Page 55 of Devil
“You okay?” he asked, rubbing the inside of her legs. As pleasurable as the experience had been, the position had stretched her in ways she wasn’t used to.
“I’ll live,” she said through a soft chuckle. He remained kneeling between her thighs, massaging her hips. A few minutes passed without a word, then he flashed her a smile. “Maybe it’s time for a shower?”
She smiled back. “I think it’s definitely time for a shower.”
He scooted back, then swung his legs over the side of the bed and rose. She remained on the bed, taking the moment to admire him. Darius Washington was a good-looking man with a body to match. Those things would change over time, as they inevitably did. But she considered the possibility that she mightalwaysfind him attractive. That she mightalwaysbe attracted to him.
The thought drew her up short, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it because her phone vibrated on the bedside table. Tearing her gaze from Darius, she reached for the device and read the message.
“We’re clean,” she said, holding up her phone to show Darius the message from Stella. He walked over and lifted her hand so he could read the short text. Then releasing her arm, he stepped back.
“All the more reason to hop to, Devillier. We’ve got some shit we need to get done. And while I’d love an excuse to stay in bed with you all day, let’s put that thought on hold until we get the president safely back on his plane to China in two days.”
CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE
“Let me get this straight,”Devil said to Stella as she and Darius navigated the streets of DC. “The Lam sisters picked up a package Sonia and Nadia left them—I think we can all guess what that was—then went to Bergdorf?”
“They did,” Stella confirmed. “They split up at Bergdorf, though, and we lost Tina for a few minutes. Our guy could only follow one, and by the time he realized Amy was going to the bathroom, it took him some time to find Tina, and she’d already bought something.”
Devil held in a sigh. Tina could have bought anything, from a little gift for her parents to a lipstick for herself. Although it was suspicious, since neither sister really had the means to shop at such a store.
“Any idea what department she went to?”
“By the time my guy found her, she was sitting in the shoe department with the bag beside her. It wasn’t very big, though. He said it was the size they use for things like makeup or jewelry.”
“I’ll see what Cyn can trace. Thanks for all your help on this, and especially for the use of the house and the tests last night. You have no idea how helpful that was,” Devil said as Darius reached for her hand and pulled her around a corner.
“Anytime. We’ll stay in touch.” And with that, Stella hung up. Instead of putting her phone back in her pocket, Devil dialed Cyn. Darius kept his hand wrapped around hers. She was perfectly capable of walking and talking at the same time, but it was kind of nice to know she could focus on the call, and he’d keep an eye on everything else.
“I’m glad you and Darius don’t have the mutant pox,” Cyn said upon answering.
“Yes, you and me both,” Devil responded. She’d texted her friends right before she and Darius had jumped into the shower but hadn’t spoken to any of them.
“Since you’re allowed to roam free now, what are your plans?”
“We’re walking to the hotel where the president is staying. We’ll check the security, then scope out the routes the president will be taking to both the dinners and the trade talks. I don’t think they’ll try anything while he’s in transit, but I still want a better idea of the vulnerable areas.”
“Did Franklin do his thing?”
“He did,” Devil confirmed. “The president’s security team knows, but as predicted, they won’t modify the trip. Franklin recorded that little bit of the conversation so if anythingdoeshappen, then it won’t all come back on me.”
“Aw, always looking out for us, isn’t he,” Cyn said, only half-sincere. Franklindidalways look out for them, but that attention came with a cost, too. “What about the Diplomatic Security Service?” she asked, referring to the federal government team that provided security services to visiting foreign dignitaries.
“They have also been made aware. Darius and I are meeting with them later to give them what we have. They can’t prevent him from coming, but at least they’ll be forewarned.”
“You have faith they’ll do anything?” Cyn asked.
“Does it matter?” Devil countered.
Cyn paused. “Fair point. It is what it is, and we have to deal with it. I assume you called for a reason?”
“I did. After picking up a package from the hotel Sonia and Nadia stayed at, Tina Lam bought something at Bergdorf this morning. Can you find out what it was?” she asked.
“Of course, I’ll check her credit card charges. Won’t take me long.”
“It might not be on her card,” Devil said. “Aside from the fact that they may not want to leave that kind of trail, neither sister has a lot of money. Depending on what she bought, her credit limit might not be high enough to cover it. It’s also possible she paid cash or maybe even used another card.”
Cyn was silent, and Devil could practically hear her friend’s mind churning. “Hmm, okay. Does Stella have an approximate time this purchase happened?”
