up and down. “You understand what Mistress, um, Jennifer does?”
I rise from my chair and stride toward him with purpose, gaze unwavering. He doesn’t flinch as I swiftly close the space between us and snatch the slip of paper from his hand. “In general, yes. For you, specifically, I can guess.”
Torres is looking at me as if I’ve lost my mind. “No offense, but you are one of the most buttoned up agents I’ve ever met. Even dressed in leather and holding a whip, I don’t see you passing yourself off as a professional dominatrix.”
“No offense,” I counter, feeling more than a bit offended. “But you don’t really know me.”
None of the men in the room weighs in with an opinion.
I turn to Zack. “You’re in charge and you know I can pull this off.”
There’s no hesitation. “She can do it,” he says, putting the question to rest. Then he looks at Maitlan. “So, how do we get Emma past Eve? Based on what you’ve said, I doubt she’s going to let someone who she doesn’t know just waltz in and substitute.”
I answer before Maitlan can. “The timing is going to have to be just right and we prey on Eve’s need to satisfy her customers. Maitlan says Jennifer starts at eight. We have her call in sick five minutes before her shift is supposed to start. I show up a few minutes after that. I can be…” I pause, holding Zack’s gaze with my own. “Very persuasive.”
“Say you do get in, how are you going to sneak away from your client and get into Eve’s office?”
“That’s where you come in,” I tell Torres. “Robby’s story is all over the news. After what happened in the park today, you can say you’re expanding the investigation, interviewing everyone who knows Maitlan. His financial records show he’s a member of her private club, the legitimate club, so you’re stopping by to ask her a few questions about anyone he may have been in contact with in the days before Robby’s kidnapping.”
“So, I draw her out of the office long enough for you to get inside and plant a bug?”
“Actually, I imagine she’ll have me brought to her office as soon as I show up. I can plant the bug then. When you arrive, if you can get her to take you into her office and keep her there for ten to fifteen minutes, that would give me enough time to get into her private apartment.”
“It could work,” Bradley says.
O’Neill adds, “And right now, it’s the best plan we’ve got.”
“What time do you want me there?” asks Torres
I mull it over for a moment. “Eight fifteen.”
Maitlan takes the slip of paper from my hand and then heads across the hall, back toward his office. “I’ll call Mistress Darkness from my office. If we’re going to be offering her an obscene amount of my money, I want to be negotiating.” When he reaches the door he turns around just long enough to ask, “Whom should she tell them to expect?”
“Domina Sirena,” I reply before turning to Torres. “Any idea where I can get a latex catsuit and a whip.”
“Honey, I’m a single mother with two kids under six. Closest thing I could get you would be my orange tabby and a can of Redi-whip,” she says with a smile. “Text me the address, I’ll be there at eight fifteen sharp.”
I feel Zack’s hand on my elbow. “Let’s ask Mistress Darkness.”
Chapter Six
I survey the pile of shopping bags that adorn the king-sized bed in the guest room Maitlan has assigned to me. There’s an adjoining bathroom that links to a second guest room on the other side. The one assigned to Zack.
“Looks like quite a haul.”
I turn at the sound of Zack’s voice.
He’s leaning against the doorjamb. His pose appears casual, relaxed. But I’ve worked with him long enough to know there’s something about the mission that’s bothering him. I scoop up the bag of make-up and a flat-iron.
“I need to begin the transformation. It may take a while.”
He steps back into the bathroom so that I can enter. But he
I rise from my chair and stride toward him with purpose, gaze unwavering. He doesn’t flinch as I swiftly close the space between us and snatch the slip of paper from his hand. “In general, yes. For you, specifically, I can guess.”
Torres is looking at me as if I’ve lost my mind. “No offense, but you are one of the most buttoned up agents I’ve ever met. Even dressed in leather and holding a whip, I don’t see you passing yourself off as a professional dominatrix.”
“No offense,” I counter, feeling more than a bit offended. “But you don’t really know me.”
None of the men in the room weighs in with an opinion.
I turn to Zack. “You’re in charge and you know I can pull this off.”
There’s no hesitation. “She can do it,” he says, putting the question to rest. Then he looks at Maitlan. “So, how do we get Emma past Eve? Based on what you’ve said, I doubt she’s going to let someone who she doesn’t know just waltz in and substitute.”
I answer before Maitlan can. “The timing is going to have to be just right and we prey on Eve’s need to satisfy her customers. Maitlan says Jennifer starts at eight. We have her call in sick five minutes before her shift is supposed to start. I show up a few minutes after that. I can be…” I pause, holding Zack’s gaze with my own. “Very persuasive.”
“Say you do get in, how are you going to sneak away from your client and get into Eve’s office?”
“That’s where you come in,” I tell Torres. “Robby’s story is all over the news. After what happened in the park today, you can say you’re expanding the investigation, interviewing everyone who knows Maitlan. His financial records show he’s a member of her private club, the legitimate club, so you’re stopping by to ask her a few questions about anyone he may have been in contact with in the days before Robby’s kidnapping.”
“So, I draw her out of the office long enough for you to get inside and plant a bug?”
“Actually, I imagine she’ll have me brought to her office as soon as I show up. I can plant the bug then. When you arrive, if you can get her to take you into her office and keep her there for ten to fifteen minutes, that would give me enough time to get into her private apartment.”
“It could work,” Bradley says.
O’Neill adds, “And right now, it’s the best plan we’ve got.”
“What time do you want me there?” asks Torres
I mull it over for a moment. “Eight fifteen.”
Maitlan takes the slip of paper from my hand and then heads across the hall, back toward his office. “I’ll call Mistress Darkness from my office. If we’re going to be offering her an obscene amount of my money, I want to be negotiating.” When he reaches the door he turns around just long enough to ask, “Whom should she tell them to expect?”
“Domina Sirena,” I reply before turning to Torres. “Any idea where I can get a latex catsuit and a whip.”
“Honey, I’m a single mother with two kids under six. Closest thing I could get you would be my orange tabby and a can of Redi-whip,” she says with a smile. “Text me the address, I’ll be there at eight fifteen sharp.”
I feel Zack’s hand on my elbow. “Let’s ask Mistress Darkness.”
Chapter Six
I survey the pile of shopping bags that adorn the king-sized bed in the guest room Maitlan has assigned to me. There’s an adjoining bathroom that links to a second guest room on the other side. The one assigned to Zack.
“Looks like quite a haul.”
I turn at the sound of Zack’s voice.
He’s leaning against the doorjamb. His pose appears casual, relaxed. But I’ve worked with him long enough to know there’s something about the mission that’s bothering him. I scoop up the bag of make-up and a flat-iron.
“I need to begin the transformation. It may take a while.”
He steps back into the bathroom so that I can enter. But he
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