Page 45 of Falling Fast
Cursing, he reached into his tux pocket for his phone, his pulse racing. Sweat had broken out on his face, between his shoulder blades. He could feel his tux shirt sticking to his skin. He’d only had the laptop on and open for a few moments. She couldn’t have gotten much.
“Where’s the girl?” he snapped to the security guard on the second floor. Who the fuck was she? Who was she working for, someone from the cartel? The FBI?
“Just passed by us. Said she was sick, and headed for the east powder room.”
“Was there a dark-haired man waiting for her?” Personal trainer, my ass. More like a trained bodyguard.
“No. She was alone.”
“Watch her and don’t let her leave,” Dean said, cold seeping into his gut.
He’d known from the moment he’d met Spider that there was something special about her. Something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Now he knew what it was.
She was far more than she seemed, had tried to steal from him.
Now he would bring her down.
“Something wrong?” the man asked.
The rage built, burning through the cold disbelief. He tossed the electrical transmitter onto the floor and slammed the heel of his shoe down on it, grinding it into pieces beneath his foot.
He would soon do the same to her and her “neighbor”. “Yes. And here’s what we’re going to do about it.”
****
Jamie tamped down his impatience as he headed for the open doorway of the gym on the second floor with Baker’s “friend” behind him, anxious to find Charlie. Out by the pool he’d spotted no less than five people suspected of having ties to the cartel Baker worked for.
“Thanks for showing me those core exercises. I’ll start incorporating them into my routine tomorrow,” the man said to him.
“No problem. If you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to my friend.”
“Of course.”
He’d wasted the past twelve goddamn minutes going over planks and other core-building exercises because Baker had neatly trapped him into it to get Charlie alone, and he was strung tight with worry over what was happening downstairs in Baker’s office.
Neither of his cufflinks had buzzed but that didn’t mean Charlie wasn’t in danger. She could have tried to signal him and was simply too far away for the signal to carry.
He didn’t even hear what the man said to him as he exited the gym and headed straight for the staircase. Two guards dressed in tuxes flanked the opening, their poses casual, hands clasped in front of them, but their gazes locked on him the moment he came into view.
Shit.
“I’m looking for my friend,” he told them, ruthlessly ignoring the leap of adrenaline in his veins. “Charlie Cooper. Brunette. She went down to Mr. Baker’s office with him to see his weapons collection.”
One of the guards stepped away from the intricately carved newel post and turned to face Jamie, effectively blocking his way. “I’m sorry, sir. No guests beyond this point.”
Jamie kept coming. “I’m supposed to meet them. Mr. Baker invited me personally.”
The man held up a hand in warning. “Sorry. The lower floor is off-limits.”
Keeping his cool, he shook his head, sized the two men up. Both had to be armed. If he could take one of them by surprise, he might be able to—
Footsteps on the marble steps below caught his attention. His gaze landed on another big man headed up the stairs toward them, also wearing a tux. The man locked eyes with Jamie, and his gut clamped tight. This guy was bad news. Jamie’s inner radar was screaming.
“You James?” he asked, and the other two guards angled toward him, their expressions alert.
“Yes.” His muscles tensed, preparing to fight. There was no way he could take all three out but if Charlie was in danger then he would take on as many men as it took to get to her. “I’m looking for my friend, Ms. Coop—”
“Sir, come with me.” The bad-news guard walked straight past the other two, his expression grim. “Mr. Baker asked me to escort you downstairs.”
