The Wrong Side of Dead sj-2 Page 4

  New York City

  Fifth Avenue at 56th Street

  The city and its welcoming familiar sounds stirred with a newfound vitality as Alexa Marlowe stepped out of the exclusive jewelry salon of Harry Winston’s on Fifth Avenue, unable to hide her smile. Amidst a throng of pedestrians, she glanced back over her shoulder at the magnificent stone archway with its black-gated entrance adorned in gold.

  She had window-shopped but hadn’t been inside until today.

  “You’ve got style, Garrett,” she muttered under her breath. “I’ll give you that.”

  As she strode down Fifth Avenue with her mocha-colored Calvin Klein silk tank dress, vintage floral opera coat, and blond hair wafting in the breeze, her thoughts turned to the man who had impacted her life.

  In cryptic fashion, her boss, Garrett Wheeler, had asked her to meet him at The House of Harry Winston, giving her a specific name to contact at the prestigious store. When she did, the saleswoman only smiled and gave her a magnificent velvet box containing the most beautiful diamond necklace she had ever seen. Her fingers shook as she held it to the light, each perfect gem holding tight to its precious trace of rainbow.

  Garrett perplexed her. Her boss one minute, her amazing lover the next. He had opened her eyes to life in a way she had not expected—through her sensuality. And she’d been grateful but had come to recognize her addiction to his ways, making her hungry for her own experiences. Up until now, she had only played out her fantasies in her mind, imagining sexual encounters with strangers.

  No names. No talking. Only satisfying her urgent need.

  Somewhere along the way, she’d accepted Garrett as her teacher rather than a lover with the promise of a future together. It had been a painful discovery over the last several months—to accept their relationship for what it was—not for what she once hoped it would become. But once she let go of that hope—that conventional anchor—she gave in to Garrett’s needs and discovered a few of her own. And perhaps she had known all along that he had a more-demanding mistress.

  His job.

  At first, after the way he’d phrased the message to meet him, she had thought it might have something to do with her job as an operative working for the Sentinels, a covert and well-funded international organization. She had never met the men behind this group, but Garrett had. He served as a go-between to protect their anonymity. These men waged a private war against criminals who’d found refuge in a global arena where multijurisdictional boundaries had created havens, making it impossible to prosecute. The Sentinels took matters into their own hands like vigilantes and remedied the problem, discreetly. And she was a cog in that wheel.

  But Garrett loved surprises and had a knack for creative liaisons with her in the most unexpected places. As she walked, she only half expected to see him, unsure where he’d make his move. The man had been that unpredictable. Yet something reflected in a store window had caught her eye.

  In a sea of yellow cabs, buses, and the occasional bike messenger, she spotted a sleek black limousine making its way toward the curb. Eventually, it trailed behind her, not making a secret of its presence. When she stopped, so did the limo. And as the rear door opened, Garrett grinned from his seat inside, that slick disarming smile that always took her breath. He was dressed in an elegant charcoal gray suit and hoisted a crystal champagne glass toward her.

  “Care to join me?” His low voice teased her ear, making the city fade until there was only him. Even in an urban jungle, she would have recognized the familiar caress of his voice anywhere.

  She climbed in next to him, ignoring the curiosity of people on the street.

  “You really know how to make an entrance.”

  He kissed her and handed her a flute of champagne. The drink warmed her body as she sipped, but she wondered if Garrett had more to do with that.

  “Nothing’s too good for you, Alexa.” He poured himself a glass as the limo pulled into traffic. “I had intended to catch you for dinner this evening, but something has come up. We need to talk.”

  Garrett had a way of mingling business with pleasure that made both very palatable, but his face looked more somber than usual. His steel gray eyes appeared darker in the subdued light, a color she imagined existed on the fragile edges of the sky before it turned to the pitch black of infinity.

  “What’s up?” she asked.

  “I’d like you in Chicago by tonight. I’ve made all the arrangements. By the time you’re packed, you’ll have your itinerary and accommodations. But I’m leaving the trip up to you. Once you hear what I’ve got to say, you can decline if you’d like.”

  “Oh? What is this about?” She raised an eyebrow.

  “It hasn’t hit the papers yet, but it will. And I thought you’d want to know.”

  “Now you’ve really piqued my interest.” She smiled. “And your network never ceases to amaze me.”

  Garrett had “associates” in key positions domestically and across the globe, those men and women sympathetic to the cause of the Sentinels. Such a network had taken years and perhaps decades to cultivate. Alexa had the impression it had existed before Garrett and would endure long after his influence. They appeared to be an ancient order of overseers who had adapted to the times.

  “Jessica Beckett. You remember her?”

  The bounty hunter. How could she forget? And hearing her name from Garrett’s lips sent a ripple of jealousy through her that she had worked hard to suppress. Three months ago, the woman had helped her bring down Globe Harvest, a worldwide predator organization that bartered in human lives online. For them, everything had a price until the Sentinels dealt a crippling blow to their clandestine operation. Thanks in no small measure to Jessie Beckett.

  Garrett had implied an interest when he’d first learned of Jessie and called her an “interesting woman,” a term he had used to describe Alexa shortly before he hired her to work for him. Being intimate with Garrett had made her vulnerable to a pang of jealousy at the time, but she had gotten through the last assignment and put it behind her. Now the coincidence of his request for her to travel to Chicago made her question Garrett’s real motives.

  Was his request for legitimate reasons or did he have another more personal agenda in mind?

  “Yes, I remember her.” She forced a smile. “What’s going on?”

  “Her friend Seth Harper has been arrested for murder. He worked for her.”

  Alexa recognized Harper’s name as someone connected to Jessie.

  “Worked? As in past tense?” She narrowed her eyes. “Have you been keeping up with her?”

  “Yes. She’d make an excellent asset,” he replied without hesitation. “I thought you agreed.”

  “So we’ll be capitalizing on Seth Harper’s hardship to recruit Jessie. Is that what you had in mind?”

  “Is that how you see it? Jessie could probably use the support, and if it nets us a new operative, I see no reason to pass up this opportunity.” He cocked his head in question. “Do you have a problem with this? Like I said, you don’t have to go, but I thought you’d want to.”

  He was leaving it up to her, but what choice did she really have? She respected Beckett and would want to help if she could. She had to deal with her unexpected jealousy to move on with her life. Perhaps a trip to Chicago wouldn’t be a bad idea.

  “No, I’ve got no problem with it. I just know how fast you seize an opportunity. And since you find Jessie Beckett an interesting woman…” She used his words from three months ago, words that had triggered her jealousy then. “…Seth Harper’s situation may position us to take advantage of his troubles to gain leverage with her.”

  He considered her point as if it had never occurred to him, but she knew better.

  “I suppose you’re right. If we help Beckett’s friend, she may be…grateful. Our organization could come off in a favorable light. And yes, she’d make a great addition to our team.”

  “Then I’d say the timing of this murder is perfect. Count me in,”
she said.

  “You act as if I arranged it. Do you really think…” He laughed and took a sip of his champagne, not finishing his thought.

  A part of her suspected Garrett was ruthless enough to do just that. When it fit his agenda, she knew him to be capable of far worse. All business, Garrett raised his chin and fixed his gaze on her.

  “When you get to Chicago, contact Jessica. Let her know we’re looking into her friend’s case. And I’ll have an associate send you a file with what we know.”

  In a slick maneuver, he had intervened and expanded the role Alexa had intended to play. She hadn’t counted on making contact with Jessie until she had something to offer, but Garrett asked her to make a show of his support. She had become “we,” and at some point, there might be a price to pay for Garrett’s help.

  Seth Harper had become a focus worthy of the Sentinels.

  “Will do.” She nodded. “Anything else?”

  “No, that’s it for now.”

  “If all goes well, I suppose you’ll want to talk to Jessie.”

  “Yes, I will. Call me if the bounty hunter is receptive to the idea, and I’ll make arrangements to meet you.” His somber face warmed to a smile. “But whether she is or not, maybe we could take a few days off to ourselves in Chicago. It’d be nice to get away, just the two of us.”

  By the hungry look in his eyes, she knew he meant it. She felt the pull of their mutual addiction. Alexa sipped her champagne and leaned forward to loosen his tie.

  “Now you’re talking.” Her throaty voice and suggestive expression sent the message. The business part of their meeting had concluded. “I’d love some downtime with you…alone.”

  “We’re alone now.”

  “Yes, we are.”

  Done with talking, she closed her eyes and kissed him, breathing in the subtle smell of his cologne with her fingers entwined in his dark hair. His lips and tongue tasted like pricey champagne. She hadn’t intended to do much more than kiss him, but when her hand moved under his suit coat, she craved the feel of his bare skin, especially as he nuzzled her neck. The sensation sent a tingling shock wave over her body, and things got out of control. Under the silk of her dress, blood rushed down and through her, a surge of pleasure she couldn’t restrain.

  “I thought you’d be wearing it.” Next to her ear, his voice resonated against her, driving her crazy.

  Alexa understood what he meant. She had slipped the jewelers case into her vintage Dior envelope purse, saving it for when Garrett could put it on her personally. But she didn’t tell him that. She found another way to say it.

  “I wanted it to be the only thing I wore the next time I saw you.”

  That made him smile. She heard it in her voice when he said, “Now why didn’t I think of that?”

  He kissed the palm of her hand, then reached over and punched a button on a control panel. She heard the soft whir, and the window to the driver’s compartment closed. And even though every window in the vehicle darkened with a screen for privacy, she still saw the people and traffic outside.

  “Can they see in?” she whispered.

  “I doubt it.”

  Without another word, he trailed his fingertips down her legs, unbuckling the straps to her platform Miu Miu shoes and tossing them aside. The carpet felt good against her bare feet.

  “Garrett? We can’t…not here.”

  “What if they can see us, Alexa?” He got to his knees between her legs and stripped out of his suit jacket and yanked off his tie, not taking his eyes off her. “Do you really care?”

  Her cheeks flushed with heat. She wanted to glance toward the cab that had stopped next to them at a light. She saw the taxi driver turn his head from the corner of her eye. But she couldn’t take her gaze off Garrett. The man’s swarthy good looks mesmerized her, and behind those eyes was an enigmatic man far too complicated to understand in a lifetime.

  On the outside, he wore pricey clothing like a mogul on Wall Street, but underneath it all, a wicked scar or two on his dark skin reminded her of the violence in his life. She’d seen him kill with the same passion she saw in his eyes now.

  He’d become as adaptable as a chameleon with one foot in the civilized world and the other in places she was too scared to contemplate. Truth be told, that had been the part of him she wanted to understand but never would.

  “What if they are watching us?” he asked again, his voice lower. Her rapid breathing filled the quiet vacuum of the limo, mingling with his. As he unbuckled his belt, he kept talking to her. “Let’s give them something to see.”

  He reached under her dress, his large hands gripping her hips and lingering.

  “Tell me you want this, Alexa. Tell me how much you want it.”

  Garrett loved pushing her limits when it came to intimacy. Every new experience put his mark on her. And she knew it.

  “I want this…I want you.” She reached up to kiss him, but he only shook his head.

  “Take it off. Everything.”

  Driven to the brink beyond caring, she didn’t take long to make up her mind. Piece by piece, she took off her coat and silk dress as he watched. She didn’t take her gaze off him, not wanting to break their connection. With every garment she removed, the hunger in his eyes intensified.

  She turned her head toward the nearest window and found she wanted someone to see her. She even craved it, but before she told Garrett how she felt, he spoke first.

  “Where is it? The necklace.”

  Alexa retrieved her purse and gave him the necklace. She held back her blond hair to let him slip it on her neck. The gold chain and diamonds dazzled on her warm skin as it flushed with arousal. It was all she wore.

  “What do you think?” she asked as she posed for him, her inhibitions gone.

  “Priceless.” Drawing her closer, he lowered his lips to her body.

  “Oh, Garrett. Yes.”

  He knew exactly how to touch her and took what he needed. Like an out-of-body experience, she pictured the scene in her mind’s eye—in broad daylight, in the middle of traffic. She looked up into the urban landscape of New York City as the limousine stopped at another light and pedestrians crossed the street, peering into their tinted window.

  And the sensation was…exhilarating.

  She had changed and assumed Garrett had been the reason. Like an obsession, her need for sex had intensified. All she cared about was pleasing a man in every way he wanted, without holding back. For her, nothing else mattered. The effect Garrett had on her had been consuming.

  But what if he’d only been the catalyst, a trigger that cultivated a darker side to her nature? Is that what he’d seen in her from the start? She closed her eyes tight—giving in to every subtle demand of Garrett’s body—blocking that thought from her head.

  Surviving the cutting edge of life and death had forced them to live every moment as if it would be their last—a mentality that had been a gift and a curse. Without regret or restraint, they had seized every opportunity to be together, living life to the fullest. Their gift.

  Yet their curse had been living their lives without the naïve hope of a tomorrow. They couldn’t count on anything. Perhaps that was why they were together in the first place—another facet of their relationship she refused to probe.

  Examining her life too closely scared her more than a barrage of bullets.

  Cook County Jail

  Chicago

  By the look on Harper’s face, Jess knew she’d guessed right that a woman had been involved in his missing hours. But several questions later and her best tactics, she still hadn’t gotten him to ’fess up. And time was running thin. The duty cop would be knocking on the door soon, and her time with him would be up.

  “I don’t want to bring her into this. She’s got enough problems.” He crossed his arms and slumped in his chair. “And she’s not exactly a fan of law enforcement, if you know what I mean.”

  “I get that same sense from you, hotshot. What’s up with you and the bo
ys in blue?”

  She’d hit another raw nerve, one she hadn’t expected. He was definitely protecting a woman, but the cop thing got a reaction from him, one she’d file away for later.

  “Talk to me, Seth. We’re almost out of time.”

  “Look, you don’t need to know everything, Jessie. If I don’t remember making it to that bar, I probably didn’t. And if that’s so, then having her name won’t help. She’s not a part of this.”

  Jess sat back in her chair. Harper had a stubborn streak and had been a real pain in the ass. The whole experience had been like looking in a damned mirror.

  “You know I won’t narc for the cops. If this friend of yours wants to steer clear of the law, I’m okay with that. But we need all the pieces to the puzzle, and with your memory being Swiss cheese, we gotta start somewhere.” She leaned forward and fixed her eyes on him until he returned her stare.

  “You gotta trust me, Harper. Give me her name and where I can find her. We won’t know what kind of help she’ll be unless we ask. Maybe she can fill in the gaps of what happened that night, lead us somewhere worth going. Please…trust me. None of this is going to the cops. I’ll keep her name out of it. I promise.”

  She’d finally struck a chord with him or had worn him down. She saw it in his eyes.

  After a heavy sigh, he said, “Her name is Amanda Vincent, Mandy. But her street name is Desiree.” He gave a general description of how to find the woman and what she looked like. A waiflike blonde who sold her soul every time she wanted to get high.

  “And, Jess, be careful when you cross over into her world. It ain’t safe there.”

  “Thanks, Harper, for trusting me.” She reached into a pocket for her cell phone. “Now I need something from you. Try not to look like a booking photo.”

  She raised her cell phone to take his picture. She’d need it for her stop at Dirty Monty’s. Someone might remember seeing him last night. After she got a reasonable likeness, she wanted to press him for more, but a loud knock interrupted their session. The on-duty cop opened the door, telling her what she already knew.

  Her time with Harper was done. But as for his mystery blonde, Mandy “Desiree” Vincent—well, that was another story.