Betrayed (Dark Desires 2)

I saw Robbie’s Adam’s apple bob. “Yes, I mean, I wrote a program to search every internal document on the server, as well as emails and digital files, using the keywords you gave me. I haven’t found anything. I mean, I could print it all out and go over it one by one, but that could take months.”

“Or years,” I said with a sigh.

I should have kept my mouth shut. Ed’s eyes landed on me. His eyebrows went up. “And you’re telling me that after two weeks of working there and sleeping with Sean O’Connor, you haven’t found a fucking thing either?”

“Wait a minute, you’re actually sleeping with him?” Danzig asked. “Why haven’t I heard those tapes?”

“Because she refused to put a bug in the bedroom, you pervert,” Joanie said. She gave me a sideways grin and poked me with her elbow. “That’s it, girl. If you can’t fuck him up, just fuck him good”

“Fuck you,” I said, glaring at her.

“Anytime,” Joanie said, pouting her lips at me.

“And you,” Ed said, aiming the finger at Joanie, who was in charge of the audio surveillance. “You’re telling me that after listening to these assholes for two solid weeks you haven’t heard a fucking thing we can use? Nothing?”

“If I had you would know it, boss,” Joanie shot back. “These assholes just talk about football and horse racing and…” She poked me with the elbow again. “What a hot piece of ass this one is.”

“Enough,” Ed snapped. He slouched back in the chair and rubbed his eyes. “People, if we don’t come up with something soon, I’m gonna have to pull the plug on this operation.”

“That would be a mistake,” Lester said, chiming in from the couch. “My source tells me there is a big shipment coming in this Friday from China, twenty-thousand fake purses and watches that will be offloaded and stored in O’Connor’s warehouse until they can be distributed to dealers throughout the state.”

“There is no room in the warehouse,” I said, shaking my head. I looked around at them. They were all giving me funny looks.

“I’m there every day from eight till five. I personally take the bills of lading on every container and pallet that comes in. I’m telling you, every item in that warehouse is legit. And the warehouse is stacked floor to ceiling. There is nowhere to put that many pallets or crates.”

“They must have another warehouse,” Lou said with a sigh.

“What did you say?” Ed asked.

Lou leaned forward with his bony elbows on his sharp knees. “They must have another warehouse nearby.”

“They’re storing the shit somewhere,” Danzig said, head bobbing.

“Somewhere close,” Joanie chimed in.

Ed leaned forward and pointed a long finger at my nose. “Have you heard talk of another warehouse?”

I frowned in thought, then slowly shook my head. “No, not a word.”

“That has to be it,” Ed said, lacing his fingers into a fist and propping his chin on it. “They’re using another warehouse, one we haven’t found.”

“We’ve searched every suspicious warehouse on the docks,” Danzig said. “Maybe it’s across the river.”

“Maybe,” Ed said. He took a deep breath and blew it out as he looked at me. “Claire, it’s up to you. If Lester’s source is correct, they have a large shipment coming in on Friday. That’s day after tomorrow. They have to put the shit somewhere. I need you find out where. If we don’t catch a break by Monday, I’m pulling the plug.”

Claire

I had been spending lots of time with Sean during and after work over the last two weeks. We were growing closer every day, which was difficult for me because he seemed so open and honest and I was living a lie.

I knew it would all come crashing down when he learned who I really was. Until then, I was going to cherish every second we had together and hope that Sean would not hate me forever when the shit hit the fan.

I also knew better than to have long-term fantasies about a life with Sean O’Connor. He would never forgive me for what I’d done and I couldn’t blame him. I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to forgive myself.

Sean was in and out of the office most of every day, dealing with shipments coming in and going out. We’d usually meet back at his place for dinner out or in, then we’d kick back and relax a little while before the sexual festivities began.

We hadn’t missed a single night of having sex. Sean was a voracious lover, but totally unselfish. Sometimes it was all about pleasing me, sometimes it was all about pleasing him, and other times it was all about pleasing us both at the same time. Either way, neither of us ever came away unsatisfied.

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