The Spy With the Silver Lining (10 page)

He could feel her now touching him. Feel her shiver as he entered her. The fever would always take them quickly, each time as fresh and new as the first.

Merrick stayed two hours with Johanna, and as he walked back to his car, he called Sarah and canceled their dinner for tomorrow night. It was as he was on his way back to the city that Polax called.

“I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon. Is something wrong?”

“You bet your ass something’s wrong. Your agent told Casmir she’s the bait.”

Merrick remained calm. “Did she call you?”

“No. I called her to check on how things were going.”

“And she took your head off for lying to her.”

“No. She was as cold as a fish. Then she said something that waved a red flag.”

“And that was…?”

“She told me she wanted Ruza out of Le Mystère immediately, and that if something happened to her, she wanted me to promise that Ruza would be taken care of. She demanded that I put it in writing. She knows our plan. Dammit, Adolf, your agent had no right to—”

“I gave him clearance to tell her. Not everything, just enough to keep her at the cabin. Pierce thought it would be best if—”

“I know what’s best for Casmir. I need her a hundred percent when Petrov gets his hands on her. He’s ruthless, and if he senses this is a setup, he could kill her before we can get her out of there.”

“Pierce is a damn good agent. If I didn’t trust him to do the job, I wouldn’t have supported this mission. Maybe you should call Balasi back and tell her everything. I mean everything, Lev.”

“Hell, no! Ruza would kill me, and then IsaDora would take my body and dig it under her rose garden for fertilizer. Absolutely not.”

“At least Balasi hasn’t declined the mission, or her role in it.”

“I’m a little surprised she hasn’t. I expected her to resign from Quest. But there was no mention of walking out on the agency or the mission. Just her demand that Ruza be removed from Le Mystère, and my promise to care for her.”

“This will work out like we planned. We’ve thought this through. It will work.”

“I have news that Petrov’s men will make their move on Casmir in the next couple of days. Did you pick up the one Fourtier caught spying on the cabin?”

“His name’s Anton Candulee, and he’s on his way to D.C. as we speak. We’ll try to get some information out of him, but you and I both know that Petrov’s men are damn loyal to him.”

“I guess phase two has started. In a few days I’ll know if I did the right thing. Damn, I hope so, Adolf. I couldn’t live with this if it turned sour.”

T
he ride into Le Mystère was strained. Pierce had tried at conversation, but what he’d learned since last night was that Casmir was short on forgiveness. He was still in the doghouse, and would no doubt stay there throughout the entire mission.

He’d given up trying to talk to her a mile back and turned the radio on. When she’d turned it off a second later, he’d lit up a cigarette, deciding to let her cool off in silence.

Good thing the Jeep he’d rented was open since the heat was damn close to a hundred in the shade, and the steam rolling off his passenger had raised his discomfort level another twenty degrees.

He pulled up in front of the local grocery store and gas station. When he climbed out, he noticed she didn’t.

“Come on, it’s showtime.”

She gave him a cold stare.

“It was your idea that we look like a happy couple. Tyrel Jenkins over there across the street is gawkin’. If you don’t want him spreading a rumor that there’s trouble in paradise, I’d paste a smile on that pretty face of yours and start acting deliriously happy.”

“Delirious. Now there’s a word. Heat stroke is another.”

“That’s two words.”

She glowered at him and climbed out. As she walked past him, she said, “Even happy couples have disagreements, Pierce. Today we’re having one, and if anyone makes a comment, I’ll tell them I just caught my fiancé in a lie and I’m rethinking the honeymoon.”

She had a quick tongue on her, but then he knew that from their time together in Austria. What he’d overlooked back then was how damn beautiful she was no matter how she was dressed or whose ass she was chewing.

As far as he knew she hadn’t called Polax, and even though she was pissed about being kept in the dark, she was going to go through with the mission. What worried him was what she was keeping to herself about Petrov.

He had promised her she wouldn’t end up a victim in this game. He would keep that promise. There was no way he was going to leave her behind after he got his hands on the data.

By the time he stepped into the grocery store, she had the counter covered with food. He watched her as she tossed a few frozen pizzas on the growing pile, then a package of cookies.

He walked to the counter and picked up the cookies, crazy-looking pink marshmallow delights. As she tossed a pound of chocolate to the stack along with a dozen candy bars, he said, “You eat junk food? Where do you put it?”

She glowered at him as he sent his eyes over her slender curves. “Maybe if I gain a few pounds in the wrong places Yurii won’t be so excited to see me.”

“Somehow I don’t think that’s going to happen.” He gestured to the cookies as he set them back down. “Interesting choice.”

“They remind me of a pair of shoes I once had. I had to leave them behind on a job in Romania. I had to escape out the window, and the ledge was sixteen stories up.”

“Did you have to cut and run a lot?”

“A time or two. Surprised?”

“Nothing about you would surprise me,
amant.
”

“Well if it isn’t Pierce and
da
blond bird. I expected
da
bird would have flown
da
nest by now after she saw your humble home, Handsome.”

Pierce turned to see Linet standing in the doorway. She had on a skintight pink T-shirt sporting the words Grab and Go. He glanced at Casmir and noticed her jaw was set. Hell only knew what she was going to say or do. She wasn’t in the mood for Linet today.

He reached out and put his arm around Casmir and drew her to his side. Smiling at Linet, he said, “Cass loves the cabin. Don’t you,
amant?
She’s already calling it home sweet home.”

He felt her tense, expected the worst. What he got was her hand slipping around his waist as she said, “When Pierce is near it doesn’t matter where we are, as long as there’s a bed.”

He was just starting to relax when Linet countered, and set the tone for the silent drive back to the cabin.

“I can’t argue with
dat, cher.
He’s got
da
stamina of a bull, and enough horn
ta
drive a woman into a fit of screamin’.”

“A hard-drivin’ bull,” Casmir agreed. “That’s Pierce.”

“Well, catchya later. I’m on my way
ta
work. If you’ve got some time, Mr. Bull, come by and see me. You, too,
cher,
if you can take
da
heat.”

Casmir had kept quiet while Pierce had paid for the groceries, and she had managed to keep the silence going over half the way home.

Home… The heat must be making her hallucinate.

“You should have told me she was one of your playthings. You made me look like a fool.”

“Linny speaks before she thinks.”

Casmir glared at him as she held her hair to keep it from blowing into her eyes. “I don’t care about
Linny’s
bad manners, or your sad taste in women. What I care about is getting out of this sorry little town. When did you say Yurii was going to
rescue
me? Maybe I should give him a call and get this damn mission started.”

“Anxious to see lover boy? And here I thought—”

“Anxious to get away from you.”

He didn’t say anything to that, just pushed down on the accelerator. They were cruising the dirt road as if it were a four-lane freeway, the hot air baking her face and wilting her pink satin blouse.

They had just started around a sharp corner when she heard Pierce swear. She felt the Jeep swerve sharply and looked up. The alligator was the size of a small whale. It was lying in the middle of the road, stretched out like a fallen oak tree. It all happened so quick. The corner, the alligator, and then they were plowing through thick foliage.

The tree came out of nowhere, just like the alligator. Casmir braced herself for impact. Her seat belt kept her butt pinned down, but she was jerked forward as they crashed into the oak. Her shoulder hit the dash first, then her head, before she was thrown back into the seat.

As her head spun and a wave of nausea took her, she could hear Pierce swearing, then nothing at all.

When she came to she was no longer buckled into the Jeep. She was in Pierce’s bedroom. How she had gotten there, or how long ago, she didn’t know.

She sat up slowly, every muscle in her body protesting the movement. She felt awful. Felt like she’d been run over.

She pushed back the sheet, saw she was wearing only her bra and panties.

“Pierce?”

She stood up, stumbled to the door and flung it open.

“Pierce?”

He didn’t answer, and she feared that he’d been hurt in the crash.

“Pierce!”

She was in the hall half naked when the bathroom door swung open and he stepped out wearing a towel around his waist and nothing else.

“What’s wrong?”

She felt dizzy. Dizzy with relief. Or maybe it was the adrenaline rush she’d felt in her moment of panic. She backed up, and used the wall to steady herself.

“Dammit, Cass, you should be in bed. You took one helluva jolt.”

He scooped her up quickly, and she grabbed hold of him, felt him warm and wet beneath her fingers. He strode into the bedroom and laid her down on the bed.

He sat down beside her. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have been driving that fast. I jeopardized your life and the mission. I’m going to call Merrick and—”

“Some things are out of our control.”

“I’m usually always in control.”

“Usually? What makes this time different?”

He didn’t answer her. He stood, pulled the sheet over her. “I’m going to call Merrick and tell him what happened, and that you’re in no shape to go forward with the mission.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine. You haven’t been fine since you got here.”

“There’s no reason to abort the mission. I’ll be fine by tomorrow.”

“There’s a damn good reason. Two. I almost killed you two hours ago, and I think you know something about Petrov that could change the outcome of this mission.”

“Are you saying my acting skills are slipping?”

“I’m serious.”

“I’ll tell you my secrets, if you tell me yours.”

“I’m not in the mood for word games. If you don’t want to tell me what you’re hiding, at least tell Polax. He wouldn’t allow you to continue with this if he thought you were going to end up dead.”

“That sounds like you’re hiding something more from me. Are you?”

He didn’t answer.

Casmir changed the subject. “Mama and Lazie aren’t back yet?”

“No. But they should be soon.”

“Then maybe you should get dressed.” She eyed his bare chest and flat stomach, reminded of what Linet had said at the grocery store. “I’m fine here if you’d like to take a drive back in to town to visit…
Linny.
”

“She’s an old friend, nothing more.”

“I think she’s more than a friend. She can’t forget the bull’s stamina or his nice horn.”

“You’ve got a sharp tongue,
amant.
”

“It’s part of my charm.”

“Tell me what you didn’t put in your report about Petrov.”

“You two have more in common than you know. He’s got a nice horn, too.”

“What else?” His tone was flat, his jaw set.

“Look, I’m not going to turn chicken. Your commander is wrong if he thinks that’s my style. A yellow strip down my back would clash with my wardrobe. It’s also a bad color for my complexion. Now, get dressed.”

Ruza had gotten more than one stare when she had entered Bubba’s. Maybe it was her pale gray satin shift, or the fact that Lazie was strutting like a peacock.

He was right about one thing, however. The ribs were served with a smile and were the best she’d ever tasted.

It was funny. She’d been to lavish parties all over Europe and here she was enjoying barbecue ribs with a rogue who hadn’t quit grinning since he’d ushered her through the door and pointed her in the direction of the bathroom.

Bubba’s was a rustic good-time place with smiling faces and lots of laughter. Ruza studied the crowd, then Lazie, who hadn’t taken his eyes off her.

“Are you expecting me to change color? You shouldn’t stare so much, Lazie.”

“I can’t help myself,
mon coeur.
Casmir’s father…he’s a lucky man.”

“Jacko died many years ago.”

“It’s still painful to talk about?”

“I don’t know you well enough to share my personal history.”

“Secrets to guard?”

“If I do, they’re mine, no one else’s. When you get to my age there is plenty of history.”

“The sayin’goes
dat
youth keeps a man guessin’. Experience holds a man’s interest.”

“And just what exactly are you interested in, Lazie?”

His grin widened. “
Everytin’dat’s
made you who you are. Tell me about your life in Europe.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Pierce says you’re a stage actress.”

“Retired actress.”

“So what do you do now
dat
you’re retired?”

“I travel, and do a little charity work.”

“I haven’t traveled in years.”

“Why?”

“The Glitterbug keeps me busy. Do you travel alone, Ruza-a…?”

“Sometimes, but I have friends who accompany me from time to time.”

“Men friends?”

“If you’re asking if there’s anyone special, the answer is no.”

“
Dat’s
a comfort.”

“Lazie, I’m not going to let you mess with me.”

“Mess with you?”

“You know what I mean.”

“
Oui.
But it wouldn’t be messy, I promise you
dat.
”

Ruza looked at her watch. “I think we should be getting back. I don’t want Cassie to worry.”

“Whatever you say,
ma douce amie.
”

He stood, reached into his pocket and tossed several bills on the table. It was far more than what the meal had cost, and that surprised her. Lazie didn’t look flushed, by any means. He looked like a paycheck-to-paycheck man with a mortgage.

But there was something, something about him that told her she wasn’t the only one with a secret. Saber Lazie was more than he appeared to be.

They left Bubba’s and started back to the boat.

Yes, experience was knowledge, but so was being able to read your opponent. That was why when Lazie reached out to squeeze her ass, Ruza sensed it was going to happen. She spun right, the move quick and efficient. Her leg extension on target, she made contact with Lazie’s stomach dead center. It took him completely off guard and the force lifted him off the dock like a stiff wind. He went swimming and came up sputtering.

When he dragged himself back on the dock, he asked, “What kind of move was
dat?
”

“It was nothing special.”

“
Da
hell. Where did you learn
ta
do
dat?
”

“I’m an actress, remember? Another thing to remember, Lazie, is that my ass is mine. If I want your hand there, I’ll send you an invitation.”

After dark, Pierce and Lazie took a walk. They discussed the welcome party they would offer Petrov’s men once they made their move, how the plan would work out, and then they speculated on the outcome.

Pierce said, “Before they get here, I want you to take Ruza and go to New Orleans. I want her out of here tomorrow afternoon.”

“Maybe I’ll invite her to see the sights, then take her to my place in
da
Quarter.” He rubbed his belly. “I’ll tell her it’s a peace offerin’.”

Pierce glanced at the way Lazie was rubbing his belly. “Something happen I should know about?”

“I didn’t know stage actresses were so athletic.”

“Meaning?”

“Nothin’. How’s
da fille
feelin’?
Da
Jeep
don
look too good. Lucky you both wasn’t killed.”

Pierce lit a cigarette. “I was driving too fast.”

“She say somethin’
ta
piss you off again?”

“I don’t remember. If she’s not chewing on my ass, I’m chewing on hers. Anyway, expect the unexpected from Ruza. She’ll get suspicious when you don’t bring her back to the cabin. Be prepared for that. I’ll make contact once Casmir has been kidnapped.”