Those girls were wild and into some heavy stuff. They knew some bad people, too. Maybe they just pissed off the wrong guys.”
“Maybe.” Vanessa’s jaw snapped shut. It was hard not to give in to the righteous anger growing inside of her and tell Annika that no one deserved to die the way Gena and Bianca had.
“Well, it was nice meeting you, Vanessa.” Annika was obviously through with the subject. She pushed her sunglasses back up on her nose. “I guess I’ll see you around.”
Annika strolled off toward the beach, leaving Vanessa wondering if she should have pushed for more information.
Unlocking the door, she stepped onto the oak hardwood floor of an entryway that opened onto an expansive room with floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing a sun-filled view of the beach. Tearing her gaze away, she took in modular white chairs and a white Novak sofa, with oak accents dotting the room. The Chablis table set blended in to create vivid and bold lines. She loved this condo already and was looking forward to seeing the rest of it.
The sparkle of sun off the blue water drew Vanessa’s gaze. It reminded her of her family’s estate on a private beach in Jamaica. She saw Annika stroll up to a woman sunning herself in a yellow string bikini and lean down to talk. The other woman sat up. Then both women turned to look in Vanessa’s direction. A chill ran through her as she stepped away from the window. Had she already given herself away?
Chapter 4
Vanessa gave the French Double Slipper Tub in the master bath a longing glance as she used the chinabowl sink on top of the fancy wrought-iron stand. The inviting tub was built for two, but she saw herself relaxing in it alone with a glass of wine and scented candles.
Her face clean, she applied a fresh layer of natural-looking makeup and worked with her hair until it fell past her shoulders in artful disarray. Rummaging through her luggage, she found a white pair of slacks and a light, cotton camisole made of ragged, woven strips of colored fabric. The single gold button on the front hit just below her breasts and left a tantalizing strip of her skin bare. She spritzed it with a dash of cologne. As Vanessa stepped into a pair of Jimmy Choo print slides she added a small Jimmy Choo hobo bag.
Outside, it had grown hotter. In the interest of saving time, Vanessa took a taxi to the trendy Nemo restaurant, with its interactive food bar, dining room and other areas, including the terrace, garden and courtyard. She took a seat at the table that had been reserved in the Loggia, an environmentally controlled area that opened to the garden.
The place was filled with wrought-iron furnishings and modern hanging lamps. All around her, Miami’s beautiful denizens chatted, people watched and presumably closed deals. The menu featured several eclectic items with Asian influence. Vanessa decided on wok-charred salmon with roasted pumpkin seeds. Then she ordered a glass of chardonnay and settled in to wait for Mackenzie.
She finally spotted him striding through the entrance of the restaurant in flax-colored slacks and a short-sleeved designer print shirt. The expensive-looking digital camera he’d gotten from Alan dangled from a strap on his shoulder. Several women turned to check him out. Vanessa waved to show him where she was seated. Nodding, he approached the table.
“Sorry if I’m a little late,” he murmured as he took his seat. “I stopped by the office to take care of a few things.”
“Actually you’re right on time,” she answered, noting the way he gave her the once-over. She felt like asking, Do I pass? At least that sour look was gone from his face.
His gaze lingered on the skin left bare by her top and then fast-forwarded to her face with what seemed a determination to be businesslike. “Did you order?”
She tapped her menu with a raspberry-colored nail. “I waited for you.”
“Didn’t see anything you liked? If you’d like to go somewhere more exclusive…”
“This place is fine,” she answered in surprise. “And it’s full of models, tourists and businesspeople. Is the food bad?”
“The food is great.” The sour look returned to his face. “I just thought the place might not be up to your usual standards.”
“You think I’m a snob.” She’d spoken without thinking first, but it explained the sour expression, the curling lip in New York.
“Aren’t you?” He kept his tone even, but the look in his eyes made it clear that he didn’t like her.
“No, I’m not.” Vanessa gritted her teeth. “You don’t know me, Agent Mackenzie, so stop trying to make assumptions. My background might be different from yours, but I’ve been trained. I know what I’m doing and I’m good at it. If it’s too difficult for you to be pleasant on a personal level, try to be professional about us working together.”
Annoyance darkened his eyes as he leaned forward over the table. “The last thing I need to do my job is a bored modeling heiress trying to amuse herself by playing secret-agent games.”
Vanessa parried that comment with a smile. Mackenzie definitely had his briefs in a bunch. This was not an assignment she’d wanted and he knew it. “Apparently our bosses don’t agree. Besides, you know that I had to be convinced to even take this on.”
“True—” He was interrupted by the waitress, who had suddenly appeared at their table.
As the waitress bustled off to fill their order, Vanessa asked, “Do you know why I do what I do, Mackenzie? It’s not about being rich when so many people are poor. It’s about good and evil. Evil is kicking the shit out of good people, and if we don’t take a stand and get out and do something about it, no one’s going to be able to live on this earth.”
He pinned her with his gaze, righteousness simmering in the depths of his brown eyes. “You haven’t seen evil. Not in the world you come from. I wasn’t raised in the projects or the streets, but we were very poor. My parents scraped and worked hard for everything they got. The strong preyed on the weak. All around me people tried to escape the misery with drugs, booze and gangs. I do what I do because I understand, and I know I can make a difference.”
“And you don’t think we have the same goals?” Vanessa asked, suddenly aware of the urgency that had crept into her voice. There was no getting through to this man. Her jaw was so tight she could feel a vibration in her teeth.
Mackenzie expelled a noisy breath but didn’t answer. When his glance swept over her clothes and exposed skin once more, her hands formed fists.
“So what is your plan for this assignment?” Vanessa asked. She wasn’t going to let him distract her from her goal.
Mackenzie shrugged. “Until we get some leads, it’s pretty much talking to people and getting next to them.”
She wasn’t stupid. “Yes, but first we need to know who Gena and Bianca’s friends were and who they were hanging out with.” Listening to Mackenzie, Vanessa wished she were working this mission alone.
“You’re stating the obvious,” he said frankly.
Vanessa rolled her eyes and counted to ten. If she had to argue with him about every little thing, what good was he?
Their drinks came and Mackenzie took a long swallow out of his.
“I
