevator and made no move to talk until they reached their own room, where the bellhop had already deposited their bags.

The room was gorgeous, high ceilings, an enormous bed, bright decor, and a huge sliding door that exited directly to the beach behind the house
. But the chill of the night's work left both girls shying away from the view.

"Are you feeling OK, Ava?"  Magdalene asked tenderly
. She could admit just as quickly as the next person that she wasn't exactly a softhearted person, but that didn't stop her from feeling immense sympathy for her friend. "I know he makes you crazy. Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"It's the only idea, really," Ava said, forcing air out of her full red lips as she sat on the bed shakily
. "It's just such a.... personal combo. I've never been this close and connected with so many people on one case before. I'm so worried about Marie, she's just a kid. I have a horrible feeling about Angel that I just can't shake. Lucia is somewhere near the edge and I don't know if I want to punch her or give her a hug," she finished, shaking her head with exasperation.

"But you're doing your best, Ava
. We all are," Magdalene said, rubbing Ava's arm comfortingly. "You're not doing this alone. We have your back."

"I know," she whispered
. "That's almost the worst. I've pulled Miguel back into this life after he worked so hard to get away from it."

"Wrong!  Completely wrong!" the fiery blonde cried
. "This needed to be taken care of before the two of you could ever move on!  He would have lived his whole life with this hanging over his head, and one day he would have confronted it, God knows where or under what kind of circumstances. Just be thankful that we're on the offensive and we're working together," Magdalene insisted.

"I never thought about it that way," Ava said quietly
. "I never thought about how it could have taken over our whole life. I should have because I know first hand......" she said quietly, her voice breaking.

"We need to see this through, Ava
. You and Miguel have something really special together, and having Angel around could hurt it," Magdalene said quietly.

Ava felt how right her friend was, felt it like a white hot light burning in her
. "We do have something special, don't we?"

"Yes!  Of course
. And you two make a great team. Now you need to trust each other and take care of this scum. This is for Marie first. But it's also for the future you and Miguel have together."

Ava nodded, her heart thundering in her chest
. For the first time in a long time, she felt absolutely sure. She didn't know how, but something within her told her that she would be able to face Angel without fear. That her love for Miguel would make it possible for her to fight this fight. She was ready.

The women dressed silently, each choosing something tight, slinky and sexy
. It wasn't ideal for kicking ass, but it would be their absolute ticket to fitting in. They needed to look great and slip by the other gorgeous women Angel no doubt fraternized with. With a quick hug and a silent look, Ava and Magdalene made their way downstairs to the sleek black car that would take them to Marie and a step closer to putting Angel and his destruction out of their lives forever.

The sunshine of Mexico's afternoon sky scalded the blacktop and made it almost impossible to move without developing a thin sheen of sweat
. The girls crowded into the Ferrari, Magdalene slipping in the back before Ava could try. Ava knew that she had to make this more believable, and her own reluctance was completely unnerving. She could usually put on a show to match her bubbly friend's, at least for a little while. This time around something felt too close. Angel was too perceptive and way too dangerous for Ava to toy with.

The car sped away, kicking up a good deal of dust and sending the three travelers into the distance
. Ava felt her world go dark as she forced her breath in and out, hoping she could control herself enough to pull through and find Marie.

Miguel and Cormac stood several feet away from one another, gauging the queen bed in the middle of the room with wary eyes.

"Well man, maybe one of us could take another room?" Cormac said, his brogue slightly pained as he tried to come up with a plan that didn't involve him sharing a bed with the other man.

"Booked," Miguel said grimly, making his way to the window.

"Worried about the girls are ya?" Cormac asked, sitting down the soft mattress. He hadn't been able to relax since he had watched their plane hurtle into the gray sky in Houston that morning. The girls had already been in Mexico for several hours. Magdalene had text messaged him that they were with Angel, and once Cormac had shared the news, Miguel's tension rose.

"I'm really worried," Miguel sighed, running his hand through his midnight hair in a gesture of true exasperation
. "That asshole could be up to anything. We have no way of knowing where she is!  And she just thinks she's gonna waltz in like it's some damn episode of
Law and Order
!"  His fist met the glass of the balcony door, rattling the window against its hinges.

"Maybe we should go and look after them," Cormac said
. Miguel's poor temper allowed him to let go of his own cool for the time being. "We aren't any use here, that's for sure."  There was a bad boy gleam in his eyes. Ava was the boss, no doubt about that, but she needed help. And he and Miguel could act as backup.

"Let's go," Miguel said, feeling relief flood through his veins
. The men suited up properly and made their way out the door.

"What will Ava say?" Cormac wondered as they walked down the rich cream hallways.

"Hopefully she'll just use actions to convey her thanks," Miguel grinned. They marched past the service desk where a slim man shouted that he wished them a romantic evening.

"So are the two of you an official item?" Cormac asked, revving the engine of their rental Jeep.

"I say we are."
"And Ava?"

"I don't know about her."  Miguel's mouth was set in a hard line
. The more time that passed, the more he wished he could just say she was his and be positive about it.

Cormac grinned as he whizzed down the lazy streets
. Dusk was falling and the nightlife was just beginning to come alive. Women with beautiful eyes and long, swaying hair blew the two men kisses at stoplights. Fast paced, dance ready music pumped into the balmy air, making Cormac feel like finding a lady to dance with.

"So what's going on with you and Magdalene?" Miguel asked smoothly, settling against the seat to better stretch his long legs
. A small smile played at the corner of his mouth as Cormac's fury rose.

"That one!  She's good for nothing but trouble!  I've been around that block," he muttered, cursing viciously at the slow moving car in front of him
.

"It seems to me like you might still have a thing for her," Miguel pointed out, stifling a laugh as Cormac sputtered and balked
. A moment ago he'd wanted to lash out in frustration over Cormac's interrogation. Now that the tables were turned he was enjoying himself.

"It seems to me like we should keep our minds focused on protecting the ladies tonight," Cormac growled sulkily
. Miguel threw his hands up in a gesture of peace.

The late night moon was a fine, dusky pearl in the sky above them
. Ava and Magdalene were being ushered to Angel's home in a fancy car. The air between them was tense and silence, necessary for two women about to go into a lion's den.

Marie's face was glued in Ava's mind, poking up and reminding her over and over again that this wouldn't be an easy situation
. Angel considered the girl his sole property and very little would change his mind concerning that fact. There might be no way to get to her. Ava had no idea where he kept her, how she could reach the girl. Magdalene's plan to sweep the house was organized and intelligent, but it left a huge amount of possible completion to chance. Ava ran her hands up and down over her bare thighs nervously. Her skin was hardly covered by a short, clingy black dress. Heavy perfume filled the car interior and the two women were dressed to kill, but their serious, worried faces betrayed the reality of their evening out; it could very well end up very ugly. Squeezing her eyes shut, Ava reminded herself that she was a professional, that she could be counted on to do what was right for Marie, could prove to everyone that she was a force to be reckoned with. Most of all she could prove it to Miguel.

Her gray eyes narrowed to slits as the car pulled up in front of a large, white mansion
. Lights cascaded off of the roof and the eaves and the heavy beats of music made the warm night air pulsate. The wide, white birch door of the palace was set up high, and Ava knew the reason was that there existed an entire living space underneath the main floors. She and Magdalene exchanged a look of comfort and readiness before each burst into a bright smile and stepped from the car.

Angel was making his way out of the house slowly, taking time to drink in the arriving women
. Ava's slinky dress caught his attention and peaked his excitement immediately. Magdalene didn't intrigue him nearly as much; maybe it was because he could sense that she had no fear where he was involved. He might make her nervous, but the green eyed beauty seemed to feel she could handle him. Ava on the other hand seemed to sense his darkest secrets, seemed to cower before his hatred and power. Yet at the same time she wanted to claw him to death. He could feel her burn, the licking, wanting flames that she never needed a match to start. And that made him want her even more.

"How wonderful of you to join us," Angel smiled silkily
. He was dressed in immaculate white from head to toe, his long black hair pulled back neatly. Ava realized that he would be a handsome man if not for the frighteningly flat, dead look in his eyes. He waved a hand lazily and a servant in a tuxedo scurried over with three glasses of red wine.

Angel took two glasses down, sloshing the blood red liquid a little as she handed them to the women before him and licked his lips appreciatively
.

"Thank you for inviting us," Magdalene said smoothly, batting her eyes at him as she dipped her golden head down to take a sip from her wineglass.

"It's my pleasure," he returned, his voice almost a drawl. Ava wondered if he was drunk already?  Maybe on drugs?  What would make him so lazy and languid?

"Can we see your place?" Ava asked, flashing his a quick smile as she touched the deep liquid to her lips and took a tiny taste
. The wine was full and heavy, enveloping and seductive.

Angel made his way over to her, twining a finger through her shining hair
. "I can see you've relaxed a little, bonita. Maybe we can finally have some real fun," he whispered, leaning over to kiss her neck.

Ava held still, allowing him to handle her despite her trepidations
. Her only real ace was Angel's attraction to her. If this was Japan and he was just some womanizing lout, she would have kneed him in the family jewels. But Ava knew that this was a whole other ballgame, with a young woman's life as the prize.

So she gave him an encouraging nod and pulled his hand into hers, sealing the illusion of mutual want
. It felt like her fingers were smoldering against his flesh.

They walked into the house, richly lit with thousands of flickering candles hanging from chandeliers and floating in gorgeous fountains and tubs
. The music was intense, a beat that seemed to have no beginning and no end. The primal sounds gushed out over the floor, exciting the partygoers to dance and grind with wild abandon. Ava and Magdalene took in the pounding, rubbing mix of limbs with a little shock. The dancers seemed to be under a spell, unaware of any limits or boundaries. The entire place seemed spell bound, captured in the eternity of one wrenching moment.