Revenge for Hire (The Get Even Agency) (21 page)

“What did you tell him?”

“Just your cell number and to call before six since we’d be on
a plane to Nashville after that.”

Avery’s gaze shot to Randi, who grinned like her crap didn’t
stink. “You did not.”

Randi waggled her brows. “You sure?”

Avery hesitated only a moment before answering. “Yes, I’m sure.”

Randi laughed. “Then you’d be right.” She took a card from her
jean pocket and flung it. “Here, he wanted me to give you this.”

Avery caught the business card and stared at it. Playhouse Magazine
ran across the top in bright letters. Underneath it read “Where Men Come to
Play” in smaller letters. At the side was Jude’s office information. Office
information that was no longer a viable way of reaching Jude thanks to TGEA. With
less than steady fingers, she flipped the card. Boldly scrawled across the back
was a phone number. His cell number and the message, “Call me”.

“Maybe he wanted
you
to call him,” she told Randi, her
pulse pounding at the thought. “Because he’s already given me this number on
two occasions.”

But as quickly as she said it she dismissed it. Jude wouldn’t
try to hit on Randi, not after last night. This morning.

Which was a downright foolish thought.

Jude was a player, a known playboy. That’s why they were hired
in the first place. Of course he’d hit on gorgeous Randi. Randi was male orgasm
waiting to happen. The only reason he’d dissed her before was because of his
“No Sex” vow. Otherwise it would have been Randi in that back hallway with Jude.
Randi sleeping, loving, showering with Jude. Only because of a ridiculous vow
that led him to resist Randi had Avery ended up on the case.

“Or maybe he thought you might have lost or thrown it away
since his phone hasn’t rang,” Cassidy helpfully provided, looking quite smug.

Payback Puss raised his head and grinned equally smug. Know it
all cat.

Avery shot a silencing glare. Truth was, Jude hit on Randi. His
world was collapsing around him and he’d been attempting to get into Randi’s
painted-on jeans. So much for his supposed affections. Not that she’d bought
into his lies anyway. He was a total scumbag player who deserved everything
they’d done to him.

“Or maybe,” Randi paused for dramatic effect, “he was feeling
desperate because the woman he loves slipped out of his life with no way for
him to find her. Seems she didn’t bother to leave a glass slipper calling card
for her prince to discover who she is.”

Avery gasped. She hadn’t told Randi what Jude said. Which meant
she was guessing or he’d said something to make Randi think that. In which
case, he hadn’t been trying to get Randi naked.

“What did he say? Exactly?”

“That if I saw you to tell you to call him and,” Randi paused
again until Avery gave her an exasperated look, “that he loves you.”

Randi dragged the words out in much the same way a five-year-old
teasing a friend might have.

Avery rubbed her hands over her face.

“Quit that,” Cassidy scolded, ever conscious of skin and health
care. “It’ll cause wrinkles.”

“Wrinkles are the least of my problems.” Why would Jude tell
Randi that?

Randi’s mouth twisted and she plopped onto the end of the sofa,
once again causing Payback Puss to lift his head. Crossing her arms, Randi
pinned Avery beneath her gaze. “What’s going on, Av? What kind of problems?”

She shook her head. “Nothing, except what Mandy intended. Like
what we intended,” she corrected. “Jude’s life has fallen apart.”

“Why’s that your problem?”

“It’s not.”

Randi’s gaze narrowed. “You’re second guessing yourself because
of what he said?”

“That he loves me?” Avery gave a wry smile. “He told me that
last night. If I’d believed him or wanted to stop this, I could have called
you.”

“Oh hell.” A light dawned in Randi’s eyes. “You did call me
last night.”

Yeah, she had, but she’d not been able to go through with
asking Randi to hold off on taking away Jude’s life. It would have been too
late anyway. Randi entered in the bank deposits yesterday afternoon and made
them appear to have occurred sequentially once a month for the past three months.
She’d entered the transfers on
Hustled’s
account as
well and had Simon’s call to Hustled rerouted to where Randi took the call. All
bases were covered to ruin Jude’s career, before she’d called. They’d also ruined
his reputation. His credit. Bumped him out of his apartment for the weekend to
keep him more flustered and less likely to make correct assumptions.

“I spoke with Mandy,” Randi said, breaking the silence. “You’re
right, she’s a witch.”

Avery nodded, tired of the whole mess. She glanced at her watch.
Almost three.

“You want me to undo everything?” Randi’s question was low, but
had the impact of nitroglycerin.

Not that she could. Some things couldn’t be undone.

Avery’s stomach twisted into knots, her shoulders tensed, her
blood thundered through her veins.

“No,” she denied. “Jude made his bed many times over. Now he
can lie in it.

Chapter Seventeen

“Man, someone has screwed you up.” Marcus didn’t mince his words,
nor did he say anything Jude didn’t already know.

Although the press would likely have a field day with it, Jude
had gone to Marcus’ for a place to stay. Where else could he go? Sure, he
probably could have picked up a woman for the night, but hell if he wanted to. Besides,
he’d have had to endure the “Are you really gay?” question, and he’d bust
someone’s lip if he heard it a single time more.

Flying to his parents would look too much like running home
with his tail tucked between his legs. No way would Jude give whoever had done
this the satisfaction of appearing whooped.

Particularly if that someone was Mandy.

Marcus’ spare bedroom would do for the remainder of the weekend.

He took a sip of the beer he nursed. Despite wanting to drown
his sorrows and hopefully wake to find this day had been a horrible nightmare,
he refused to give in to the urge to get rip roaring drunk. He needed his mind
alert to figure out this mess.

Funny, the day started great. With him inside an Angel and
feeling like he could leap tall buildings and race speeding locomotives. Like
he’d found a woman who would never bore him and that he’d spend the rest of his
life making love to. Who could have guessed just how low the day would go?

“How bad is it?”

“On selling secrets to Hustled? If what Simon says is true, you
look guilty as sin, but I doubt he’ll be able to make any criminal charges
stick. Your reputation will be shot, but you won’t go to jail.” Marcus shrugged.
“We won’t know until we can get copies of your bank statements, but the fact
you have the monthly statements and there’s no record of any deposits helps. You’re
sure he said you’d been having deposits for months?”

Jude nodded.

“On your apartment, nothing to do there but wait the weekend
out and hope nothing’s been messed with, including those statements.” Marcus
looked grim. “My guess is those statements won’t be there when you go back.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Just a hunch.” Marcus took a sip of his long neck. “Someone’s
set you up to take the fall for selling secrets to Hustled.”

“I can understand keeping me out of my apartment for the
weekend, and even locking my bank account up so I can’t go straight to Simon
and prove it’s all a lie, but my credit cards, too? Mandy’s the likely culprit
except it doesn’t make sense. Why the hell would someone trying to set me up to
take the wrap for selling secrets bother with the other stuff? The gay stuff? Who
at Playhouse has those kind of connections? To have the government close down
my financial life?”

Marcus shrugged. “Someone who wanted you gone from the magazine
for good.”

Jude took another sip, ignoring how the liquid sloshed in his
otherwise empty belly. He probably should have eaten, but food hadn’t been a
priority, hadn’t appealed. The last thing he’d eaten had been breakfast with
Angela.
 

She’d acted nervous
.

He’d put it down to the fact he suspected she was married or at
the minimal tied to another man. Was it possible she’d known what his day held?
He recalled how she kept him from buying a paper. Why? It didn’t make sense
that she would be involved. Not really. What possible reason would she have for
wanting to destroy him? He’d only met her on Monday.

Monday. The day he’d gotten sick.

Tuesday. The day he’d kissed Angel in a pub hallway.

Wednesday. The day he’d had an allergic reaction.

Thursday. The day he’d made love to an angel.

Friday. The day his world crashed around him.

“Angela.”

“What about her?”

He had to be wrong. “Do you think she could be behind this?”

“What would be her motive?” Marcus echoed Jude’s thoughts. “Unless
you were totally lame in bed.”

He wouldn’t go there.

He shrugged. “Kind of odd that she showed up at the time my
life went to hell.”

“Love’s like that.”

Love. He’d told Angel he loved her. He’d never felt this way
before. Protective and like he could spend the rest of his life waking just to
see her face.

His cell rang.

“No temp service was contacted to replace Mrs.
Sedwick
,” Harriet said. “I stayed late today, because I
couldn’t believe it when human resources found no record of a requisition. When
nothing turned up, I tracked down Mrs.
Sedwick’s
cell
phone number. She didn’t make the call either.”

“No one hired Angela Greene?”

“Not anyone from Playhouse.”

Oh hell.

Jude hung up his phone.

“You think it was her?”

His heart said it couldn’t be, but his mind, well, his mind
said she was connected. It also said Mandy was involved. She’d known about the
accounts. His apartment, she’d known that before he had.

Had Angela snuck cockroaches into his apartment last night? Perhaps
in her purse?

Jude laughed without humor. What was he thinking? Of course,
she hadn’t. The whole idea bordered on insane.
 
 

“The temp wasn’t a temp?” Marcus asked, cutting into Jude’s
thoughts.

“Nope.”

“Who was she?”

“That is the million dollar question, isn’t it?” Jude finished
off his beer and decided a second one wouldn’t hurt. He walked to the fridge
and helped himself, then plopped down on the sofa. “I only know of one person
who has the answer.”

Marcus ran his hand over his chin and grimaced. “You want to
file suit?”

“For what? We have no proof.” Jude took a long drink. “No, I
want to know what the hell is going on, and then I want revenge.”

Marcus stared at him through troubled eyes. “You’re going to
call Mandy?”

“Yep, and she’s going to tell me what’s going on.” He took a
long drink of the fresh longneck. “One way or another, she’ll tell me
everything I want to know.”

* * *

Avery lay back on her bed and stared at the ceiling.

It felt good to be home. She missed Tennessee any time she was
called away for more than a few days. There was something about the hills, the
air, the state itself that had embedded itself in her heart.

Last night, they’d arrived in Nashville, caught up with
Courtney, and then resided in their private quarters, each catching up with
personal stuff.

Randi on her computer, Cassidy writing on the book she thought
none of them knew about although they all did, Courtney working on her cases
for the next week, and Avery putting herself through a grueling workout. Which
she’d done again first thing this morning while the other three agents went
horse back
riding over the sixty acre spread they called
home.

Avery hadn’t been up for the questions sure to come had she
accompanied her friends.

She’d left for the temporary agency long before they’d returned.
Holly Hogan, the manager and a former TGEA client, did an excellent job keeping
things in tip-top shape, but Avery liked to keep an eye on business.

Because she couldn’t completely relinquish control. Not of the
temporary service, not of the agency, not of her heart.

Her door opened and Cassidy walked in.

“Come on,” she said, pulling Avery from her thoughts. “We’re
taking you to the Wild Horse for some partying.”

Avery’s favorite place in Nashville to go for good music,
dancing, and fun. “I really don’t feel like it tonight, but y’all go ahead.”

“No.” Courtney poked her head into the room. “You have to go
because we’re taking you out to celebrate.”

“Celebrate?” Avery asked, confused. Payback Puss leaped onto
her bed and seemed to join in with the party. Avery stroked her hand over his
back.

“Oh yeah,” Randi chimed from behind Courtney. “We’re going to
celebrate good times. Come on.”

All three girls began to dance and shake to imaginary music. Cassidy
grabbed Avery’s hand while Randi spun Courtney around. Payback Puss meowed from
his perch on the bed.

“Everybody’s
gonna
have a good time,”
Randi sang.

“’Cause Avery got her some,” Courtney added off key.

Avery’s eyes widened. “We’re celebrating
that
?”

“Honey, it’s been over five years,” Randi reminded, dancing
around. “Of course we’re celebrating
that
.”

“Yeah, we should send Jude Layman a fruit basket or something,”
Courtney laughed, still moving to the beat in her head.

“Or something,” Cassidy said on a more serious note, her eyes
locked with Avery’s.

“Come on, you two. Let’s go,” Randi demanded. “We have some
serious partying to do.”

“Especially since we’ll all be in different parts of the
country most of next week.”

Avery allowed Cassidy to pull her to her feet. “I give. I give.”
She smiled. “Give me two minutes, and I’ll be ready to go.”

“
Ooooh
, is bad girl Avery planning to
primp a bit and possibly get laid again tonight?” Courtney teased.

“I wouldn’t bet on it unless Jude Layman shows up at the Wild Horse.”
Cassidy shot a look Avery chose to ignore. She’d talk to her later, in private,
and remind that Jude was nothing more than a mark. One whose file had been
deleted except for the high security encryption. Avery intended to erase him
from her memory just as completely.

“Jude?” Courtney stopped dancing, glanced around at the three
women. “We’re through with his case, though, right? We got our man?”

“Yes, we’re finished with Jude Layman.” Avery glanced in the
mirror, couldn’t meet her own eyes, and decided she didn’t care what she looked
like. “Let’s go. I don’t need two minutes after all.”

* * *

Mandy stepped out of the tub and wrapped her damp body with an
over-sized towel. She’d scrubbed and perfumed every inch of her body in
preparation for the night ahead.

She’d known Jude would come around to her way of thinking. She
really was going to have it all. Her father’s approval, her rightful place as
editor-in-chief at the magazine, and Jude in her bed. Too funny that he was
reportedly gay. A less gay man had never walked the face of the earth. The man
oozed testosterone and adored women.

Just as women adored him.

Now he was going to be hers.

She stared in her bathroom mirror and liked what she saw. Her
skin was flawless, her lips full and pink, her eyes large and luminous, her
cheekbones high, her nose pert, her breasts large and peeping over the top of
the towel. Sure some of the procedures left her looking like a car accident
victim for the first few days, but the end product was worth it. She was
beautiful. Jude wanted her.

That’s what he’d called earlier to say. That he wanted to see
her. Tonight.

She’d had plans, of course. What Saturday night did a woman
with her social connections not have plans? But Jude’s silver tongue convinced
her she should cancel and let him make better use of her time.

Not enough time had passed for her to forget how much better
use of her time Jude could be.

She smiled at herself in the mirror as memories of making love
with him flooded her mind. He was such an attentive lover, seeming to know what
she wanted even before she did.

Heat also flooded. Hot, moist heat that pooled between her legs.
Watching herself in the mirror, Mandy dropped the towel and ran her hands over
her body.

Tonight was all about making Mandy feel good.

* * *

Jude forced a smile on his face as he offered Mandy a bite of
his lobster. He’d taken her to one of Manhattan’s finest restaurants. Not a
place where he generally hung out, but Mandy’s crowd could often be found wining
and dining there. He’d been wining and dining her for a week now. A whole week
and he still didn’t know anything beyond his suspicions.

“
Mmmm
, this is delicious,” she cooed,
making Jude nauseated. He wished he could just strangle the truth out of her. Threatening
her wouldn’t work and he might end up with nothing at all. With Mandy, if he
gave her enough rope, she’d eventually hang herself.

In Mandy’s case enough rope equaled letting her smugness blind
her. Whatever it was she’d done, she’d eventually slip and reveal the truth. Mandy
couldn’t keep a secret any better than she could stay away from the nip and
tuck set.

“As you are,” he lied, placing a kiss on her cheek.

He hated to think about the lengths he’d gone to regain her
trust.

She giggled.

When he called last week, Jude worried she wouldn’t buy that he
wanted to take her out since he’d point blank told her he’d never want her back.
He’d anticipated having to beg and grovel. She accepted his invitation as if
she’d expected nothing less than him wanting her back all along.