Chapter 1

The moment I laid eyes on her, I knew I was in trouble. What’s worse, I knew that there was absolutely nothing I could do to save myself…

“Simple assignment, my ass,” I said as soon as my stupid boss answered the phone. I imagined him polishing his glasses and pacing back and forth, wearing down the carpet in his neat and tidy office.

“Will? That you?” he asked.

I rubbed by eyes, still gritty from lack of sleep, then I sighed heavily into my cell, hoping to somehow convey, across the miles, the depth of the contempt I felt for him. It’s a fine art and one I’ve managed to master over the years. Being disrespectful without crossing the preverbal line. It amazes even me, the shit I get away with sometimes. “Yes, it’s me! You told me the girl’s name was Ana, Rupert.”

“Yes, well. You found her, then?” asked Rupert Giles, my Assistant Deputy Director. “Ana Raymond is her alias.”

I covered the phone and grabbed a waiter as he walked by, “Scotch, neat.”

“You shouldn’t be drinking on the job, Will. It’s unwise. Not to mention there’s a policy-”

“Fire me. Please,” I begged as I pulled out a chair and took a seat in a dark corner. I waited hopefully for a moment, and then in the nicest tone I could muster I tried again, only this time I resorted to pitiful, unmanly pleading, “Pretty please?”

“No,” he answered. “Sorry, I can’t. Have you made contact with her? Is she alright?”

“Damn it!” I growled and slammed the phone down on the table, attracting the attention of several other patrons who promptly shushed me. I picked the phone back up, “I’m in hell. You sent me to hell. You must really hate me.”

“If I had told you that it was Elizabeth you were going in for, would you have accepted the assignment?” asked Rupert, sounding tired.

“Of course not! Maybe. Probably. Okay, yes,” I admitted as I accepted my drink from the waiter. I quickly knocked it back, then I put the empty glass back on his tray and pointed to it, indicating that I wanted another.

“The two of you made it quite clear after the Rayne case that you didn’t want to work together again. I was certain she could handle this alone. She was only to go in for a week, work at the club, scope things out, but then we lost contact and-”

“How long?” I asked him, closing my eyes and bracing for the answer. “How long has she been here?”

“Sixteen months,” she said, quietly.

“You let her flounder here on her own for sixteen months without any assistance?” I hissed, barely containing my outrage.

“Initially she sent back reports regularly. She got an inside track. We decided to let things run their course for a while, but after the first few months the reports became more sporadic. You know how it goes. Three or four times, just as we were about to send someone after her we got word. But in the past few months contact has been non-existent. I’m concerned something is wrong, terribly wrong-”

“Gee. You think?” I said, my temper rising. “I can’t believe you. You turned around and sent her on another assignment within a of couple weeks of us finishing up with the Rayne case? She was already exhausted and she was looking forward to spending time with Dawn. You knew that!”

“It was only supposed to be for a week. The opportunity came up quickly. She was qualified. We had to move fast. She accepted the mission,” he said, his tone now clipped and impatient.

“Course she did. She’d do anything you asked of her. All those time’s that I asked you where she was, all those times you knew and you didn’t tell me,” I accused.

“She was on assignment. You know how it works,” he responded. Then after a moment of silence he took a deep breath and asked, “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to get drunk,” I announced.

“Do you think that’s-” began Rupert.

“What? Sorry, I can barely hear you, Rupert. You’re breaking up. Hello? Rupert?” I called. “Damn cell phones!”

“William! Don’t you dare hang up on me!” he shouted, indignant as always. “You bring her home! You hear me?”

“Rupert, I seem to be losing signal. I- I-” I pressed the end call button, accepted my second drink from the waiter and asked, “When does the lady finish her set?”

The waiter’s eyes followed my gaze. “That one’s taken,” he said with a warning shake of his head.

“Is that so?” I asked him leaning back in my chair and stretching my legs out in front of me. The picture of relaxed confidence, that’s me. “We’ll see about that.”

My heart was pounding and my stomach was in knots. I could barely hold onto my glass, my palms were so sweaty. There she was, looking every bit as beautiful as she did when I first saw her, completely different, but every bit as beautiful. Gone were the fresh California Girl looks that had haunted my dreams for the past two years. The woman on the stage was a siren. Confident. Sexy. Glamorous. As the spotlight lit her face she slowly lifted her bright green eyes to her audience, the deep charcoal liner accentuating them further. She licked her ruby red lips seductively as she stepped closer to the microphone. Christ I’m pathetic, envying a goddamned microphone. The spotlight pulled back and I watched entranced as she slipped off the ostrich feather trimmed cape that she was wearing, letting it fall to pool around her feet on the stage. The black beaded gown she wore underneath was long-sleeved with a daring neckline. She swiveled her hips slightly as she tilted the microphone stand towards her. I could see the curve of her breasts as she took in that final breath of air before starting to sing.

“It had to be you.

It had to be you…”

There was no way she could see me, not with the light shining in her eyes and me hiding in the corner. Nope. I was perfectly safe right where I was. I frowned and forced myself to look away. Not hiding, I assured myself. Keeping a respectable distance, that’s what I was doing.

2 years earlier...

“Respectable distance?” I repeated.

“Yes! What’s your problem?” she yelled as she tossed her purse on the table. “We were at a social gathering! What was I supposed to do, walk around with my hand on your ass and my tongue in your ear?”

I walked over to the liquor cabinet and poured myself a drink, taking a moment to fully savor the arousing visual that she’d just unwittingly provided me with.

“Well?” she asked, predictably unable to bear the silence any longer and ruining the only moment of pleasure I’d managed to carve out for myself in the last 48 hours.

“I think we should pull out. This isn’t going to work. We’re not working,” I told her before walking into the bedroom that we were supposedly sharing. I set my drink down on the nightstand, turned off the light, and began to unbutton my shirt.

“I’ll try harder. I can do this, Will,” she said from the doorway.

I turned to look at her. The light from the hall lit her from behind. I could see the outline of her legs through the thin skirt of her dress. She had nice legs. “You need to stop calling me Will. We’ve got six months to infiltrate this organization and start delivering,” I reminded her, trying to stay focused on the job.

“I know that,” she said, crossing her arms in front of her, “Just because you’ve been at this longer than me doesn’t mean-”

“You need to become Anne, totally, completely. You’ve read the profiles. They’ve been meticulously created, now it’s up to us to bring Spike and Anne to life, to make it believable. We’re supposed to be lovers so…” I started to explain but she cut me off.

“Well, I’m not sleeping with you!” she interrupted.

“That’s not what I’m suggesting, honey,” I told her as I began to turn down the bed. “Besides, I don’t think a cruise missile could find it’s way between your legs,” I murmured.

As I turned around to reach again for my scotch she struck.

“You hit me!” I gasped, the sting in my cheek nothing compared to the gaping hole in my pride. It had been a long time since I’d been slapped by a woman and usually I could at least comfort myself with the memory of some fabulous prize, something better than a PG-13 insult laced with innuendo.

“I slapped you,” she corrected. “Pig!” she added before turning on her heels and stomping off to the bathroom, slamming the door.

“Christ,” I groaned as I sat down on the edge of the bed and removed my boots and socks, “what a friggin disaster.” I flopped back onto the bed and tried to review the past few minutes of conversation in my mind, wondering where I’d gone wrong and what the hell I was going to do to fix things. Apologies are not my strong suit.

Next thing I knew I found myself lurking outside the bathroom door, searching for something appropriate to say. How I got there, I’m not sure. Sometimes my feet take me places without consulting the rest of me. As I stood there, nothing came to me. I knocked on the door anyways.

“Go away,” she said.

“Liz, open the door. I was out of line,” I told her. There. That was good. Wasn’t it?

Apparently not good enough, I was still staring at the closed door. I reached down, turned the handle and opened it.

“Have you completely lost your mind?” she yelled as she tried desperately to cover herself with the hand towel she’d been using to dry off her hands.

“Um,” I managed to get out, trying to buy myself some more time and hoping that she would throw the towel at me.

“Jesus, Will! Don’t hurt yourself thinking too hard. It was mostly a rhetorical question. Could you do something useful like hand me my robe and turn around? Turning around would be good about now,” she said. At least I think that’s what she said. I kind of got stuck on the word ‘hard’, because I was. I’m a guy. She was naked. It was at the very beginning of what she said and everything that came out of her mouth after that sounded suspiciously like white noise.

“I didn’t mean to insult you,” I said, swallowing hard and trying my damnedest to focus on looking her right in the eye as I handed her the robe.

“I blew it tonight,” she admitted, angrily tossing the hand towel onto the countertop and grabbing the robe from my grasp. “My first big assignment and I’m blowing it! I’ll be lucky to get-”

As she spoke she slipped on her robe and tied the sash. I moved behind her and without thought pulled her hair out of the back, letting it fall loose around her shoulders. She stiffened. I stepped back and turned to leave.

“Wait,” she said, turning to face me, her expression softer. “I’m not used to…Let’s try again.”

“Try what again? I’m not sure we’re going to have another shot, sweetheart. We were supposed to use the party to establish our identities make an impression. Not sure how we’re going to-” I began.

Liz shook her head, “The touching thing. Let’s try it again. What would Spike and Anne do? We- we’ve just had a disagreement.”

I couldn’t help but smile at the ridiculous name, Spike Stone. They tell you to blend in and then they give you an alias like Spike Stone. Idiots. “Well, I like to think that as tough as Spike is, he’s basically a nice guy,” I said as I stepped closer to her.

“And what about you, Will? Are you a nice guy?” she asked, her voice but a whisper.

I looked down into those deep green eyes, so open and innocent and it suddenly struck me. She wasn’t being cold or aloof. She wasn’t being a tease. “No,” I told her as I tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m a bad rude man. I tend to drink too much when I’m depressed. I cheat at poker when I can get away with it. I never put my dirty clothes in the hamper, though I do get close on occasion. I don’t remember birthdays and I make it a habit to never be there in the morning or to sleep with the same woman twice.”

“Women actually fall for that?” she asked, as giggles spontaneously erupted.

I shrugged. “Bad boy thing does it for some of them.”

“Uh-huh. Why?” she asked.

“Makes them want to redeem me. Make me a better man,” I volunteered wondering where she was hiding the kryptonite. I mean, how else would I explain being rendered powerless and forced to divulge all of my secrets.

“Seems like an awful lot of work,” she said, shaking her head as she turned off the taps to the bath.

“I’m worth it,” I told her confidently as I moved up behind her. When she stood up I placed my hands on her shoulders, leaned down, and whispered in her ear, “Do you think you’re up to the challenge, Anne?”

Liz sighed and let her head fall back against my chest. I looked down at the long column of exposed neck. “I’m going to kiss you,” I warned her as I playfully dragged my index finger up and down the path that I planned to trace with my mouth. I gave her a second to stop me and then I leaned down, taking what I wanted, giving her what I had fantasized about. As I reached that spot just behind her ear I felt her knees buckle. I reached around her waist and pulled her flush against me.

“Steady, baby,” I murmured into the shell of her ear and then gave her a moment to recover.

“Better?” she asked, still a little breathless. “I was working hard on the not flinching thing.”

I looked over her shoulder. The top of her robe had loosened enough to give me a clear view of the tops of her breasts. Her chest was flush with the beginnings of arousal. Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips. Sometimes I amaze myself with the amount of restraint I’m able to exercise. “Much. There was hardly any flinching at all that time. Enjoy your bath,” I told her before turning to leave.

“What are you going to do?” she asked.

Since honesty is supposedly the best policy, and I have poor judgment, I told her. Giving her my most charming smile I leaned against the doorjamb and said, “I’m gonna go climb into bed and struggle in private with my intense sexual frustration. Maybe think up various alternate endings to that kiss. I’d say pay no attention to the moaning, but the truth is, if you become curious and want to invest…” That’s about the time she rolled her eyes and closed the door in my face.

Chapter 2

“I need to speak to her,” I said to the waiter as I peeled off a fifty and slid it discreetly across the table.

“No one speaks to her,” he replied, pointedly ignoring it.

“Can you get a message to her then?” I asked as she finished her third song to resounding applause.

“I can get you another drink, that’s all,” said the waiter definitively before scurrying off.

I watched as a man approached the stage and offered her his hand. He was tall and dark with broad shoulders and deep brown eyes. He assisted her down the stairs that led from the stage to the club’s floor. When she reached the bottom step he wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her, bending her over backwards and possessively running one hand over her breast and down the length of her torso. It was a demanding kiss, meant to dominate, to show her and everyone in the room who she belonged to. She wasn’t enjoying it. That’s what I kept repeating over and over as I sat there, my knuckles white from gripping the arms of the chair.

The crowd applauded and cheered. Apparently this little display was part of the show. He released her, turned towards the crowd and grinned like an idiot. I wanted to punch him. He handed her a glass of champagne, which she initially refused. They took a seat at the small table in front of the stage and the band began to softly play. He leaned towards her, saying something. They exchanged a few words and then he slid the glass back across the table positioning it in front of her.

I watched as she crossed her arms defensively and looked away. I couldn’t help smiling. He was in for it now. No one, but no one could do stubborn like Elizabeth Summers. She was digging her heels in, and once she made up her mind about something…

Without the slightest bit of warning or build-up he reached back and slapped her, hard, across the face. The bastard didn’t even blink an eye. I moved to push my chair back, but the damned waiter blocked my progress.

“Your drink.”

“I didn’t order another-” I started to say while I tried to look around him.

He placed a cocktail napkin on the table, put another scotch on top, picked up the fifty, placed it in his pocket, turned, and walked away.

I watched as Liz gingerly placed the empty champagne glass on the table. She had quickly swallowed the entire glassful. I swear I could see his handprint on her face from across the room. He said something to her. Something upsetting. Her eyes shone with tears. She reached across the table, placing her hand on the sleeve of his coat, obviously pleading. He brushed it off, treating her touch as if it was nothing more than an annoyingly persistent fly. She tried again and he held up his hand, signaling an end to the conversation. She obeyed, her shoulders slumping in defeat, her eyes downcast, her mouth closed. Something was definitely wrong.

They stood to leave and so did I. I caught the eye of the waiter, who nodded imperceptivity towards the exit into the alley. Now, I’ve been in the business for a while now and in all those years I have to admit that, overall, my experiences in dark alleys late at night haven’t been good ones.

I had to act fast. So, I followed my gut. Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for making carefully reasoned, well thought out decisions. Frankly, even if you screw up and make the wrong decision, having a strong intellectual argument to fall back on is much better than referencing your gut in a report or during an official inquiry- no matter how reliable said gut has been in the past.

I threw caution to the wind, and headed out the door. He was sitting on a crate, casually smoking a cigarette. He offered me one. I’d just quit smoking, so I accepted it, figuring I could quit again tomorrow. I’d been using that system effectively for years. The only long period of abstinence I’d ever been able to maintain had been during those months with her.

“What are you doing? You said you’d quit,” she said as she pulled the cigarette right out of my mouth.

“I did. I’ll quit again right after this,” I told her as I reached for the pack of cigarettes I’d left on the counter. She beat me to it. Damn she was fast. “Hand them over,” I said, trying to sound bored instead of desperate.

“No,” she said simply as she held them behind her back. “You’ve gone an entire month. Don’t blow it.”

I reached for them but she twisted her body, and now her back was solidly pressed against the counter. I attacked. I moved in swiftly, pinning her between my body and the countertop, placing one hand on either side of her. “Anne, I want those cigarettes,” I whispered in her ear. “Hand them over.”

She looked up at me, her green eyes sparkling with mischief, “I thought Spike Stone just took what he wanted. What do you want, Spike?”

“I want,” I said my voice lowering a notch and my hands moving from the counter tops to her arms, “a cigarette.” I slid my hands up her arms until they rested on her shoulders. She leaned her head back slightly and smiled as she wet her lips.

It had been a full three and a half weeks since that night in the bathroom, the night that I first kissed her. It had been the only time that I’d kissed her in private. There had been other times. Other kisses. Other touches. All of them had been for the benefit of others, in service of the mission.

“A cigarette,” she repeated, a bit breathlessly. Suddenly the word cigarette seemed like code for something else. Screw the cigarettes. I wanted her.

I traced her collarbone with my index finger. “Maybe you could distract me,” I suggested.  “Make me forget about the cigarettes.” I watched the rise and fall of her chest. I began to imagine what it would be like to rip open her shirt and burry my face between her…

“We-we could watch a movie, or-or play cards. You could teach me how to cheat at poker,” she replied seeming a little nervous.

“Strip poker?” I asked, encouraged, as I slid my hands up her neck weaving my fingers through her hair at the base of her skull.

She rolled her eyes and smiled. She was used to this dance by now and was becoming increasingly comfortable with it, apparently even without an audience. “In your dreams, buddy,” she said.

“Oh, I’ll tell you all about my dreams. But, then you’ll have to share too,” I told her, looking deep into her eyes. “What is it you dream about, Anne?”

She blushed, prettily and averted her gaze. But she didn’t pull away. She closed her eyes as if remembering something. I felt a slight shudder pass through her body, “I don’t remember my dreams.”

“Liar,” I teased, smirking as I turned her head towards me, tilting it back slightly. “I bet I can get you to hand them over,” I told her arrogantly.

She lifted one eyebrow and grinned, “Oh, really? You sound pretty sure of yourself.”

I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers, softly at first. She didn’t flinch, not one bit. This type of kiss had become part of our routine. The way we said hello and goodbye around others. This time, instead of pulling back as I usually did, I dragged my tongue along her bottom lip, tracing its outline. She gasped, inadvertently opening her mouth and giving me full access. I wanted to savor the moment and so I captured her bottom lip between my teeth and tugged on it gently. Teasing. Coaxing. She released a moan, but not the damned cigarettes. Right, like this was still about the cigarettes? I slipped my tongue inside her mouth and immediately found hers. I stroked and caressed, taking my time, exploring, delighting in the taste of her.

I heard the pack of cigarettes fall to the floor and then I felt her arms wrap around me, her fingers starting to play with the hair at the base of my neck as she fervently returned the kiss. Had a simple kiss ever been so deliciously complicated and so totally arousing? Not for me. And I’d done my share of kissing. When we finally separated we were both breathless. Liz self-consciously began to smooth her hair. She worried her bottom lip adorably as she looked practically anywhere in the small kitchen but at me. I slowly crouched down, retrieved the cigarettes from the floor, stood back up and handed them to her. “I’m gonna go for a run,” I told her. “I picked up a couple of the new releases earlier. You want to watch a movie with me when I get back?”

“I’ll even make popcorn,” she said, smiling and nodding.

“I’ll be off then,” I replied as I walked out of the kitchen.

“Spike!” she called before I could cross the threshold.

“Yeah?” I asked, turning around just in time to see the pack of cigarettes fly through the air.

“I have no right. It’s none of my business,” she said.

I caught the familiar red and white pack in my left hand and simply asked, “Why?”

She shrugged, “They’re bad for you. Plus, I don’t like the smell…or the taste.”

I walked over to the kitchen sink, opened the cupboard, and tossed the practically full pack into the trashcan. “I expect popcorn,” I told her as I closed the cupboard. “None of that diet stuff. I want real butter and a lot of it. You hear me?”

“Yes, master,” she replied as if in a hypnotic trance.

“Master!” I scoffed. “More like I’m you’re willing slave…Mistress Anne.” I stepped back and looked at her, taking a moment to enjoy the visual that one produced. Latex boots and corset, bright red lipstick… Shit! Her lips were moving. She was saying something. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

She smiled knowingly, “Dominatrix fantasy?”

I shook my finger at her and opened my mouth, prepared to deny all. “Yeah,” I admitted, sheepishly as I scratched the back of my head. “I know. I’m a pig.”

“But an adorable pig that, strangely enough, is growing on me. I’m probably going to require years of therapy after this assignment,” she sighed as she walked to the fridge, pulled out a can of Diet Coke, and then left.

I stood there for a moment, rooted to the spot, smiling contentedly. Feeling…happy. I bent down and looked at my reflection in the stainless steel toaster. I didn’t look as if I were sick, or drugged, or suffering from acute delirium.

“Light?” he asked, holding out his lighter.

“No, thanks,” I replied, handing him back the smoke. “I…um… just quit.”

“You’re him,” he said, quietly, as he returned it to the pack. “She said you would come for her. To be honest, I think that for these past couple months she’s been holding on by a thread. I’m Alejandro.”

“Will,” I said, extending my hand.

He accepted it, although somewhat reluctantly. “You should have come sooner,” he told me as he turned away distracted by the quiet approach of a car. “That would be your ride. Good luck,” he said, nodding towards the vehicle stopped at the mouth of the alley, lights out, engine off.

“My ride?” I asked as I turned back towards him.

He said nothing. I watched as he tossed his cigarette on the ground, snuffed it out with the toe of his shoe, and then turned and walked back into the club. The night was clear and balmy, the alley so quiet that you could have heard a pin drop. I stood there as the car’s engine started back up and watched the lights flicker on and off. “What the hell,” I muttered as I sauntered confidently towards the vehicle, “the night is still young, I’ve got a beautiful girl to rescue, and most importantly…I’m carrying a really big gun.”

Chapter 3

“I thought you were blonde,” she said as she looked at me appraisingly. “And I imagined you as taller.”

“Sorry to disappoint,” I told her as I climbed in and slammed the door shut.

“Now you’ve done it! Thanks!” she growled as she put the car into gear and began to drive. “It’s going to take forever to get him back to sleep, and tonight is the night Alejandro and I are supposed to play the salesman and the farmer’s daughter.”

A howl erupted from the back seat. “You brought a baby?” I asked. Okay, I admit on the surface that might seem like a stupid question. Obviously it was a baby. But it’s like a rule or something. You don’t bring babies on missions. And now I knew why.

“Thought we might need a human sacrifice to get you inside Angel’s compound. Babies…powerful juju,” she finished with a wink as she flashed me a bright smile. She continued to weave through the practically deserted streets. Seemingly oblivious to the high-pitched wailing she added, “That was an attempt at humor. It was meant to set you at ease.”

“Ah,” I said as I looked out the window and tried to block out the noise. “Shouldn’t you… I don’t know, do something?”

“Why me? Why not you? I am driving after all. You’re just sitting there,” she said, sounding exasperated. “Men! You’re all the same. Just because we have the breasts… There’s a bottle of breast milk in the bag there. We have twenty, maybe thirty minutes, plenty of time for you to feed him. I’m Anika by the way,” she said.

“Will, although it seems you know that. We’re going to Angel’s?” I asked.

“He’ll be leaving shortly. His sister called. She needs him to take care of something. He’ll be gone two, three days at the most. Alejandro heard him explaining to her. He doesn’t like to leave her for long. Djavan will calm down more quickly if you hold him while you feed him, by the way,” she said nodding towards the back seat as she turned onto a dirt road.

“What, you want me to hold him?” I asked.

She pulled over to the side of the road, got out of the car, walked over to the passenger’s side, opened the rear door, freed the bawling babe from the car seat and practically threw him at me. I quickly adjusted my arms around the writhing infant. “Have you looked into the possibility of Postpartum depression?” I asked her. I was feeling brave.

Her response was to hold the bottle out in front of my face. I took it from her and reluctantly tilted the nipple towards the child’s waiting mouth. He latched on eagerly.

“Why are you helping me?” I asked her as she climbed back into the car.

“I’m not helping you. I’m helping her. I think you’re a shit, like most men,” she told me as she again set off down the road. “Why did you dye you’re hair?”

“Spy trick,” I told her as I watched the milk disappear. “It’s called blending in.” At least the kid wasn’t crying anymore.

She laughed.

“What’s so funny?” I asked her, relieved as I saw the child’s eyes drift shut.

“Guys like you don’t blend,” she said, shaking her head.

“Shh, he’s falling asleep,” I informed her as I placed the now empty bottle on the seat beside me.

“You better burp him now,” she told me handing me a cloth, “before he falls asleep.”

“Oh! Come on now,” I groaned only to be shushed by her. I had enough sense to know when to give up. Without further protest I tossed the cloth she’d offered over my right shoulder, raised him to my chest, and began to pat him on the back eliciting an impressive belch.

“Guess he takes after his old man,” I chuckled.

Within seconds it seemed that the boy had fallen fast asleep. I could feel the warmth of his breath against the side of my neck. Not to mention the impressive and ever expanding puddle of drool that was seeping through my shirt.

We drove on in silence for what seemed like forever. Finally, Anika slowed to a stop. “Look, that’s Angel’s compound, up ahead on that hill. We’ll wait a few more minutes just to make sure he’s gone. What’s the plan?”

“Huh?” I asked. Suddenly I’m supposed to have a plan? “You brought me out here. I thought you had a plan.”

“No,” she said. “I had a date with my husband that I’m now late for. You mean you came all the way here without any plan at all? I thought you were supposed to be smart.”

Tough as nails this one was, a real ball buster. I liked her.

“What’s the story, Anika?” I asked her directly. “Help me out here.”

“She’s…trapped. She can’t leave the country,” she answered. “She can’t even leave the compound without an escort. He keeps her…like a bird in a cage.”

“How close can you get me?” I asked as I turned and deposited the sleeping babe back into his car seat.

“You have identification?” she asked.

“American passport under the name of William James. Got one for her under the name of Anne,” I told her.

“How good is your Spanish?” she asked me.

“Flawless,” I said, honestly.

“Flawless,” I heard her say as she ran her hand over my chest, only the voice was off, not the one I had become accustomed to hearing in my dreams. “Just like a beautiful marble statue.”

“Spikey. I mean, Spike,” she said, coyly.

“Long time. You look good,”I told her casually as I took in her red satin bra and panties.

“I feel good,” she said, shifting even closer and running her hand under one of the cups of her bra. “You remember my name from the party?”

“I remember,” I told her as I rolled onto my side and wondered if I was still dreaming.

“How've you been?” she asked, sitting up and reaching for the sheet that was draped over my waist.

“Not bad,” I answered, going for casual. “Just got a brand-new telly in my room, so... What are you doing here?”

“Ethan wants you to do a job,” she said inching down the sheet. “You up for it, Blondie Bear?”

I placed my hand over her wrist and roughly removed it. “Stop. I’m not interested, Harm. What kind of job?”

She actually looked more turned on now that I had pushed her away. “You like it a little rough, Spike? Is that why Anne slept in the guest room last night? How long has it been?”

I moved quickly, pushing her down onto the mattress, pinning her with my body. I was certain that she could feel my erection. First off, because I happened to have one. I had just woken up after all. Secondly, I was naked and her legs were now wrapped around me.

She giggled, “I think little Spike is interested.”

“How did you get in here?” I asked her.

She was breathing rapidly, panting actually. I could feel the satin of her bra brushing against by chest. She wiggled beneath me like women do when they’re seeking out more friction. Tease. She was good. “Ethan gave me a key. He told me to come get you. Don’t you want to come with me Spike?” she finished, her eyes wide, feigning innocence.

I couldn’t help it, I laughed. She sounded a bit too much like Jessica Rabbit. “I’m not having sex with you, Harm. I’m with Anne. I’m in love with Anne. I’m not going to screw that up. Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate the offer. Tell Ethan I’ll be by later. And, just for the record…Anne moved to the guestroom sometime during the night because of my snoring. I tend to snore when I’m over tired and-”

“Am I interrupting something?” Liz asked from the open doorway, her face filled with undisguised fury. I tried to quickly gage how much she had heard and what she thought was going on. I’m not a complete idiot. I knew it didn’t look good.

“Ethan has a job for me-” I began to quickly explain.

She threw the bag she was carrying at my head, “Fucking Harmony? I hope he’s paying you a shitload of money.”

“You brought me Krispy Kremes?” I asked, touched. Truly. I rolled off of Harmony and picked up the bag, they were still warm. My mouth watered in anticipation as I opened the top and inhaled deeply. “Did you make coffee?” I asked.

“Fuck you!” she shouted at me. “And put some clothes on!” she yelled at Harmony. “Oh! I am so mad I could just scream! I want to hit something!” she declared, pacing back in forth in front of the foot of the bed like a caged animal. “How could you?” she yelled at me as she stomped her right foot, her hands balled into tight little fists at her sides.

I climbed out of the bed and walked over to her, placing my hands on her shoulders and kneading them gently, “Baby, it’s not what it looks like. Really, its not.”

“You’re naked,” she said quietly, beginning to blush crimson. I turned her away from Harmony and pulled her into an embrace. “Harm, leave us, will you?”

I watched as Harmony quickly dressed and left. She had a key. Ethan had given her a key. I had no idea how long she’d been in the apartment before I woke up. The apartment hadn’t been breached before, I was sure of it. But it was vulnerable now. When I heard the front door close I placed my lips close to the shell of Elizabeth’s ear and quietly whispered, “You did good. Ethan gave her a key. They could be listening or watching.” I felt her body tensing in my arms. I stepped back and lifted her chin so that I could look her in the eye. “I swear, I was sleeping and she let herself in. Ethan gave her a key and sent her here to deliver a job offer. How he got a hold of a key, I have no idea. When I woke up she was in bed with me. What you walked in on was ol’ Spike giving her the brush off. You believe me, baby. Don’t you?”

She didn’t answer. I watched as tears filled her eyes and she fought to blink them away. I hadn’t done a goddamned thing wrong, but I still felt like a complete shit. We’d been at this for three months. I looked at her closely. There were dark circles under her eyes. She had lost some weight, not a lot, but enough that I noticed. “You go meet with Ethan. I’m gonna pack for us,” she told me. “It’s our anniversary. I had planned on whisking you away for the weekend. Unless this job-”

Something was up. Something big. “No. I’ll go meet with Ethan, get the details, and then I’ll be back to pick you up.” I watched as she nodded and then walked over to the closet to pull down a travel bag.

“Are we okay?” I asked her as I pulled on a pair of jeans.

She nodded.

“Are you okay?” I asked as I watched her walk over to my desk, pick up a pencil, and write something down.

“Can you pick some stuff up on the way back? I think I’m about to start my period. That’s probably why I’m so emotional. Well, that and finding you in bed with-” she began.

I walked over and looked over her shoulder. She had written, “My mother is dead.” I pulled her back into my arms. She resisted at first, her body almost rigid. “Let me hold you, honey,” I murmured. “Let it out.” I felt it as her knees buckled and reacted quickly to scoop her up. I used my foot to pull out the desk chair and sat down. She felt so small, sitting in my lap. Her hand fisted in my shirt. I watched as she took in deep breaths, almost gulping for air. “Is there anything I can do?” I asked her as I rubbed her back.

She shook her head, unable to speak. So I just sat there, holding her in my arms and murmuring nonsense, telling her that I was sorry and that she would be alright…that it would all be alright.

Anika was staring at me and frowning.

“What?” I asked her.

“Can you impersonate a doctor?” she asked. “Or, we could go with a priest. Both Barto and Cruz owe me huge favors. I could get them to vouch for you.”

“Barto and Cruz, they can be trusted?” I asked her.

“They can be blackmailed,” she said matter-of-factly. “Of course, if we’re caught we’re screwed. They won’t stand by us. Actually, you should know that if you’re caught I don’t plan on standing by you either.”

“Loyal bunch,” I observed.

Anika turned to me and said, “I owe my life to Ana. She…became my friend, got me a job, introduced me to Alejandro.”

“What about Barto and Cruz? What’s their story?” I asked.

“Barto and Cruz use to be customers of mine,” she answered rather vaguely.

“The doctor is…” I started to ask.

“Barto,” she said, “he likes to dress up like a woman.” Anika giggled, “There was this one time… never mind. Since his father passed away he’s been handling everyone’s medical care all by himself. We’ll say you’ve come to join his practice. Everyone knows he’s been looking for someone for months. I can get you in the house that way. But, it’ll be up to you to do the rest. Remember, if you get caught…”

“You’ll disavow all knowledge. Got it, very Mission Impossible. How do you propose to get me in?” I asked, as we pulled closer to the entrance to the compound. I reached inside my coat to unlatch the safety on my weapon.

“We’re going to walk in through the front door. And you’re going to leave the gun in the car. Doctor’s don’t carry guns. They may search you,” she said as she started the car back up and resumed driving.

“Don’t you think they’ll notice that I didn’t bring any medical supplies,” I asked patiently.

“Will, Angel is practically prepared for war. He’s stocked with medical supplies. Barto knows that. Djavan was actually delivered here,” she said nodding towards the infant sleeping soundly in the back seat. “He almost died,” she added, her eyes filling with tears. “We were so afraid. He’s lucky to be here.”

“What? Do you live here?” I asked her.

“Yes, we live in a cottage on the west side of the compound,” said Anika as she rounded the last corner, drove up to the gate, and rolled down her window. A man emerged from nowhere, dressed in black and carrying an automatic weapon. “You didn’t say earlier you were going to be bringing someone back.”

“I was in a hurry and-” she started to explain.

“Who’s this? He said no visitors while he’s-” interrupted the man as he shined a bright light into the car.

“She called me at the cottage. She’s hurt again. It sounds like the bleeding is bad this time, Jose. She may need stitches. I brought the new doctor. He’s from the states, he just joined Barto, his Spanish is limited,” she told the man.

Jose flinched visibly when she mentioned bleeding. “He said no visitors,” he repeated, sounding uncertain.

Anika shrugged her shoulders, “We won’t know how bad it is until we see her. Remember last time? He won’t be happy if he comes home to find her dead.”

Jose stepped back, nodding solemnly. He waved us through. My mind was racing and I felt a fire burning in the pit of my stomach like never before. “What happened last time?” I managed to choke out.

Anika looked at me and swallowed hard. “Don’t judge her too harshly, Will. She’s done what she’s had to do.”

Chapter 4

“I’ll do what I have to do. I won’t jeopardize the mission. You really don’t need to worry about that. You can just go on your merry way for the weekend,” she hissed as we walked through the airport at LAX.

“No, really,” she said, slipping her arms around my neck, pressing her body against mine, and whispering in my ear, “thank you.”

Chapter 5

“He left clear orders,” said Estephan.

“You remember how bad it was last time,” Anika reminded him. “You know how he gets. What? You think he’s going to give you some reward when he returns to find she’s bled to death?”

The man called Estephan hesitated. I did my best to appear bored and indifferent as I shoved my hands into the pockets of my jeans and pretended to survey the hallway.

“I- I don’t know,” he said.

“Look, if I’m not needed, I’d just as soon go back and get some shut-eye. I’m still a bit jet lagged,” I told her. Turning to Estephan I added, “I haven’t had a chance to unpack yet.”

“Coward!” barked Anika at Estephan as she pushed him aside and reached for the lock. “I’m going in to check on her, she wouldn’t have called if she didn’t need help!”

“The child doesn’t go in! There’s no need. None! He’d skin me alive if I-” he replied.

“Fine! Here!” said Anika as she literally shoved the sleeping child into Estephan’s arms, unlocked the bedroom door, and walked inside. “Come, doctor.”

I followed her into the room. It was huge and obscenely extravagant. The fresh scent of verbena hung in the air. It was alight, cast in the soft glow of yellow beeswax candles. Across from the door to the bedroom was a balcony. The doors leading to it were wide open and the curtains hanging from them fluttered lazily in the warm night breeze. The space was richly furnished. A king-sized canopy bed covered in antique lace dominated the room. The walls were covered in cream colored silk. The dark walnut hardwood floors were highly polished and reminded me of the floors in my grandmother’s house.

“Angel? Was the trip cancelled? I’ll be right out. We- we can talk…” I heard her call out from what I imagined was the bathroom. I vaguely heard Anika tell me that she would be out on the balcony as I walked towards the open door, towards the sound of her voice.

“It’s not Angel,” I said as I stepped into the room. The bathroom, like the bedroom was lit with candles. It was as large as the bedroom we’d once shared, in a different time, in a different place. The light from the flames flickered over the polished marble walls and floor and danced across her flesh. She stood at the far end of the room, nude, her back to me. Her hair was wet and her skin was covered with beads of water. I watched as they trailed down her body, barely registering the here and now, barely seeing the woman before me. I was transported to the past, focused on the memory of rivulets of water on golden skin.

“It’s not too late to change your mind,” I told her as the taxi pulled away and the tears began to silently fall, cascading down her cheeks and falling onto her hands. It was the first time I’d seen her cry. Ever.

“Rupert’s right, the mission has to come first,” she murmured, turning away from me and pinching the bridge of her nose in an attempt to regain her composure.

“Rupert is not right. The job, Liz, is just that, a job. There’s more to life than that. Is he who you want to model your life after? He’s let happiness slip through his own fingers. You can tell Rupert to piss off,” I said as I looked back to see Willow, Tara, and Dawn still standing on the porch and waving goodbye. “How the hell can he expect you to… She’s your sister.”

“It’ll only be a couple of months. I’ll be home by summer. Willow will take good care of her,” she replied as she opened up her compact and began to repair the damage her tears had caused. “I’ll be home by summer.”

I reached for her chin and turned her face towards me. “I’ll see to it,” I found myself promising her. “We’ll be done with this before you know it. You’ll be home by summer. I’ve got your back.”

Only that was a different back. I felt a confusing combination of disgust and anger as I took in the swollen, angry welts. “Christ! Why? What the hell did you let him do to you?”

She spun around to face me, not even bothering to reach for the towel to cover her nudity. It was almost as if she was unaware of her current state. She covered her mouth with both hands to stifle a sob, closed her eyes, and shook her head. “Please be real,” she whispered.

I walked over to her, placed my hands on her shoulders to still her movements and said, “Liz, it’s me, Will. I’m here, baby. I’m real.”

She opened her eyes and began to slide to the floor. “Anika!” I shouted as I swept her up into my arms and carried her back into the bedroom.

“What?” she asked as she ran into the room. “What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything. Turn the lights on, she’s hurt,” I said as I laid her out on top of the bed.

“She doesn’t like being in the light,” replied Anika not moving.

It took seconds for me to stalk over to the wall and hit the switch for the overhead light, then to walk to the desk, nightstand, and over by the sitting area to turn on lamps. I turned and examined her closely now that she was no longer shrouded in darkness, her body bare, her skin scrubbed clean of the heavy stage make-up. I felt the bile rise up into my throat and forced myself to hold steady. Her formerly sun-kissed skin once toned and lightly freckled was pale and mottled with bruises and shallow cuts. She was much thinner than I remembered, almost skeletal, though her breasts were full and almost overly firm, reminding me of some of the women in the girlie magazines, the skinny ones with the big surgically enhanced tits… “Christ! What has he done to you?” I asked as I walked closer, for the first time noticing the bite marks.

As her eyes fluttered open I sat on the edge of the bed. “Anika, hand me her robe.”

“Don’t try to get up,” I told her. “You fainted, Liz.”

“You- you’re really here,” she said, quietly.

“I’m here to take you home. Got you a passport and a ticket, baby. We just need to get you dressed and-” I began to explain.

“You shouldn’t be helping,” she said to Anika as she approached with her robe. “You’re putting him in danger.”

“I can take care of myself, sweetheart,” I told her.

She sat up in bed, her movement’s stiff. “I think he put something in the wine. I feel light headed.”

I tilted her head back and looked at her pupils, they were fully dilated, completely blown.

“He drugs you?” I asked already knowing the answer.

She looked down at her naked body and began to sob. “It’s ruined she choked out as she cupped one breast.”

“No,” I said, pulling her into my arms and holding her. “You’ll heal, Liz. Here, put your robe on.”

Anika worried her bottom lip. “Djavan’s out in the hall with Estephan. He wouldn’t let me bring him in. He was under orders. You’re to see no one. I told them you called me for help, and that you were… hurt again. They think Will’s helping Barto. I better go and gather some supplies before they get suspicious.”

“Go. Get something to clean and dress wounds, a suture kit, an IVAC pump, normal saline and blood,” I said before turning back to Elizabeth. “Type?”

“AB,” she replied. “But, I didn’t lose much. It’s just my back this time. Not like when…not like last time.”

“Can you get those things?” I asked her.

“Maybe you should go to the supply room. I’m not sure-”

“Don’t leave me! Please!” begged Liz.

“It’s alright. We want Estephan to think you’re badly injured. I’ll get supplies and then patch you up. It’s over, Liz. We’re getting out of here. We’re going home,” I told her. “You hear me? We’re going home.”

Chapter 6

“That’s it? You’re telling me that by this time tomorrow night we’ll be through? I’ll be home with Dawn?” she whispered to me as we stood in the bathroom with the water running.

“That’s what I’m saying,” I confirmed quietly as I dumped the bag of ice I’d bought into the stopped up sink, filled it partially with water, and added the bottle of already chilled champagne. I handed her two champagne flutes. “Here, hold these,” I told her as I removed the foil wrapper and cage. “Rupert said that they have all they need. Tomorrow night they’re going in. They’re going to arrest him at the cocktail party along with a handful of others.”

I eased the cork out and poured us each a glass. “Let’s toast to a job well done.”

“I did okay, didn’t I?” she asked me as she raised her glass.

“You did. I had my doubts about you in the beginning,” I admitted, remembering her obvious discomfort as I removed my shirt and tested the water temperature in the bath. “Well, not about you exactly more about whether we could pull it off, being a couple. Now, be off with you. I’m gonna have myself a bath and enjoy my champagne.”

Liz shrugged her shoulder carelessly. “It was a piece of cake, especially once you got over the whole flinching thing. That was kind of…awkward.”

“Me?” I gasped indignantly; remembering that first kiss like it was yesterday. “That was you!”

“Oh, no!” she replied finishing off her champagne and holding out her empty glass for a refill. “Please, sir, may I have some more?”

“You know what? I dare you. I double dare you! Make me flinch, Agent Summers,” I challenged as I set my glass down on the bathroom counter and watched her refill her own.

There was no mistaking the mischief in her eyes as she raised her now full glass of cold champagne and slowly poured it over my head. I stood there, stock still, unwilling to lose the bet. I didn’t blink. I didn’t move a muscle as the cold wine coursed down my face, the bubbles hissing and popping lightly as they made their way down the length of my neck and over my pecs. “Shame to let that good champagne go to waste,” I murmured softly. And then she surprised me, stepping closer, sticking her tongue out, and lapping up the trail of champagne that stretched across my nipple, into the hollow of my throat, over my Adam’s apple, and up back behind my ear.

It had been five months. Five months of essentially being without cigarettes, being without booze, being without a woman. Five months of wanting her. Five months of sharing an apartment. Two solid months of sharing a room and bed with her, of being with her practically every second of every day.

I curled my right arm around her narrow waist, grabbed the back of her neck with my left hand, pulled her towards me, and crushed my lips to hers. Christ, she felt good! I moved quickly, walking her backwards until she was pressed firmly between my body and the closed bathroom door. The impact startled her. She opened her mouth and I slipped my tongue inside with practiced ease. I hadn’t kissed her this way since that day in the kitchen, the memory of which had fueled many a fantasy. She moaned softly as I took my time exploring her mouth.

The silk fabric of her robe felt soft and cool against my chest. I heard the champagne glass slip from her fingers and shatter on the floor. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered. Nothing but her, the way she smelled and felt and tasted. I grabbed the sides of her waist and lifted her, sliding her up the length of the door. I could feel her hands as they grabbed onto my shoulders. “Oh, God!” she moaned as I kissed her neck.

Her robe had opened and the left strap of her nightgown had slipped off of her shoulder. She wrapped her legs around my waist and arched back, rubbing herself against the buckle of my belt and offering up one firm ripe breast. I latched onto her already erect nipple and took one long pull before laving it with my tongue. “Tell me to stop,” I gasped as I released it. “If you don’t stop me now-”

“Tell me you love me,” she whispered huskily.

Her lips were swollen from my kisses and her face and chest were flush with passion. Her golden hair was seductively tousled and it framed her face beautifully. I looked up into her deep green eyes and confessed for the first time, meaning every word, “I love you. You know I do.”

“Tell me you want me,” she demanded.

“I’ve wanted you for months. I always want you,” I told her as I lifted her hand from my shoulder and moved it between us, placing it over my obvious erection. “In point of fact-”

The rest of my words were swallowed by her hungry kiss. She loosened my belt and tugged on the button to my jeans, her desperation exciting me all the more. She broke off the kiss just as her hand took hold of my cock. The feel of her hand wrapped around me far surpassed my dreams. My eyes locked on hers as the head of my cock brushed up against her soft curls and she gasped. I tilted my hips forward, longing to get closer, to be in her, to feel her surround me. I slid between her lips, separating her folds, slipping past her swollen clit. I watched as her eyes closed and her head lolled back. “No, look at me,” I whispered. She did, and in that instant as I gazed into her eyes, she became my world. Utterly. Completely. Irrevocably. There was no doubt, no hesitation, not even when I came up against the thin membrane. I pushed inside past the barrier with one sure thrust and claimed her as mine.

“I can’t leave him, Will,” she said, her eyes leaking tears. “I can’t.”

I felt suddenly as if all of the air had been sucked from the room. I looked at her battered body. She was exhausted. She was wasting away. She had been in a hostage situation for months. It’s not unusual for a victim to start identifying with her kidnapper. This wasn’t about me, I reminded myself. It was about her. It was about getting her to safety. This was one of those situations that needed to be handled delicately, with sensitivity. “Are you crazy?” I asked her as I jumped up, struggling to keep my voice low. I ran my hand through my hair and forced myself to stop pacing.

When I looked back at her she seemed completely bewildered. “How can you ask me to leave him? I love him! He’s- he’s my world.”

I grabbed her roughly by her shoulders, pulled her to her feet, and positioned her in front of the mirror. “Open your robe and take a good look at yourself!” I hissed, my jaw so tight I could barely speak. I yanked open the sash of her robe, stripped it from her body, and then took her chin in my hand forcing her to examine herself in the harsh light.

“It’s not his fault. It’s my fault,” she said, closing her eyes to shut out the image. “I’m just so tired. I can’t…I can’t seem to make it stop. I can’t think clearly. I can’t eat. I keep fighting. I try to hold on-” I watched as she slid to the ground and turned away from me.

“Liz,” I whispered, as I crouched down and softly placed my hand on her shoulder. “Angel’s got you all confused.”

She pushed my hand away and held hers out, keeping me at bay, refusing to look at me. “Don’t. Don’t touch me. How can you stand to? Don’t you understand? I-I let him do things to me that… Anika! Turn out the lights! Please? Please, turn out the lights. Please, turn out the lights,” she began to sob as she rocked back and forth. “And remove the mirror! I don’t want to look at myself. Show Will out. He’ll help you. You can trust him. He can get you, Alejandro and Djavan to safety. You’ve got to get out! Tell Estephan…tell him I’m fine. I’ll distract Angel. I’ll-I’ll-”

I felt sickened. Images of the two of them, together, flashed through my mind and I broke out into a cold sweat. The scotch I’d drunk earlier seemed to be burning a hole in my lower intestine. I stood up, walked swiftly to the bathroom, fell to my knees and emptied the contents of my stomach into the toilet.

Next