SIUBlues18

Harvey passed copies of his report around the table as he briefed Captain Kellam and the rest of their team on how his part of the investigation was going. Meeting with vice was beginning to be a morning ritual. It became a quick stop before each of them moved on to their day as normal. “I have been able to trace three of the banks back to Montipinia’s organization. From what I can tell, all of the information that Victoria Castle provided is dead on. It’s taking some digging to get through all of the dummy corporations that Montipinia is using, but I’m making good progress now that I know where to look.”

“We were able to pin point every one of the stops on the pipeline as well,” Roger reported, giving Sarah a nod to include her. “Local authorities and drug enforcement agencies have the places staked. All we need is the word from you to shut it down.”

“Our best shot will be to sweep the organization at the same moment that we take Montipinia down,” Kellam said as his eyes skimmed the report that Harvey had given him. “If we start raiding drop off points on the pipeline, Montipinia is going to know we’re onto him and bolt.” One of the names in the report caught his eye. “You said that Oldham was the middleman with the banks. Do you have the connection at the banks?”

“Still working on it,” Harvey returned. “I should have everyone by the end of the day.”

“Pass on your information to the Treasury Department,” Kellam instructed him. “We’ll let them handle that portion along with the local authorities. Make sure that you stress that it is a multi-team effort. If they want access to our information before the initial bust they have to play along.”

“Will do,” Harvey acknowledged.

“I’ll be on surveillance tonight with Ronnie and Cassidy. If the opportunity presents itself, we’ll take Montipinia down tonight. The other teams will have to be on stand-by. They won’t move unless we take Montipinia. We will have to coordinate our efforts if we want to get everyone involved, but we have to take Montipinia first. If we lose him, it’s only a matter of time before he sets up shop again.” He looked over at Joe, changing topics in stride. “What’s going on with Victoria Castle and Nash?”

“Nash is briefing her on what to expect tonight,” Joe returned to explain his partner’s absence from the meeting as he shifted in his chair. He didn’t mind covering for Nash even if he didn’t agree with his choice of company. He could only pray that Nash knew what he was getting into. “She was pretty shaken up after her last meeting with Montipinia and we want to make sure things go as smooth as possible.

Captain Kellam studied him for a long moment. They couldn’t afford to have anyone on the inside that could jeopardize the operation. “A lot of good people are going to end up dead if she loses it in there.”

“She’s not the one I’m worried about,” Joe assured him. “It’s Craig’s. He’s the real wild card in this. We’re not even sure if he’s going to be at the party. Word on the street is that things are heating up. Montipinia’s men are talking to every dealer, junkie and pimp trying to get the details on Malone and Hernandez. Nash was right when he said that Montipinia would go into a tailspin when he found out that Tory was seeing someone. It seems like Montipinia’s entire organization is focused on finding out who we are.”

“Is there anyone that can trace you back here?” Kellam asked with concern.

“Our covers are solid,” Joe assured him. “I made sure that anyone even remotely involved with the organization who could identify us as Bridges and Dominguez was pulled off the street. They’re being held for questioning on unrelated charges so you may receive a complaint or two when this is all over, but that will give us forty-eight hours.”

Kellam nodded. He was more than willing to field a few complaints to get Cruz Montipinia behind bars. “Do whatever you have to. I don’t want to lose this one.”

“Captain,” Sarah chimed in. “I know that the information that Victoria Castle gave us has been vital to this operation, but do you think that we should be depending on her so much? I mean, if she’s clever enough to run a scam on Montipinia, how can we be sure that she’s not running a scam on us?”

“Do you have anything to back up your suspicions?” he asked.

Sarah shook her head slightly. “It’s more like a gut feeling,” she explained. “I don’t think she is being completely straight with us. She’s holding something back.”

He thought over her statement for several moments. He knew that his agents had to rely on instincts in the field, but he needed facts in the office. “Until you find something solid, we’re going ahead as planned, but look into it. I don’t want any surprises.” He looked over at Joe as he stood from the table. “See if Bridges can give Montipinia a little push. If he’s disrupting the organization just by being with Miss Castle, maybe he can send Montipinia over the edge. We’re going to have to stay one step ahead on this if it’s going to work. The more distracted Montipinia is, the better our odds will become.”

As everyone stood to go back to their portion of the investigation, Joe followed Sarah out of the room and to her desk. “What was all that about Victoria Castle?” he asked point blank.

Sarah sighed as she dropped her report onto her desk. She knew that the conversation was inevitable. Joe Dominguez reputation for standing by his partner was nearly as infamous as Nash Bridges charm when it came to the ladies. “I know that everyone in there thinks that Victoria Castle is some sort of God-send, but I don’t trust her,” she returned just as bluntly as she gestured to the conference room that they had just left. It amazed her that men could be led so easily. “She’s a player and she’s very good at what she does. Do you seriously think that it was some sort of accident that Nash hooked up with her?”

“I was there, Sarah,” he argued, curious if she had any sources that he should know about. He was just as leery as she when it came to Nash and Victoria, but he wasn’t about to admit that to the vice detective. Instead, he defended his partner. “I know exactly what went down between Nash and Victoria.”

“You know what she wants you to know,” Sarah said with certainty. “She’s out to get Montipinia and she’s using us to do it. Why am I the only one that can see that?”

“It’s no secret that she wants Montipinia taken down,” Joe countered, “Victoria has said that herself, but we want the same thing. How can you say she’s using us when we wouldn’t even have this case without her help?”

Sarah gazed at him in stunned disbelief as she wondered about enlightening him. Men are so gullible, she thought, relieved that God had seen fit to make her a woman. “Don’t you find it a little odd that she is so insistent on protecting Russell Craig?” she asked, then glanced around the room when she realized that others were taking note of their raising conversation. She stepped a little closer to Joe and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Let me ask you something. You have known Nash for some time. Do you really think that he’s in control of this situation?”

“Are you telling me that you’re questioning Nash’s motives now?” he asked in astonishment.

“Of course not!” she denied, her eyes dancing around the room once more. “But you can’t stand there and tell me that Nash is not acting just a little bit out of character either. You and I both know that it’s Victoria calling the shots and every one of us is dancing like a puppet on a string.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what it is, but I know that she’s holding something back and Nash is going to get caught in the crossfire if he’s not careful.”

Joe eyed her speculatively as he thought of the kiss that Nash and Victoria shared on the beach after her meeting with Cruz Montipinia. Sarah might not be so far off the mark, he admitted to himself. “Nash can handle himself,” he said aloud. “Besides, if anything goes wrong, you and I will both be there to back him up tonight.”

“It’s not just tonight that I’m worried about,” she said ominously.

* * *

Harvey gave Cassidy a curious look from across the room. She had given him a nod when he first arrived, but she hadn’t spoken a word to him since. Something was definitely wrong. “Hey Cass,” he began tentatively as he walked over to her. “How are things going?”

“Fine,” she answered without even considering the question.

His eyes darted over her face as she studied a case file. “I heard about the Greco bust,” he told her, trying once more. She had been the key sniper that took out several of Greco’s people. “Sounds like you did a great job.”

“Yeah,” she returned. “But it’s just a job,” she said, then walked off.

Harvey didn’t waste a second following along behind, folding his arms across his chest when she stopped by the file cabinets. “That was your first kill, wasn’t it?” he asked point blank. The man that she had shot in the overgrowth was dead at the scene.

“Can we not do this Harv?” she asked as she shoved a file into the drawer haphazardly. “I’ve already talked to the shrink and was cleared for duty. I’d really just like to let it drop.”

“I’m concerned about you, Cass,” he said in all honesty. He had watched her grow up so much over the last few years. “I can remember....”

“Please spare me, Harv,” she interrupted, then slammed the drawer. “I don’t need any of your psychedelic sixties amateur Freudian theories. And I don’t need any of your misplaced beliefs that you’re looking out for your dead partner’s fiancee. I’m fine except for the fact that everyone seems to think that they can fix Cassidy’s poor, pathetic life. I wish everyone would just back off.”

Harvey turned to watch as Cassidy stormed off. He was stunned. He had seen Cassidy unleash before, but it was never directed at him. Once she had disappeared, he realized that he had the attention of the entire office. Everything seemed to be suspended for the space of a breath, then the silence was finally broken and everyone returned to their duties. Harvey eyed Sarah and Joe warily as they walked up to him. “Wow,” Harvey said because he couldn’t think of anything else.

“There’s an understatement,” Joe concurred. “What did you say to her?” he asked as he looked for the trail of smoke following Cassidy’s path.

“That’s one woman who can cut you off at the knees in the blink of an eye.” Harvey shook his head. “I didn’t even see it coming.”

“I was wondering who was going to get it,” Sarah said to them. “She’s been packing around a lot of anger lately.” He gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder. “Don’t take it to heart, Harv,” she soothed him. “She’s hurting and she’s not willing to admit to that yet. When she is, she’ll be back on track.”

He eyed her curiously. “You sound pretty confident that she will work things out.”

Sarah shrugged her shoulders. “She is Nash Bridges’ daughter.”

* * *

Victoria watched from the balcony as Nash and his team prepared to meet with Cruz Montipinia. There were so many of them. Joe was there, of course, with a man that had been introduced to her as Harvey Leek. What was his undercover name again? she asked herself. Glass, she quickly responded, then shook her head. She should know that. If her and Nash were going to be convincing as a couple, she needed to remember the names of his associates.

Her eyes shifted to the youngest of the men in the room. Roger Maher, undercover name, Martin. He’s excited, she noted. Perhaps too excited. She wasn’t thrilled with the fact that he looked like he was barely in his twenties. She didn’t want a nervous pup trying to make a name for himself botching up everything that she had worked for. She would have to keep an eye on him. She will turn him into a waiter if she has to, she decided. She would think of any excuse to get him away from Cruz if it came down to that.

The women inside had only recently come in. Sarah Drake she knew, but she had yet to meet her partner. She was a striking woman with long, dark hair. Victoria watched curiously as she walked into the kitchen to retrieve a bottle of water from the ancient refrigerator. She was familiar with Nash’s apartment and comfortable enough there to help herself to what was in the kitchen. Interesting.

Victoria sighed as she pulled her eyes away. She didn’t want to think about any possible history between Nash and the women he worked with. With a face like his, she had no doubt that his bed was filled whenever he felt the need.

“Don’t go there,” she whispered to herself. She needed to keep her emotions in check and the thoughts she was having weren’t helping. She had prepared as much as she could. Now she just had to play the part. And pray that they would be walking out of the party alive.

She turned back to watch the people inside once more. They look like a family, she thought and felt a little pang in her heart when she heard several of them erupt in laughter. She had never known that kind of togetherness before and she was a little envious. She was certain that, if she walked in, the entire tone of the conversation would change and that saddened her. Her focus had been so intent on freeing herself and Russell that she had lost sight of what she had missed out on. Intimacy was the main reason that she began saving files on Cruz Montipinia. She wanted to be close to someone again. She hadn’t allowed anyone into her life over the past several years because she didn’t want anyone else that she cared for to get sucked into that life. Now, as the end was actually in sight, she was longing for the things that she never had. Friends and family.

* * *

Nash gave Harvey a pat on the shoulder. “We’re going to have to drive past the airport to get you down, bubba, because you’re flying.”

Harvey smiled as he tipped his head closer to his boss. “That’s what love will do for ya,” he said in a conspiratorial whisper. “A natural high that I would strongly recommend.”

“I take it that you’ve finally had a chat with Rachel?” Nash asked curiously. He knew that Harvey had a few insecurities when it came to Rachel’s past. Hyun Chon in particular.

He nodded. “You were right, as usual, Nash man. I was a little worried when Chon showed up, but she didn’t even think twice about leaving with the guy. That woman is crazy about me.”

Nash chuckled. “Of course she is, bubba. Why wouldn’t she be?”

“Speaking of beautiful women,” Harvey began, gesturing to Cassidy across the room. “Have you had the chance to talk to Cassidy about the Greco bust?”

Nash shot him a glance out of the corner of his eye. “Why? Is she talking to you?”

He shook his head. “Only to make me about two feet shorter,” he returned. “She’s taking it hard, Nash.”

“Yeah, I know,” he said on a sigh. “I’m not sure what to do at this point, bubba. She’s not talking to me either.”

“Sarah seems to think that she’s going to pull through it in the end,” Harvey informed him.

“I sure hope so,” he returned softly as he watched his daughter standing quietly by herself. She had changed so much in such a short amount of time. He could only hope that she was strong enough not to let the job change her completely.

* * *

Nash scanned the room leisurely as Victoria chatted with a few of the guests. He knew several of people there. Some of them acquaintances of Victoria’s and some of them wanted men. Unfortunately, the two of them seemed interchangeable at times. He made a mental note of the guest list while looking continuously for their host. Cruz Montipinia had yet to put in an appearance and they had been there for nearly an hour.

Nash caught Roger’s eye as he walked in from the back patio. Roger shook his head to let him know that he still hadn’t spotted Montipinia. Harvey and Roger had been stopped short when they had approached an area on the second floor, so they had to work under the assumption that Cruz was there. Nash sighed heavily and looked back to Victoria in time to see a stranger covering her eyes with his hands.

Nash was only a few steps away, but he suddenly felt like he was across the room. He started to move toward her, then hesitated when Victoria’s face actually lit up. He couldn’t believe the change in her expression when she guessed who her captor was. Her smile was broad and genuine as she turned into his arms to receive a tight hug.

Russell Craig. It had to be.

Nash sensed rather than saw Harvey come up behind him. He knew that Harvey would remain close at hand as back up while Joe was walking through the house with Sarah. “Craig, no doubt,” Nash informed him.

“That was a rather warm welcome,” Harvey returned.

“Yeah, but I think it’s time to break it up,” he said, then made his way over to Victoria and Russell with Harvey quick on his heels. “I hope you don’t mind if I interrupt, but that’s my woman you have your hands all over.” Nash confronted him boldly.

Victoria looked at Nash in surprise. The independent part of her wanted to ask him where he got off claiming her as a prize, but then she realized that Nash was only playing a part just as she was suppose to be doing. She could only assume that Nash was testing Russell to see if he could get a rise out of him. She knew that Russell would pick up that gauntlet if she didn’t stepped in. “Russell,” she began, giving his arm a warning squeeze to behave himself. “This is Teddy Malone and his associate, Mr. Glass.”

Russell’s assessment started at Nash’s feet, then worked its way up to his eyes. He wasn’t quite sure of what to make of Teddy Malone. Victoria hadn’t been able to give him any details about the man, but somehow, Malone wasn’t what he was expecting. This was the guy who was suppose to be their salvation? “Mr. Malone,” he said. He wasn’t impressed.

“Mr. Craig,” Nash returned.

Victoria’s eyes darted between the two of them, then she sighed heavily. “Should I ring the bell or just send you boys off to your own separate corners?” she asked flippantly. She was so sick of all the posturing.

Nash chuckled, but his eyes didn’t waiver from Craig’s. “Not tonight, sweetheart,” he said as he reached out to take her hand and pull her to his side. Once she was tucked into the curve of his arm, he looked down at her. “I promised you we would have a good time,” he said, then gave her a light kiss to stress the intimacy of their relationship.

Russell did his best to keep his jaw from clenching as he caught Nash’s gaze once more. “Let’s hope that you’re a man of your word, Mr. Malone,” he said firmly. “You never know what will happen at one of Cruz’s parties. Two or three people get defensive....” he said with an expressive shrug of his shoulders. “And all hell breaks loose. Could happen without a moment’s notice.”

Montipinia has three bodyguards and was expected at any time, Nash translated. At least he hoped that was the message that Craig was trying to relay. He had the feeling that Russell was testing him and he was getting impatient with the games and the waiting. “It’s good when you’ve got a friend who will let you know when it’s coming.” Nash threw out a message of his own. “The ladies need to be protected, after all.”

“I agree.”

Harvey quickly reached for his cell phone when it started to ring and hoped that it wasn’t the surveillance truck calling with bad news. The tension was already starting to mount. He glanced around as he backed himself away from the crowd to answer his cell. “Yeah?”

“Tell me what’s going on.”

“Rach?” he said in confusion. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes, everything’s fine. Tell me what’s going on.”

“You have got to be kidding me?” He couldn’t believe that she was calling him from the hospital when he was on an undercover assignment. Granted, he was just there as backup, but still.

“I am bored out of my mind,” she told him. “Come on. Throw me a bone.”

“Honey,” Harvey said in his best parental voice. “You and I are going to have a very long talk when I get back there.”

She smiled at the tone in his voice. “Ooo, will you give me a spanking?” she shot back.

“Now you’re not playing fair,” he returned.

“Come on babe,” she begged. “Just tell me if you’ve seen the man yet.”

“Not yet, but number two is having some words with the boss. He got a little too chummy with the lady. The three of them are having a intensely strained conversation right now.”

“I always miss the good stuff.”

“I’ll give you a blow by blow when I see you again. I’ve got to go. Love you.” Harvey slapped the cell phone closed, then froze. That was the first time that he had ended a call to Rachel with those particular words. He hadn’t planned it. It just happened. After the initial shock wore off, he nodded. He could get use to that.

* * *

Rachel sighed as she dropped the hospital phone back onto the cradle. She was so bored that she was ready to scream. It was killing her to know that she was missing out on another major bust. Operation Cruz Control was what Harvey was calling it. He hadn’t given her many details simply because he didn’t know many. He had been spending so much time at the hospital with her, that he was out of the loop. Now that he was working on the case, he was hardly ever there.

She sighed at herself for the avenue that her thoughts were following. She suddenly had a new understanding of the tensions felt by significant others of police officers, unaware that her own focus on work caused her to miss Harvey’s parting comment.

“Excuse me, Miss McCabe,” a young nurse said tentatively when she walked into Rachel’s room. “There’s an Asian gentleman here to see you. Should I send him in?”

Rachel’s heart did a major flop. Could it be Samuel? She wasn’t prepared! Her breathing automatically increased causing the pain in her side to intensify as well. “Yes, please,” she said with surprisingly calm tones.

As soon as the nurse left the room, Rachel began straightening the bed clothes. Then she thought of her face stripped bare of makeup, then her hands shot up to her hair as she frantically tried to smooth it. Unprepared was putting it lightly. Her hands were actually shaking. She heard the door creak open and she stopped fussing immediately. Her body was screaming in anticipation as the two seconds it took to step into the room became an eternity.

“There’s the conquering hero,” Cato said as he slowly crept inside.

All of the tension was suddenly released from her body as she slumped back in the bed. “Hello Cato,” she said, giving him one of her best smiles in spite of her disappointment. She knew better than to jump to conclusions, but she simply couldn’t help herself. Since Hyun had told her that Samuel knew about her, she had been waiting for him to put in an appearance.

“You look a lot better than I was expecting you to,” he admitted.

“Thanks. I think,” she returned awkwardly. “What brings you to this side of town?” she asked curiously. She knew that Cato rarely ventured out of Chinatown.

He smiled warmly. “Unfortunately, it’s rare these days to find a person that keeps her word. I simply wanted to make sure that such a rare breed was on the mend.”

She shook her head. “My word?”

Cato nodded. “You said that you could get Yong Cha Chon,” he said simply. “You succeeded.”

“Not me,” she denied. “All I did was get shot. Someone else eliminated Yong Cha.”

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. “I know the rumors going around the street. Speculation on who pulled the trigger is starting to generate odds at the betting parlors. I know that you weren’t personally involved, but I’ll lay odds that these events came about more because of you than in spite of you.”

“Yeah, well,” she mumbled. “It doesn’t really matter why he’s gone. Just that he is.”

He nodded once more. She’s involved and probably protecting someone. “I’ll grant you that,” he returned, then pulled a while box out of his pocket to offer as a change of subject. “I thought that you might need something to occupy your time,” he told her as he handed her a gift.

Rachel looked at him curiously. Cato showing up at the hospital was a surprise, but she didn’t even know what to say as she looked at the box. That changed when she saw what was inside. “Mahjong tiles!” she said excitedly. “That’s incredibly thoughtful of you, Cato. Thank you.”

“You get back into practice, then drop in on the games at The Palace. I assure you, no mercy for the injured.”

She laughed. “That sounds like fun. I’ll be there.”

* * *

Nash nodded to Joe when he and Sarah coming towards them through the crowd. Nash was about ready to call it quits. They had been there for nearly two hours and still had no confirmation that Cruz Montipinia was even in the city let alone the house. Russell Craig’s cryptic message wasn’t enough to appease him any longer.

When applause suddenly erupted in the room, all eyes were drawn to the second story balcony overlooking the main room. There stood Cruz Montipinia greeting his guests with a wave. He had a body guard on either side of him with the third already starting down the stairs to clear the way for his boss. Cruz Montipinia knew how to make an entrance.

Nash looked to both Harvey and Joe, giving them silent instructions with subtle nods of his head. Harvey moved closer to the open bar that was only a few yards from Nash and Victoria while Joe and Sarah moved to opposite corners of the room. No matter where Montipinia went, they wanted to have someone in position. Nash looked around for Roger, then gave him a nod to remain in his position by the stairs.

Cruz didn’t bother with making any speeches. He merely accepted the adulation, then began mingling with his guest. His bodyguards were ridiculously obvious. All three in tight black tee-shirts with arms that were bulging with muscles. They remained two steps behind their boss, glaring at anyone that dared to approach without some sort of encouragement from him. Montipinia looked like a king that was granting the peasants a moment of his time, stopping to chat only periodically with those worthy enough.

It didn’t take him long to work his way over to Victoria. He had repeatedly thrown looks in her direction, assessing her escort as well as taking note of the other strange faces in the room. He had been watching the party from the security monitors on the second floor so he was well aware of who was with Teddy Malone even though they had spread out through the room. He had to admit a certain admiration for the way that his people had followed his silent instructions. They had obviously been together for some time. He speculated at the strategic positioning, his curiosity concerning Teddy Malone peaking.

As Cruz stepped up to Victoria, he held out his hand. “Finally, the most beautiful flower in the garden,” he complimented her. The ivory silk dress that she wore was one of his favorites. He had to wonder if she was wearing it to let him know that she still wanted to please him. Perhaps Malone wasn’t the paramour for Victoria after all?

As she placed her hands in his, she leaned in to give him a light kiss. “Hello Cruz,” she purred.

“Hello my lovely. You look absolutely stunning,” he told her. “That has always been my favorite outfit on you.” He drove the point home to see if Teddy would react. Not even a blink, Cruz noted and started to relax a little. He had been concerned that Victoria had fallen for the guy, but now he was fairly certain that he was merely a passing fancy. “Is this the man I’ve been hearing about?” he asked expectantly, finally giving Nash his attention.

Victoria smiled. She was willing to bet that Cruz had been hearing little else other than news about Teddy Malone of late. He was definitely the hot topic of conversation at that particular party. She had caught many hushed whispers concerning her escort. “Cruz Montipinia, Teddy Malone.”

Nash held his gaze without waiver. He knew that this was the final inspection before deciding if he was worth dealing with, dismissing or killing. “Mr. Montipinia,” he said with the proper accent, then waited.

Cruz folded his arms over his chest as his gaze remained locked. He didn’t flinch. He liked that. A man with confidence, but not arrogance. He spoke to him with the proper respect as well “Mr. Malone.” He returned the salutation. “I must say that I was a little surprised when I learned of some of your more famous exploits because I had never heard of you.”

Nash smiled easily. “I’ve found that it’s best to remain anonymous in our business. The more people that know your business, the more chances you have of being caught.”

He nodded. “That’s a very healthy attitude,” he approved.

“It has kept me out of trouble for the most part.”

“For the most part?” he returned.

Nash smiled again as he slipped his arm around Victoria’s waist and pulled her toward him and away from Cruz. “I find a little danger to be intoxicating in itself.”

Cruz glanced at Victoria then back at Nash. It was a very obvious challenge, but it didn’t matter. He knew that Victoria would always belong to him. He let out a chuckle. Teddy was a man with courage. He liked that. “Victoria was telling me that you had some sort of internet scheme going and was in need of a major supplier.”

“That’s all true and, if you let me know which one of these gentlemen is your secretary,” he began, gesturing to the hulking bodyguards, “I’ll make an appointment to discuss it further with you, but I promised Tory that I would behave myself tonight. No business. Only sweet talk and slow dances.” He laced his fingers together at the small of her back and pulled her close.

“You also promised me an early night,” Victoria announced. There was no way that she could pretend to be enamored of Nash all night for Cruz to scrutinize. That was too much to ask. It hit far too close to home and she knew that she would reveal herself, if not to Cruz, then to Nash.

As far as she was concerned, she was ready to leave. Nash already had tentative plans for a private meeting and that was the sole purpose of attending the party that night. Now that her part in it was finished, she would much rather find somewhere to hide until it was all over.

“Dinner tomorrow night will do,” Cruz said. “Eight on my yacht. Victoria will come as well, yes?” He looked at her to confirm, but didn’t really expect her to. “In fact,” he continued. “Why don’t you bring your partner with you as well. I like to know all of the people I’m dealing with personally.”

So you’ll know where they are most vulnerable, Victoria thought. “If you want me there, it will have to be somewhere on solid land,” she told him. “The yacht, dinner and me...” she shook her head. “Not a good combination.”

Cruz chuckled. “All right darling. For you, I will rent out Dante’s.”

“Perfect,” she cooed, then looked up at Nash with a glint in her eye. She knew that she had just given him a tremendous hand. Having Cruz on dry land would make him a much easier target. Now the stage was set for the final act.

* * *