He snorted. “Just look into them. We can compare notes when you get here.”
My eyebrows winged up as a tide of anticipation hit me. “I bet I’ll have more information than you.”
He chuckled huskily. “My God,” he said.
“What?”
“Did you hear yourself? I’ll have more information than you,” he mimicked. “I doubt I’ve ever heard a more obvious challenge. You have got to be the most competitive woman in the entire world.”
“Now that’s hardly a fair statement. You haven’t met every woman in the world.”
“Doesn’t matter. I accept the challenge. We’ll just see who has more information.”
I grinned, invigorated. “So, how are things with you?”
“Parker sympathizes with my obsession for you and plans to help me win you. He’s throwing a party and made sure your new boss received an invitation.”
I knew that, I almost said, but thankfully stopped myself. He had no idea I’d listened and watched his interaction with Jonathan Parker, and I needed to keep it that way. “What exactly do you plan to do to win me?”
“Let’s keep that a surprise so your reaction is real. I wouldn’t worry except that your acting sucks.”
My grip on the unit box tightened, and I lost my grin. “I can act.”
He didn’t comment.
I heaved a sigh. Fine. “What’s my apartment like?” I gritted out.
He offered no denial about the fact that he’d sneaked inside. “Looks good. Spacious. Well guarded. Expensive. You’ll have no trouble fitting in. And in case you were wondering, your bed is big enough for two people.”
“That’s good to know. I’m sure Agent Luc will be glad we can both fit.”
Silence. Dark, heavy silence that crackled with tension.
“Who the hell,” he said haltingly, “is Agent Luc?”
“A friend of mine.” I stroked a hand down the dog’s soft fur, and she snorted blissfully in her sleep. “Luc is helping me with the case.”
“You did not have my permission to include this man in our mission.”
I didn’t correct his assumption that Luc was a male. How’s my acting now? “I don’t need your permission for anything.”
“Damn it, Eden. Does Michael know?”
“What? Are you going to run and complain to the boss?” I taunted.
I heard a sharp grinding noise and pictured Lucius working his jaw. I smiled because I’d just ensured he wouldn’t ask Michael about Luc for any reason. Ah, male pride. So predictable.
“If this man steps one foot—one damn foot—inside your apartment, I’ll shove those feet so far up his ass he’ll vomit them out. Understand?”
My smile grew wider. I couldn’t help myself. “Oh, I understand all right.”
He paused. “What’s that supposed to mean?” He no longer sounded angry. He sounded hesitant.
“Your jealousy is cute, that’s all.”
Click.
The abrupt disconnection and sudden silence caused my ears to ring. My smile became a chuckle. I rolled to my back, letting the cell unit drop beside me. I even kissed Luc on her wet nose.
A few minutes later, the phone rang again. Still grinning, I picked up on the fourth ring. “Yes,” I said.
“I never make threats, Eden. Only promises. I didn’t want a partner, but I’ve resigned myself to you. I will not tolerate anyone else on this case.”
I wouldn’t either, but I was not about to let this man think his threats—oopsie, promises —cowed me. I would not let him think he called the shots.
“Agent Luc and I will be there on schedule,” I said. With that,I severed the connection.
Feeling more at peace than I would have after a ten-hour slumber, I affectionately scruffed Luc atop her shaggy brown head. She opened her eyes and stared up at me adoringly. “Better watch your paws, girl. Agent Luscious is a jealous man.”
I laughed happily.
Chapter 12
Finally, the day arrived.
Pretending to be an employee of Michael’s sent to check on his daughter’s accommodations, I flew into New Dallas. After a quick stop at Michael’s farmhouse, I visited my apartment. For the event, I dressed in a short, spiky black wig and wore a fake pregnancy belly under a synthetic cotton dress. My skin was heavily caked in makeup. I looked a sight, I’m sure, but I needed to map an escape route. Or two. I needed to know what to expect when I, as pampered Eden Black, arrived.
God, it was hot. Sweat dripped from me as I walked down the sidewalk.
I blamed EenLi for the extreme heat and wouldn’t have doubted if he was one of the Mecs who could control the weather. They did like it hot and dry, but the boiling temperature nearly felled me.
Situated in the bustling heart of New Dallas, the apartment building was enhanced chrome and bullet-resistant glass. Eighty-seven stories high. I stepped inside. Fingerprint scanners were at every door. Holographic guides. High-tech, just like Lucius had said.
Grateful for air-conditioning, I maneuvered my way through the throng of people in the well-lit, computerized lobby and entered the farthest elevator, exclusively used for the penthouse. My data—both real and fake—had been programmed in, and the scanners readily accepted me as who I claimed to be. The ride inside the decadent box was long but smooth. A satin-covered bench occupied the far wall, and a cooler with single-serving wine sat next to it.
When I reached the top, the doors slid open and I stepped into a world of utter self-indulgence. Gazing around, I inhaled the aromas of leather and cotton, expensive commodities in this synthetic world, where alien and human wars had destroyed so many precious things. Plush recliners, overstuffed couches. Glass tables. Double holoscreen TVs. Two wet bars, fully stocked.
Everything was voice and fingerprint protected.
I did a quick walk-through, making sure that I was alone. I was. Good. I found the two hidden doorways that Michael had installed, making sure they opened properly. The one located on the kitchen floor squeaked, so I oiled it down. Wouldn’t do to let the bad guys know my location. It led to a safe room. The other door, which opened smoothly, led to a slide that would take me straight to the bottom of the building.
My bed, I noticed, was covered in blue silk and lined with what looked to be sheer lace. I knew the material was a protectant and would seal out poisons and gases. And yes, two people could easily fit inside it.
Everything was in order. That was all I’d needed to know.
I took a cab for several miles, then walked the rest of the way to the farmhouse, all the while making sure I wasn’t followed. A girl could never be too careful.
Agent Luc was waiting for me. The moment I stepped through the door, she bounded from her floor pillow. Ren, the agent I’d left in charge of her care, growled a clipped, “Be still, dog.”
“Watch your tone,” I snapped. I crouched down and pet Luc’s soft, clean fur. She sighed happily. “Missed me, huh?”
I quickly showered and changed into a fancy dress suit, then Marko drove Luc and me back to the airport to await pickup. What a busy day so far, and I knew it was only going to become more hectic from this point on.
Thankfully my civilian driver, or rather Claudia Chow’s, arrived not long after, and I soon found myself gazing out of a limousine window. I shifted impatiently in the soft leather seat.
The mission, for me, had officially begun.
Agent Luc lounged next to me and rested her chin on my leg. Absently I stroked her fur and tapped my high-heeled foot against the floorboard. This part of New Dallas offered a plethora of scenery, most of it bleak. One moment a series of towering buildings and speeding cars could be seen; the next I saw wide-open spaces, tumbleweeds, scrubby trees.