Lies (Phoenix Undercover #1) Page 4

  “Please, gentlemen, accept our gift. Otherwise, we may become offended.” Leo narrowed his eyes at me.

  This was a test of our loyalty, but the idea of violating one of these young women made me sick to my fucking stomach. I knew I was being watched, and I had a choice to make. I placed my hand over the one the girl was resting on my shoulder. As I tugged it and brought her around my side, she lowered herself to my lap. When she looked at me in fear, I was on the verge of losing control. I wanted to stand up and put a bullet in each of Leo’s men before finishing him off, then bring these girls back to safety and ensure they got the help they needed. But I knew I couldn’t. Unfortunately, they were the tools we needed to take down the bad guy, which meant we couldn’t do anything for them yet. But I could make sure this sweet girl felt safe for tonight at least.

  I brushed my finger over her cheekbone as she trembled against me, her wide eyes still gazing at me in fear.

  “You do right by us and we promise free pussy whenever you men are in need,” Leo said smugly, staring at me. “Why don’t you gentlemen take these three lovely ladies into the room behind you? Enjoy yourselves. We will talk more afterward.”

  I knew I had to take the step to show him we could be trusted. I also knew it would be one of the hardest fucking moves I had ever been forced to make. I stood, lifting the petite girl with me, and pulled her body against mine. Her feet barely touched the floor. I placed one hand on her ass and kissed her hard. Pulling out of the kiss, I looked over her shoulder to see a smile tugging at Leo’s lips.

  “Free pussy is a start, Leo. My boys love pussy,” I said.

  He nodded and removed his hand from under the girl’s skirt. When he licked his finger, I fought the urge to fucking puke.

  “Enjoy. These three girls are our newest. Fresh and untouched.” Leo snapped his fingers, and the girl in my arms jumped. She and the other two girls turned their full attention to him. “You treat these men well. Anything other than that will not be a good decision on your parts. Do I make myself clear?”

  They nodded without hesitation, the fear in their eyes almost unbearable to look at. Then they took our hands and led us away.

  The moment we were in the room and the door was closed, I looked at Mike and Greyson and then at our surroundings. There were two couches and one recliner in the center of the room, and a king-sized bed tucked back in a corner. A large plasma-screen television was mounted on the wall.

  Greyson spotted the camera anchored in the far corner at the exact moment I did. My original plan had just hit a snag. My stomach knotted again as I looked back down at the young girl before me.

  “What do you want to do?” she asked. She was trying to sound confident and maybe alluring, yet I sensed her fear. “Whatever you need.”

  I knew going into this job that I would be forced to do some things I would not be proud of. Fuck, I had hoped I could avoid situations like this, but we couldn’t with fucking cameras watching our every move. We all knew it, and judging by the silent conversation Mike and Greyson were having with their eyes, they were having a hard time with this too.

  I nodded toward Greyson, and he in turn nodded to Mike. We each took the hand of the girl we had been “gifted” and led them to separate areas of the room.

  I sat down on the couch with my back to the camera and pulled the girl onto my lap, forcing her to straddle me. I gripped her hip with one hand and placed my other on the back of her neck. Bringing her face closer to mine, I looked her in the eyes.

  “How old are you?” I asked.

  She didn’t hesitate. “I’m seventeen.”

  I stared at her, wondering how someone so young could get herself in this mess. Where the hell were the people that should have been protecting her?

  “Leo said you were untouched,” I said. “How untouched?”

  “I’m not a virgin. I just haven’t been with any of the men. Except Leo. He has sex with all the girls.”

  My heart sank as I imagined that slime ball putting his hands on her. “Do you want to do this?”

  “Yes,” she said without hesitation. “I’m here to please you.” She immediately shifted her gaze toward the camera.

  “Not this, sweetheart.” I brought her face closer to mine so I could whisper against her ear. “I’m talking about being one of Leo’s girls. Is that the life you see for yourself? Be honest with me.”

  When I allowed her to pull back, her lower lip trembled as she looked at me. Her big, blue eyes were filled with terror. Instead of answering me, she lowered her mouth to mine, and I allowed her to kiss me gently.

  “No,” she whispered against my lips, and I understood then that she was protecting herself from the cameras. Her hair had fallen forward as she leaned in, and I used it as a shield so I could continue to work this situation out.

  “I don’t want to have sex. I have a lady,” I told her. “But you and I both know if we don’t put on a show, Leo won’t be pleased.” I kissed her once more, and she nodded in agreement. “So a show is what we’ll give him.”

  I looked to my left. Mike was on the couch with his girl, his body resting over hers, shielding her from the camera. He was whispering to her, and she was nodding up at him. Greyson had his brunette across the room near the bed, pressed firmly against the wall. A sheer curtain hung just to the side of the bed, offering them a small amount of privacy.

  Mike nodded at me and Greyson did the same before they turned back to their girls. We were all on the same page.

  “You ready to test your acting skills out?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure I understand.”

  I had a strong desire to protect this sweet girl. The idea of Leo or one of his men harming her pissed me off to no end. “That camera over my shoulder is allowing Leo and his men to test us. All of us. Not only is he watching you three girls, but he’s trying to see if he can trust us. So we need to play this all out.”

  I looked over toward Greyson, and he had already moved toward the bed, his body covering the girl’s.

  “We aren’t gonna be having sex,” I told my girl, and her face instantly relaxed. “But we have to make it look like we are. Do you think you can do that? Or do I need to shield you like the others are?”

  She leaned forward and ran her tongue along the shell of my ear. “I can handle it. I always wanted to try acting.”

  When she leaned back and lifted her shirt over her head, my mouth went dry. This was so fucked up on so many levels, and I knew it would haunt me for weeks.

  For the next ten minutes, she ground on me and we kissed while moaning and groans of deep pleasure filled the room as we all played our parts. I did my best to refrain from touching her too much, only rubbing along her sides and back, but then she placed my hand on her breast as she pressed her chest toward my face. She played off each moan and gasp so perfectly, she almost had me fooled.

  I lowered my jeans and boxers and kept a hand near my dick. The less our bodies truly made contact, the better, and I was leaving nothing to chance. The blonde hovering over me began to bounce, as if she were riding me hard and fast. I just wanted this entire damn thing to end, so when she threw her head back and screamed out in the best fucking imitation of a fake orgasm I’d ever seen, I too groaned deeply. Her body fell forward against mine as she feigned taking in deep, calming breaths.

  “Do you think we fooled them?” she whispered near my ear.

  “You fooled me, sweetheart, so I am more than sure you gave them a decent show.”

  We spent a few minutes righting ourselves, and the three girls did the same. When we exited the room, Leo and his men were sitting at the table where we left them. I was positive they hadn’t just sat there the entire time. They each were smoking cigars with a large bottle of whiskey sitting on the table before them.

  “It would appear the six of you have had a good time.” He smirked.

  I spoke for the group, continuing the suggestion that I was in charge. “Best pussy I’ve had in a long time. We are
very pleased.”

  “Good.” He motioned to the chairs we had occupied earlier and looked up at the three girls. “Your job is complete, ladies. The car is waiting downstairs.”

  As they began to walk away, a thought occurred to me. A thought I was sure would later get me in trouble. The first rule of going undercover is don’t get involved. But I pressed forward anyway.

  “Wait,” I said, and the girls froze. I could sense Mike and Greyson staring at me from the sides. “We are still negotiating, is that correct?”

  “True,” Leo said as he narrowed his eyes.

  “We would like you to promise that these three girls remain ours,” I said.

  “Taking a liking to our whores already.” Leo chuckled as he turned to Pavel.

  “We do have some sweet pussy to offer,” Pavel said as he looked over at the girls. “Jillian, I’ve been told, has some skills.” He licked his lips, and the brunette who had gone into the room with Greyson looked down toward the floor.

  Leo chuckled and turned back to face me, his expression puzzled. “We have plenty of women to offer. Why these three? I can assure you that anytime you want a girl, we will have plenty to choose from.”

  I pointed to the girls. “We like them fresh and untouched. Consider them your gift to us for our willingness to offer you what you need.” I knew I shouldn’t be playing this game, but I couldn’t fucking let them walk out of here without trying.

  “Let me get this straight.” Leo took a drink of whiskey. Lowering his glass back to the table, he locked his eyes with me. “We gain access to your storage facilities, and in return you gain these three for your own personal fuck toys. Is that correct?”

  “Yes,” I replied without hesitation.

  He leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table. “I can see they have made an impression. I too agree they are sweet.” He ran his finger over his lower lip, and I tensed up. He wasn’t done testing us. “Molly has a very sweet pussy, but I have to say Zara was the best of the three. What do you think, James?” he asked me.

  We had all chosen to use our middle names as our undercover aliases. The possibility of an error would be less likely when our lie was a little closer to the truth.

  “Well, seeing as I only had the pleasure of fucking one of them, I would have to say I’ll let you know. I said we wanted them, but I never said we wouldn’t share among ourselves.”

  I held his stare, and he broke out in laughter. “Okay.” He slapped the top of the table, and the three girls jumped. “You have a deal, James. These three will remain yours for as long as our deal in in effect.”

  I looked over at the girls, who looked relieved. I knew I would get my ass chewed later regarding the shit I had just pulled, but I couldn’t stop myself. I couldn’t grab them and walk out the door, but I sure as shit was going to keep them safe as much as I could.

  Chapter 10

  Gabriella

  My phone rang in the darkness, and I rolled over to look at the clock on my nightstand. It was three in the morning, and I was instantly worried something had happened to Mom or Dad. I lifted the phone and squinted at the screen.

  I had programmed Josh’s number in my phone under the name ‘FBI Hunk’ after we had dinner. He laughed when I showed him and then turned his phone around. My name in it was ‘Real Estate Hottie’.

  I didn’t expect him to call this late at night—or early in the morning. Whichever.

  “Hello?”

  “I’m sorry to call at this time, but I needed to talk to you.” Something about his voice sounded off.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, sitting up in bed.

  “I know this is gonna seem crazy. Hell, you may even hang up on me, but I was really hoping I could see you.” His voice had taken on a hopeful note. “Please, I just need to talk.”

  “Okay, you can come here.” I rambled off my address, and we hung up. I slipped out of bed and put on my robe, then called down to the doorman to let him know I had a guest coming.

  Ten minutes later, a soft knock sounded on the door, and I peeked through the peephole to find Josh on the other side. He looked exhausted and maybe a little sad. When I opened the door, his eyes locked on mine and he forced a smile. “Hi,” he offered.

  “Come in.” I stepped to the side and allowed him to enter. “My sister is sleeping, so we need to keep our voices down. She lives with me.”

  “Shit, I’m sorry. I never should have bothered you.” He ran his hand through his hair in agitation.

  I placed my hand on his forearm. “Josh, really, it’s okay,” I assured him. “You need to talk, so we’ll talk. We can go to my room. Her room is on the other side of the apartment.”

  Yes, we had only met a week ago, and yes, we may have only shared one dinner, but we both knew it was much more. We shared a connection, the kind where you just knew you wanted to keep the other person around. Whether we would be more than friends was something we would find out over time. But right now he needed a friend, and I would offer that.

  I took his hand and led him to my room at the end of the hall, where I nudged him inside and closed my door behind me. I walked to my bed and crawled under the covers, then patted the spot next to me. “Come on,” I encouraged.

  He sat down beside me and turned to face me. He was silent for a while before he spoke. “I joined the narcotics unit hoping to clean up the streets.” He took a deep breath. “I told you I had a sister, didn’t I?” I nodded. “But what I didn’t tell you is I had a brother too.”

  “Had?” I asked, and he nodded this time. “As in…?”

  “He died,” he finished for me in a whisper. “Brett was four years older than me.” My chest tightened with sorrow. “He, um,” he began once more. “He overdosed when he was seventeen, and I knew then that I wanted to become a cop. And then once I was, I wanted more. It was always more. I trained and joined the bureau, and when I became a senior agent in the narcotics division, I felt like I had finally reached the level I wanted. It took me years to get where I am, and now that I’m there, I don’t know if I can do it.”

  “What do you mean?” I had no idea what brought this on. I could only hope by listening I could offer him some peace.

  “After tonight, I just don’t know if I have it in me. I never thought I would have to do the things I’ve had to do tonight. It sickens me, and I don’t know if I can carry this out.” He looked so troubled. “I shouldn’t be telling you any of this, but if I don’t get it out, I’m afraid I’m gonna snap at the wrong time.”

  “You can tell me,” I encouraged him. “I’m here, and it’s just between us. You have my word, Josh. Please just talk to me.”

  “I just dealt with a situation tonight that tested my limits and involved things that made me ill.” He took my hand. “I just needed some help calming down. After the night I’ve had, there was no way my mind was going to relax. I’m sorry for waking you.”

  “Don’t even think twice about it. I’m here to talk whenever you need it.”

  He traced my lower lip with his thumb. It was a simple gesture, yet it conveyed so much. “Thank you,” he whispered. “You didn’t sign up for any of this. You may wanna rethink getting to know me better.”

  “No,” I replied. “I enjoy a challenge.” I shrugged when he smiled at me. It was a welcome sight.

  “Do you mind if I hang out a bit? You know, since you’re awake and all.” He smirked, and I couldn’t stop myself from returning the gesture.

  “You hungry?” I asked, and his eyes lit up. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  I stood from the bed, grabbed his hand, and helped him up. We had just reached my door when he stopped walking and lightly pulled me back toward him. After spinning me to face him, he placed a hand on each of my hips. I looked up and met his gaze.

  “Thank you for allowing me to see you. Even if nothing I said made sense, just know that it helped.” He leaned down and rested his forehead against mine. “I’m glad I had the date from hell, because it led me t
o you. And you, Gabby, made it worth it.”

  He placed his lips against mine in a soft kiss. I could taste the minty mouthwash on them.

  ***

  “Well, what do we have here?” Brooklyn’s voice rang out loudly through the living room. “What number do I have to call to order me one of those?”

  I glared at her because I knew what she was referring to. I also knew there was no way I was getting out of this without an explanation. The last thing I remember was curling up at Josh’s side early this morning, watching some show about a man who had been wrongfully convicted of a crime and sentenced to prison. Now I was waking up, basically in the same position, except Josh was holding on to me like he was afraid I would disappear. Oh, and my hand was under his shirt, rested firmly over his taut stomach.

  “If you think you’re going to leave out the details of what led to this very handsome man curled up with you on our couch, you are sadly mistaken.” Brook was absolutely ridiculous. She was eating up the idea of something besides paperwork and romance movie marathons going on in my life.

  So what if I’m boring? Yes, I’m a homebody who loves Nicholas Sparks and all those sappy love stories—though don’t get me wrong, I love me some comedy too. I am the girl that also enjoys sitting back and analyzing others, laughing at their embarrassing moments even though I would die of humiliation if our roles were reversed. I refrained from dating because truthfully it was a lot of work that only ended in disappointment when it all inevitably fell apart. I hated being vulnerable and sad. But Josh was an exception to this. I wasn’t sure why I was still testing the water with him, so to speak. I just felt like there was something different about him.

  “He is honestly a hunk, Gabby. I am seriously impressed,” I whispered so I wouldn’t wake him up. I looked up just in time to see her raking her eyes over the man still sprawled out at my side and possessively gripping my waist.

  “Those hands alone are drool-worthy. And he has such strong arms.”

  Irritated with her, I felt like I should throw a blanket over him or something.