Breakwater by Carla Neggers

Author:Carla Neggers [Neggers, Carla]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Suspense, Mystery
ISBN: 9781460302286
Publisher: Mira
Published: 2006-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Steve was on Pennsylvania Avenue, on his way back to work, when his cell phone rang. He recognized the tight, controlled voice of the older of the two goons. “What, are you assholes spying on me?” Bravado—he was sweating like the pig he was. “I just had iced coffee with Quinn Harlowe. Or do you know already? Are you following her—or me?”

“Did she ask you to meet her?”

“No. I knew you’d be breathing down my neck and just showed up. She’s working up a dossier on you bastards.”

Silence.

“I’m serious. Your boss is Oliver Crawford, right? Are you the ones torturing and executing the guys that kidnapped him? I hope the feds are onto you. I hope they’re fucking all over you. I hope—”

“Calm down.”

“I am calm.”

But he wasn’t. He could feel the blood pounding in his arteries. His chest was tight. If he wasn’t so young, he’d be worried about a stroke or a heart attack. As it was, he thought he’d crack. Just collapse on the sidewalk and start blubbering. Was that what they’d done to Alicia? Scared the living shit out of her to the point she was drooling on herself?

“Where are you on the names we want?”

Steve wasn’t fooled by the mildness of the question. He was running out of rope with these bastards. “I’m working on it.”

“Work faster. What about Harlowe? Is she part of the task force investigating the vigilantes?”

“What?”

A hiss of impatience, like he was stupid. “Harlowe. What’s her role in any vigilante investigation?”

Hell. Steve wiped sweat off his brow. These guys were vigilantes. Had to be. “She doesn’t have one. No. She’s just nosy.”

Another couple seconds of silence.

“We’re not the bad guys here,” the goon said quietly, a hint of humor—and sarcasm—in his tone.

Steve glanced around him, but no one was eavesdropping. Still, he lowered his voice. “You’re never going to leave me alone, are you? You’ve got me by the balls, and you’re going to twist until I shrivel up and die.”

“We’re seizing an opportunity that you yourself presented to us. We’re careful people. We have a great responsibility. There’s much at stake.” He sounded so persuasive, so reasonable. “I don’t ask you to understand, just to do as you’re told.”

“What about Quinn? I’m guessing not everyone thinks you’re the good guys you say you are. She’ll find out. She’s like that. I’ve heard how she works. She throws out one little question in a meeting and turns it around, upside down and inside out. That’s why she’s in demand. Don’t underestimate her.”

Because if they did underestimate her, she’d be onto him as well.

“We’ll do our job. You do yours. Keep us informed.”

Steve clicked off and lifted his arms, trying to let some air in between his wet shirt and his skin, with little success.

He had no doubts now. He knew where he’d made his bed.

For better or worse, he was in the sack with fascist sociopaths.

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