“You’re not using her as bait.”

“We don’t lose CIs. We’ll have the place filled with UCs.”

Flynn gripped the phone so tightly, his knuckles whitened.

“Flynn,” Maddox said, “I give you my word, I’ll stay close.  Those pricks will have to get through me and twenty other guys to get to her.”

“I don’t like it.”

“Neither do I, but until we get the drive in Sorlov’s hands, ours are tied. Getting the goods on Bushnik would be a huge blow to Sorlov’s operation. ”

Flynn exhaled.  The thumb drive was more than it appeared.  It was a GPS and listening device that could be remotely activated without the possessor’s knowledge. Why a judge wouldn’t authorize it was beyond Flynn unless… “Hold up a sec, how did you get the go-ahead for the device to plant on Bushnik, but not for the thumb drive?”

“I wasn’t going to chance Saduki kicking another one back, so I went to Madsen. He signed it right off.”

“Don’t you think it’s a little odd that for this particular investigation, and it being such a routine request, that any judge, especially one like Saduki who is always proactive so long as you give him just cause, would hold you up on this? It’s a legit warrant. Even a hard case would have signed off on it.  There’s only one reason Saduki would drag his feet.”

“You think Sorlov has him in his pocket?”

“Yup.  I’ll bet he has dirt on the judge and is using it to blackmail him for tip-offs and information.  Just like he’ll do to me when he sees the video.”

“If Saduki tipped off Sorlov—”

“We’re fucked. I don’t want Miss Fuentes anywhere near that place, not if Sorlov is on to us.”

“We don’t know that for sure.”

“Until you know one way or another, she’s not leaving my house.”

“On that we’re agreed. Sit tight until I have more intel.” Maddox hung up.

Flynn stared at the cell phone for a long time before he walked back into the bedroom.  Pink was packed and patiently sitting on the chair he had vacated earlier.

Flynn handed her her phone.  “There’s been a development, Pink.  It’s unclear what the repercussions are, so for the moment, you’ll stay here.”

“What development?”

“I can’t discuss it.”

“Ah, well let me guess.  That thumb drive is more than it appears.  A listening device, perhaps?”

Flynn scowled.

“And you can’t get a warrant signed to use it as such?”

Flynn didn’t say a word.

“We don’t need it,” she said.  “The video is enough.  Let me show it to Sorlov and wait until he calls you out with his demands.  Then snatch him up. If he cries entrapment or coercion, he won’t have a legal leg to stand on in court. It was a video given to him; he chose to use it for illegal purposes. Case closed.”

Flynn stared at her in shock.  Not only was she right, but how the hell did she know that?

“I can’t speak for the task force’s motives or strategy, Pink. For now, I’ve been instructed to keep my eye on you until I receive further instructions.”

She stood.  “I don’t need a babysitter.”

“Yes, you do.”

 “I don’t want a babysitter.”

“Not your call.”

“You can’t force me to stay here.”

“Yes, I can.”

“That’s against the law!”

“I am the law.”

Pink’s jaw dropped, and when it did, Flynn was overcome with the urge to snatch her to his body and shut her up with his lips on hers.

When she started to dial a number on her phone, Flynn snatched it away from her.  “Hey!” she cried, lunging against him, grabbing for her phone. He held his hand high over her head.  Jumping for it, she dug her nails into his forearm.  “Give me my phone, you big bully!”

The warm softness of her body sliding up and down his chest and hips as she tried to get to her phone was Flynn’s undoing.  Grasping her around the waist with his free hand, he hoisted her up against his waist and wrapped his other arm around her shoulders, imprisoning her against him.

“Stop acting like a two-year-old, Isa.  You’re in danger.  I can’t protect you if I can’t see you.”

“I don’t want your protection!” she screeched, twisting against him.  “I’d rather be dead than spend one more minute with you!”

Digging his fingers into her hair, Flynn grasped the back of her head and pulled it back so that her fiery eyes glared up to his.  “Then I guess I’ll take advantage of your last minute.”  His lips swooped down onto hers, the shock of their contact electric.  Blood slammed through his veins, straight to his dick.

Holy fuck. Hungrily, Flynn’s lips ravaged hers.  He gave her no quarter.  There was nothing gentle about the way he ate at her mouth or the way his tongue licked against hers.  She tasted just like he knew she would: hot and sweet. Sexy and defiant.

Her body softened against his, her hands no longer ripping at his arms.  Instead, her fingers grasped his shoulders. The kiss deepened. He couldn’t get enough of her.  Starved for her, he couldn’t stop.  Didn’t want to.  What he wanted, she would never concede to.

Take her down the hallway to his room, lay her down on his bed and make slow, sweet love to her until he depleted her.

Flynn pulled her head back breaking their connection.  Their breaths were hot and hard. Fast and furious.  Catching her gaze, he lowered his lips to hers, and just before he brushed them across the swollen buds, he whispered, “You’re still alive. You’re going to stay that way, no matter if I have to fight you myself to make sure that happens.”

Breathing heavily, she licked her lips, slowly.

“Oh, no, baby, don’t do that or you’re going to hate me more.”

Her swollen lips lifted in a flirty smile. “I already do.”

Flynn’s heart pounded against his rib cage.  Slanting his face across hers, he lowered his lips to hers and said, “I guess all bets are off, then.”

Catching his bottom lip between her teeth, Pink sucked it slowly into her mouth, running her tongue along the edge.  Flynn’s heart rate accelerated.  His dick swelled painfully in his shorts. When she released him, he pressed more intimately into her.  There was no mistaking his raging erection.   “All bets are back on, Ryker,” she whispered.  “I’ll stay under one condition.”

“Anything.”

“You don’t touch me unless I need CPR.”

Her words were like ice water in his veins.  “Seriously?”

“As a heart attack.”  She grinned and licked his lips before pushing out of his embrace.  “Take it or leave it, Special Agent.”

She didn’t leave him with much of a choice. Reluctantly he let her feet slide to the floor.  When she moved across the room, he felt empty.  The emptiness settled in with a hard thud when he realized she was right.  What the hell was he thinking?  Obviously he hadn’t been thinking. At least not with the head on his shoulders.  It was frustrating to no end not to act on his attraction for the tiny dancer.

He had no choice and even if he did, it wouldn’t matter because she was adamant.  Extending his hand, he said,  “Deal.”

She smiled so sweetly, his heart thumpity-thumped. “No touching.”  But she extended her hand toward him and did an air shake.  “Deal. Now I’d like my phone back.”

Flynn picked it up from the bed where he had dropped it and tossed it to her.  Dropping it into her purse, she looked up and smiled a smile that he knew was going to end with them both in trouble.  “I want go for a ride on your motorcycle.”

“How are we going to do that without touching?”

“I never said I couldn’t touch you.”

As she pranced out of the bedroom, Flynn shook his head and followed her scent.  He was so screwed.

Chapter Twenty-seven

Twenty minutes later they roared north on 13.  The day was cooling as it wound down.  Fog rolled in from the city; soon it would blanket the entire east bay. Izzy was swimming in one of Flynn’s leather jackets.  He’d refused to let her mount the bike without it and the helmet.  Wearing the helmet was the law, of course, but the jacket was huge and heavy, and if they took a spill it would protect her skin.  She shivered as streams of cool air jettisoned up the sleeves, suddenly grateful for Flynn’s insistence she wear it.