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Margaret flipped through files, deaf to what Vanessa said.That’s how the game is being played.If there was one thing this Agent James had made clear so far, it was that Vanessa and Mitch were prawns compared to her. Margaret didn’t care about Vanessa’s money or her own connections. The terms were barely changing.
“Ms. Richards.” The agent was suddenly at attention as she stared at the woman sitting across the table from her. “What an interesting life you have lived.”
Vanessa popped open her purse and extracted a mint. She offered one to Mitch before putting the case away and tucking the mint between her back teeth and cheek. “It’s been a ride.”
“Last time someone from our office talked to you, it was regarding the arrest of Chantelle Montgomery.”
Few names sent such a shudder down Vanessa’s spine, but Luke’s ex-wife was up there. “Yes. She tried to kill me. In my own home, no less.”
“On behalf of her grandfather Saul, is that so?”
“I’d rather not go down memory lane if it’s not pertinent to your current case,” Vanessa said. “I’ve tried to put a lot of that in the past.”
Agent James folded her hands over the thick folder. “You’ve done a stellar job at that, haven’t you?” She flashed a fake smile at Mitch. “You’ve also made a name for yourself, haven’t you, Cpl. Cruise?”
“I’m not a corporal anymore,” Mitch was quick to correct. “Cruise is fine.”
“Not Mitch?” Vanessa had to furrow her brows at the agent as she played with the woman sitting across from her. “Or… Michelle?” They could practically smell Agent James’s breath as she leaned closer. “That’s the name you go by in the club scene, isn’t it? Quite a far cry from your Lioness days.”
Mitch remained cool. “Not a Lioness anymore, either.”
“My partner prefers to not talk about those times,” Vanessa said. “I’m sure you understand. There’s a reason we’re both in therapy.”
“Being a POW must have made you a resilient woman, Cruise.”
“It sure made me something.”
Although Mitch didn’t speak much, Agent James was pleased by that response. “Here’s the deal. I think enlisting civilians into an undercover op of this magnitude is asinine anddangerous,but those blowhards have the right idea that a woman like Candace Lister isn’t only going to trustanyoneenough to let them in. The FBI is already working on our own undercover op that is about to begin. We know the location of Club Night thanks to their efforts.”
“Oh?” Vanessa was mildly amused. “Do those boys know that?”
“No, and they are not privy to the location. Last time we worked with them on a joint venture, it blew up in our faces. I had more success with these things in Portland, but that was also a different climate back then.”
Mitch snapped her fingers. “Xavier Crow. That’s where I know you from. You actually went undercover into one ofhisnightclubs.”
Agent James was genuinely surprised. “Yes. Believe it or not, the Portland Police Bureau was there as well, but we didn’t know until the bust was made. Quite the day. Everyone had a hand in that pie.”
“Xavier Crow?” Vanessa asked.
“You probably missed it because you were in hiding,” her partner said, “but he was that pharmaceutical bigshot who was brought down on murder charges. Ran some hot, invitation-only club. Much like Candace’s right?”
“So you understand why I’ve been assigned this case.”
Mitch didn’t bother to hide her laughter. Vanessa still didn’t get it. She supposed her partner would explain more later.
“Unlike you two,” Agent James continued, “my partner and I were not really a couple, nor were we in the BDSM ‘lifestyle.’ We think that there might be something to a ‘real’ couple participating in this sting. The fact that Ms. Cruise has shown herself quite capable under dangerous and stressful situations helps as well. Our main concern is you, Ms. Richards.” She turned her attention to Vanessa. “We’re not convinced that you’re the best for this venture. Your psychological evals show that you’re prone to anxiety and paranoia.”
“Gee,” Vanessa couldn’t be glibber, “it’s not like I had someone hunting me for years.”
“Which is exactly why we’d be hesitant to send you into Club Night as a sanctioned undercover operative. However, we can’t think of any other reason to send in Ms. Cruise, other than the fact that…” Agent James sighed. “Ms. Lister fancies her.”
“Told you,” Mitch said.
“I’d rather my partner not go in at all under such pretenses,” Vanessa insisted, “with meorwithout me. I’d prefer I be there with her. It makes more sense than her to be alone. Besides, we are a pair, even if you only see Mitch out in the wild.”
“You mean Michelle?”
Vanessa didn’t care for how Agent James kept bringing that up, although Mitch was completely unfazed. “If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather not put myselformy partner into potential danger again. Our goal is to live a charmed if not boring home life. I think we both deserve that now.”
