He was far too shrewd not to have noticed a change in Johnson. The procedure they’d just gone through might have been the same, but the mood that went with it was different. Johnson had been nervous. It was no secret why. The FBI and their fucking investigation. Johnson being on their interview list. The fact that Jin Huang, Xiao Long’s enforcer, had paid Johnson a visit, warning him to keep his mouth shut. And the knowledge that the art collection Johnson owned could send him to jail. There was plenty to make the old guy nervous.
Doubtful that Johnson would crack. He hadn’t even been there. And to tell any more of the truth would mean screwing himself or getting himself killed.
But it would also mean screwing them. And the Dragon Head wouldn’t tolerate that. Especially not at Johnson’s hands. Nor would the Dragon Head forgive.
It was Xiao Long’s future on the line. He’d ensure it at all costs.
With that in mind, he picked up the phone again to make a quick call to Jin Huang.
Words were one thing. Pain was another. A small reminder of the consequences was needed.
Soon, a reminder wouldn’t suffice. The Dragon Head would be finished toying with Johnson. He’d order him killed. His partners, as well. Xiao would personally carry out those orders, inflicting the greatest amount of pain possible before ending their lives.
The pleasure would be all his.
Sloane let herself into Derek’s apartment, simultaneously tossing her tote bag into the closet and shrugging out of her jacket.
Long, hard day. Cranky human resources manager who wasn’t a big fan of consultants, their seminars, or their steep rates. Although she had been interested enough to stick around while Sloane trained the staff of Adler and Berber, the prominent security company that had hired her to educate them in the newest techniques of crisis negotiations. That HR exec was singing a different tune by the time Sloane left.
It was a win-win. Sloane did her job, the company was satisfied, and she had time to check in privately with the first shift of the security team she’d hired to protect her parents. The relief team was on the job now, and she checked in with them by phone.
So far, so good. No one else following her father or mother around, and no subtle visitors hanging around the apartment.
That had to be good news. It meant that, more than a full week after her father had been interviewed by the FBI, he wasn’t being regarded as an immediate threat—not to the Chinese killer and not to the Bureau.
Who was she kidding, she thought with a frown. That whole line of thinking was a crock.
She was swimming with sharks and she knew it.
Her father and his art group colleagues were convinced that they’d come through their respective FBI interviews unscathed.
She knew better, even without having been there.
FBI agents were pros at questioning. If every member of that investment group had parroted the exact same story, while no doubt fidgeting and worrying about blowing his lines, then red flags would be raised. She’d tried to counteract that. She’d talked her father into calling all the other guys after his own meeting, to urge them to vary their exact recollections of what had happened so they wouldn’t sound so rehearsed. Had they pulled it off? Doubtful. They weren’t actors. They were frightened men.
Her father also had no clue that Derek had seen him at the Field Office on the day he was questioned. If she’d told him, he would have been even more scared—which was the last thing he needed to be right now. He had to stay calm, act normal, and focus on keeping himself and her mother safe. That meant following their normal routines and making sure to stay in plain sight of the security guards Sloane had hired.
But she was worried. She’d heard the gravity of Derek’s warning, seen the intensity in his eyes. He’d all but told her he had an inside track—one that put him a step ahead of her and clued him in to the fact that whatever her father was hiding was putting her family in danger.
That could only mean that there was a link to Asian organized crime. But how strong a link? If whoever killed Cai Wen was affiliated with a gang Derek’s squad was investigating, then they’d be one step closer to putting her father at the scene of the crime.
And that would put him one trigger-pull away from being killed.
“Hey.”
Sloane nearly jumped out of her skin as Derek appeared in the bedroom doorway.
“Hi.” She went for honest; lying would be pointless and stupid. He’d already seen her reaction at the sound of his voice. “You scared the hell out of me.”
“Why? I live here—for now.” Crossing over, Derek poured two glasses of the Chianti they had yet to drink, and offered her one. “Here. You look like you could use this.”
“You’re right. I could.” Sloane took the proffered glass. Her first sip was more like a gulp. Her right hand trembled a little, and she transferred the goblet to her left.
Derek’s sharp gaze took in the motion. “Bad day with your hand?” he asked, genuine concern in his voice.
“A grueling OT session this morning,” Sloane replied, referring to the occupational therapy she still religiously, and rigorously, endured.
The Hospital for Special Surgery at New York Weill Cornell Medical Center was the best, and so were Dr. Charles Houghton, her surgeon, and Constance Griggs, her hand therapist.
“Connie’s determined to push me right back into the Bureau—right hand first,” Sloane added wryly. “Then again, she’s always been an optimist.”
“Maybe you’re ready.”
A dubious shake of her head. “My dexterity’s still not where it needs to be. Sure, I can fire my weapon now. It would be pretty sad if I couldn’t, since I’m at Fort Dix weekly getting firearms training.”
“That’s a huge step for someone who couldn’t hold a pistol two months ago.”
“Fine. I’ve made progress. But my aim is mediocre when it comes to rapid fire, and my trigger finger’s still weak. I’m pushing myself as hard as I can, and then some. But I’m just not there.”
“You will be.”
Derek was always so damned sure—when it came to them, and when it came to this. She couldn’t make that claim. Sometimes she waffled. Sometimes she was terrified. And sometimes the bitterness ate away at her. Then again, she was the one who’d lost a chunk of her life doing the job that she loved, being with the man she loved.
And for what? Lousy judgment. Doing a hell of a job defusing a hostage crisis in a bank barricade, and then blowing all her hard work by acting like a stupid newbie. Not waiting for backup. Single-handedly chasing down the one scrawny teenage punk who’d gotten away. Cornering him in an alley, and assuming the threat was eliminated once he’d dropped his weapon and was on his knees. Then finding out he was smarter than she was. He’d whipped out a knife he’d stashed in his boot, and sliced up the tendons, nerves, and flesh of her right hand.
Three surgeries and seventeen months of occupational therapy later, she still wasn’t whole. Maybe she never would be.
“Cut the self-doubt,” Derek instructed, reading the emotions on her face. “You suck at it. Besides, you want back into the Bureau so bad you can taste it. Combine that with the fact that you’re stubborn as a mule, and you’re practically a special agent again.”
Sloane arched a brow. “Ya think? I’m not so sure. I mean, regaining my skills is one thing. But rejoining the Bureau? It would mean a major pay cut. Going from private consulting to federal law enforcement—it’s usually the other way around, isn’t it? Plus, by the time I’m ready, I’ll have been out for almost two years. I’ll get as many recommendations as I can, but I’ll probably have to go through the whole training program again. Twenty weeks at the FBI Academy at Quantico, plus weeks of brush-up in crisis negotiations. Not to mention…”
“Not to mention you want it almost as much as you want me.”
Sloane blinked, then dissolved into laughter. “You lend new meaning to the word ‘arrogant.’”
“Yeah, but I’m incredib
le in bed.”
“True.” Sloane took another sip of Chianti. “That’s why I put up with the rest.”
“Put up with it at your place.”
Derek’s words cut through their banter like a knife.
He put down his glass and walked around to grip her shoulders. “Sloane, you can’t babysit your parents forever. I know you’re investigating something. And I know it involves your father. If you’d let me, I could help.” Unless he’s guilty of a crime was omitted but clearly implied. “It would make whatever this is go away that much faster.”
“Maybe. But whether or not I talk to you isn’t my decision.” A pointed stare. “Just like filling in for me whatever details you know that might help, or at least telling me what I’m up against, isn’t yours.”
“Fine.” Impatience laced Derek’s tone. “Then let’s call it a draw and move into your place.”
“So we can get me far away from the danger you alluded to? So you can protect me?”
“Partly. Partly so we can live together.”
“We’re already living together. I’ve slept here every night this week.”
“Out of necessity. This is a temporary hangout for you, and for us; a place to stay over when we’re stuck late in the city. But a home? No way. It’s a coffin with a bathroom, with the continuous rumble of Midtown Tunnel traffic for mood music. You’ve got a cozy cottage, seven acres, and three hounds who are about to mutiny if they’re locked up in this place much longer. And I’ll be joining them.”
Sloane could feel herself losing this argument.
So could Derek.
“Most of my stuff is already at your place,” he continued, then went in for the kill. “So’s your archery range, by the way. You haven’t practiced in almost a week.”
Inhaling sharply, Sloane glared at him. “That was low.”
“It was honest. Manipulative, but honest.”
She couldn’t deny that one. Archery had always been her thing. She’d been captain of every archery team she participated in since high school. She loved the focus and the self-competitive edge, the way it cleared her mind and honed her skills. And since her injury, it had been a lifesaver. It did wonders for her concentration, her aim, and her strength training. These days, her arrow was hitting the bull’s-eye more often than not—or at least it had been, before this whole crisis with her father had relegated her to Manhattan.
“The clock is ticking.” Sloane spoke one of her greatest fears aloud. “I’m close to finishing my hand therapy.” She glanced down at her scarred palm. “Connie made it clear; two years is the limit. After that, whatever nerve damage is left will probably be permanent. So, yes, I need to get back home.”
“Say the word and we’re there,” Derek urged quietly. “There’s nothing standing in the way but you.”
“I know.” A pause. “I’m still going to be driving into Manhattan.”
“I never assumed otherwise. You’ve been commuting here regularly ever since you moved to Hunterdon County—to see clients, friends, your hand therapist, and now your parents. Go wherever you want. Just come home to me.”
“Okay.” Slowly, Sloane nodded. “Tonight’s my father’s weekly poker game. I’ll talk to him then. Oh, and Derek?”
“Hmmm?”
“He’s not guilty of anything.”
“If you say so.”
Wallace took another sip of his martini. He had to head back to the city. Even if he sped, it was a two-and-a-half-hour drive. He’d be an hour late as it was. The game normally started at eight. Tonight, it was at Matthew’s place. Rosalyn was venturing out for a business dinner, so she wouldn’t be home. And the group of them needed to talk—alone. He had to be there.
But he couldn’t leave. Not yet. He couldn’t tear himself away.
He’d hung the new painting in his private gallery with the others. This Cassatt had been costly. And the risk was enormous.
But it had been worth it.
He leaned back in the leather swivel recliner that was at the center of the room. From there, he could turn in any direction and view any masterpiece in his collection—or take in the entire collection at once. Some of the paintings were high-end, like the Renoirs and the Cassatts. Others were far less pricey, often created by up-and-coming, and even local, artists. Cost wasn’t the issue. Content was.
He studied the new addition to his private gallery with deep gratification. His life was a facade, the world simply a stage upon which to enact the charade.
This room was his only sanctuary.
The clock in the upstairs hallway chimed six-thirty.
Reluctantly, he rose, setting down his martini glass and taking in the exquisite painting for one long moment. Yes, acquiring this one had been worth the risk.
He climbed the stairs, flipped off the light, and shut and locked the door. This room was off-limits to everyone—family, friends, and colleagues alike.
He shrugged into his jacket and headed for the garage. He was just opening the door to his Jaguar when he sensed someone behind him.
He barely had time to turn when a foot slammed into his stomach. The impact sent him sprawling to the concrete floor. He lay there, groaning, doubled up with pain, and gazed up at his attacker.
The dark, emotionless eyes that stared into his belonged to the same brawny Asian man who’d been here earlier in the week. The threat he’d issued then had been menacingly clear. He’d shattered an antique mirror, sending shards of glass scattering all over the hall. With a gloved hand, he’d picked up the longest piece and held it to Wallace’s throat. “FBI. You say nothing,” he’d warned in broken English.
“I won’t,” Wallace had gasped. “I have nothing to tell them.”
“Good.”
He was gone as quickly as he’d come.
Now he pinned Wallace to the ground, one knee planted squarely across his throat, squeezing his windpipe.
“I didn’t say a word,” Wallace wheezed out. “I…swear…”
The dull-eyed thug leaned into him, increasing the pressure on Wallace’s throat with his knee until Wallace couldn’t drag air into his lungs, the other knee pressing into Wallace’s bruised kidney. The agony was beyond bearing.
“I…can’t…breathe…” he managed. “You’re…killing…me…”
“No,” Jin Huang replied tonelessly. “This not kill. This not even pain. When I kill, then pain. So bad you beg to die quick. But you die slow. Very slow. Tell friends tonight, don’t talk. Or everyone dies—slow.”
CHAPTER SIX
The poker game was in full swing when Sloane walked in.
There had been a low, tense conversation going on among the men. It came to an abrupt halt the moment she entered the living room.
Sloane wasn’t surprised. It felt weird, given she’d known these men her entire life. But she got it. They weren’t sure how much her father had shared with her, even if he’d reassured them he’d said nothing. And she wasn’t a curious little girl anymore, or even a ballsy teenager. She was a grown woman, a former FBI agent, and a threat.
“Hi, all,” she greeted them casually, pretending she hadn’t noticed the lull in conversation. She plucked an apple out of the fruit bowl her mother had no doubt put out. The rest of the snacks were her father’s contribution—a platter of deli sandwiches from the Second Avenue deli, bowls of mixed nuts and chips, and, judging from the half-empty bottles on the card table, a couple six-packs of Sam Adams, plus one six-pack of O’Doul’s for Ben Martino, who was a recovering alcoholic. He had yet to break into the O’Doul’s, but the night was young.
No shocker that her apple was the first thing missing from the fruit bowl.
“Sloane.” Ben slapped down his cards and jumped up to give her a paternal hug. He was a demonstrative guy, not to mention a high-strung type A perpetual motion machine. Sloane remembered visiting his clothing manufacturing company as a child and watching him pace back and forth, doing everything from overseeing the seamstresses to reworking the patte
rns himself. The only time he sat in one place was during these weekly poker games, and even then he fidgeted, tapped his foot, or perched at the edge of his seat like an eagle about to take flight. He looked like an eagle, too, with his beakish nose, sharp dark eyes, and close cap of gray-white hair.
“It’s great to see you,” he told her, tugging a lock of her hair the way he used to when she was a kid. “It’s been way too long.”
Sloane smiled, struck by a wave of nostalgia. “Yes, it has.”
She’d seen her father’s friends occasionally these past few years, but never all together, and never at the card table. In fact, she hadn’t dropped in on the poker game since her days at the Manhattan D.A.’s Office. She’d left to join the FBI, gone down to Quantico for her new-agent training, and moved to Cleveland for her first Field Office assignment. By that time, her parents had moved to Florida. They’d only moved back four or five months ago, and she’d been too busy to visit them for more than a few hours at a time.
So, yes, it had been ages since she’d dropped in on the infamous poker game. But her memories of watching, learning, and ultimately sitting in for a few hands of Texas Hold ’Em were warm and fuzzy.
She hugged Ben back. Talk about hyper. He was normally tightly strung, but tonight he was practically vibrating. “How’s your new grandson?” she asked, hoping to ease the tension by bringing up his favorite subject: his family.
It worked, and Ben visibly relaxed—as much as he was capable of relaxing. “He’s great. He’s only four months old, and he’s cutting his first tooth. Personally, I think he’s also trying to talk. A real genius.”
“Gurgling isn’t talking, Ben,” Leo Fox informed him, striving for a touch of his customary levity. “Except in your case. You talk so fast, gurgling is easier to understand.” He winked at Sloane, and then averted his gaze, seemingly examining his cards before looking back at her.
Sloane noticed that his face and neck were flushed.