DANGEROUS PROMISES (THE SISTERHOOD SERIES Book 1) Read online

  Toni jerked a key fob from her clutch and pressed the button. The chirp of the alarm system was shrill contrasting with the muffled sounds of the party inside the ballroom. The couple still wandered in the parking lot, trying to locate their car, and she narrowed her eyes at him as she ground out her words again.

  “Get in the car.”

  He wanted to laugh at how over-dramatic she was being about this situation. What the hell was she so angry about. Because they were both at the same charity event, at the same time? If anyone had a right to be mad, it was him. Not only was she going back on the arrangement they’d made years ago but she was stealing his case, without giving him any kind of heads-up. Unless that’s why she wanted him in the car.

  “Fine.” He scowled back at her. “But we will have a long conversation about this.”

  Toni rolled her eyes, not bothering to hide her annoyance. “Just get your ass in the car.”

  She slid behind the driver’s seat as he limped around to the other side of the car, praying she didn’t run him over before he slid inside. Leo dropped into the passenger seat, watching as she twisted the key in the ignition and the engine purred to life, warm air blasting him from the vents as he buckled the seat belt.

  A frown, made more noticeable in the shadows from the lights, seemed melodramatic for what the situation warranted. She’d take over the case, and he’d get over it. It wasn’t her fault; she was following orders. The same way he would have. He might not like it but he didn’t like to see her worrying. Not about him, or his career.

  “Promise you’ll be gentle with me.”

  He was attempting to lighten the mood but when she slid an outraged look his direction, he realized he’d failed. “You’ll be lucky if I don’t kick your ass, Detective.”

  He couldn’t help the curl of desire that licked at him, or the rumble of laughter that slipped past his lips. “You forget that I remember that’s just foreplay for you.”

  Her jaw clamped shut, the muscle twitching as she dropped the car into reverse and jammed her foot against the gas pedal, squealing the tires as she sped out of the parking lot.

  This was the Toni he loved and cherished. Fierce and passionate, holding nothing back. Now, he hoped he could get away unscathed from the verbal lashing coming when they got back to where ever she was taking him. He half-heartedly prayed it wasn’t the morgue.

  5

  Toni was pissed. Leo had nearly blown her cover when he'd approached her in the parking lot. It didn't get much worse than him calling her by her name while she was on a case. The only thing that had stopped him was her heel jammed into the top of his foot.

  Too close, anyone could have heard.

  She wondered if he might have done it deliberately and glared at him across the car. He wasn’t paying attention. He sat there, eyes closed, as she drove through the hills to her house.

  Damn him!

  And why did he have to look so good? Not the way he usually did. Tonight, there was a fierce resolve in the lines on his brow, a set to his jaw that was all business, and his eyes...

  They’d gleamed when she turned toward him in the ballroom. Desire had grabbed her by the throat and made her panic with the intensity. Although he'd rented his tux, it was remarkably well-fitted, and he looked peel-off-his-clothes-slowly-and-lick-him-good. Even if Jones hadn’t warned her to get out of the party, she’d have run. Like Rose said, running was something that was coming easier. But the desire to run pissed her off, and she'd direct that ire at the specific cause.

  She frowned before she turned toward the front window, concentrating on the winding curves, back to the too-massive home she shared with her mother and sister.

  “I know that look, Toni.” A chuckle rumbled from deep in his chest.

  “You aren’t even looking at me,” she argued.

  Another laugh echoed in her earpiece. “Does he, now? Let me guess. Is it the one where you’re about to murder someone?”

  Shit! It had gone silent since they'd gotten into the car and she’d assumed that Jones had turned off her mic once they left the gala. Knowing fellow agents were still monitoring their conversation flushed her cheeks. She was immediately grateful that they’d made most of the drive in silence. Thank goodness they couldn't read her thoughts about what she'd like to do to Leo.

  “I’m heading home, turn me off for tonight. We’ll pick this up in the morning when I go for my meeting with Bentley.” There was an annoyed grunt from the seat beside her and she turned toward him. “You have something to say?”

  His forehead furrowed and the muscle in his jaw twitched. “Not a damn thing,” Leo growled.

  “Wow, who shit in your cornflakes? Glad it’s him in trouble and not me,” Jones laughed.

  “That’s because you’re a pussy, Jones.”

  “No, but I've seen what a bitch you can be when you’re mad.” He snorted. “Call me in the morning. We’ll get you mic’d up and the van in place again.”

  A smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth. “Will do.”

  Her partner was still laughing as he signed off, the sound vibrating her eardrums. Toni met the other agent’s wife on several occasions. Sweet, demure and very subdued. Exactly what the alpha male needed in his life. But the thought of someone like that made her want to yawn. It would bore her out of her mind. She loved the push-pull she and Leo had. Arguing one moment, making love the next. It was exciting - he was exciting - but that didn’t mean she would tolerate his domineering attitude. They were a team or they weren’t.

  Toni tugged the earpiece out and dropped it into the console of the car as she slowed, turning into her driveway, waiting for the electric gate to open.

  “Why were you even there? Do you realize what you almost did?” Leo opened his mouth to speak, but she didn’t give him the opportunity. “You almost said my name. You’d have blown my cover if I hadn't done something.”

  “I…” he paused as realization dawned. “Shit.”

  “Yeah, shit. Do you really want me to step down so badly that you'd jeopardize my career?” Toni shook her head. “Why were you there? I got my ticket from the Bureau. How did you get one? They sold out months ago.”

  “You know as well as I do, when you wave a badge around, people let you in almost anywhere to prove they aren’t hiding anything.” He ran a hand through his hair, mussing it, making him even sexier. “I’m sorry, Toni. I was mad, not thinking straight after I heard the senator make a comment about your ass and…I can’t believe I did that.” She appreciated the apology but his acceptance would have been far better. “But you realize if you hadn’t taken this case–”

  “You still haven't told me why you went there.” She didn't want to get into the argument about her job again.

  “My missing girl. Her jackass boyfriend mentioned she’d been talking about running away. Troubles with her mother. I went to follow up on it.”

  “You believe him?” Her mind tried to connect pieces she wasn’t sure were part of the same puzzle. It was the danger of her job, wanting to see monsters in every shadow.

  Leo shrugged and shook his head. “He’s a cocky playboy, but he's not smart enough to pull off a kidnapping. At least, not alone. I need to find out if she stayed there, what Bentley might remember about her, conversations they may have had…things like that.”

  She parked the car in front of the house and Rose stepped out onto the porch, waiting for her. When Leo exited the vehicle, a smile spread across her sister’s face.

  Great, now the two of them would gang up on her about her job again.

  Guilt dug in, settling below her heart. Rose adored Leo. She’d told Toni more than once how excited she was that he would eventually be her brother-in-law, but just because he'd come back home with her didn’t mean she would let their troubles be so easily forgotten. They still had too many unresolved issues looming over their relationship. First and foremost, Toni was not giving up her undercover position until this case closed. She would step down on her terms w
hen she was ready.

  “Hey, Leo.” Rose stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and he pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. “Good to see you again. Sooner than I expected.” She gave him a wink.

  Toni clenched her teeth at her sister's unapologetic conspiracy right in front of her. “He’s not staying.”

  Rose shot her sister a warning glance. “You’re welcome here whenever you want,” she countered.

  “Appreciate the invitation, Rose.” He cast a guarded look at Toni. “Not sure everyone feels the same.”

  Jealousy bit into Toni at the connection her sister and Leo shared, chewing on the insecurities she tried to hide. She wanted to let this go, to return to the way things had been between them, but they’d been pretending this day wouldn’t come, that it was far into their future. Now that they faced the reality of it, she wondered if their entire relationship would crumble under the pressure.

  Rose laughed and tucked her arm through his, turning to head inside. “She’ll come around.”

  “Right here, assholes.” Toni stalked past both of them, through the front door, letting it drop closed behind her. It was rude and childish but she didn’t want to deal with either of them in her current mood.

  “Uh-oh.” Rose lowered her voice as Leo opened the door and they followed Toni into the house. “What’d you do now? Or was it me this time?”

  “Could be so many things; I’m not sure where to begin at this point.”

  “Well, in that case, I'll let you get on with your groveling while I finish getting ready for my parent conferences this week.”

  Toni ignored them both and started up the long staircase toward her bedroom. The patter of Leo’s shoes over the granite tiles followed her but she didn’t bother turning around as she entered the suite. Exhaustion fell over her, sucking her into it further, gradually, like an undertow, until she wanted to give in. Drowning would be preferable to exhausting herself by treading water. She wanted a hot shower and to crawl into her warm bed. The weight of the last few months - dealing with her father’s sudden death, the funeral arrangements, her mother’s grief, not to mention the regular stress of her job, and now, Leo's complaints about it - were more than she wanted to carry any longer. As much as she pretended she was able to handle it all, she needed a break.

  She heard Leo enter her room, behind her. He was going to have to leave.

  Before she spoke, Leo pulled her back toward him, pressing her against the closed door as his warm hands cupped the sides of her face and he lowered his mouth to hers. She gasped in surprise as the kiss stole her breath as well as her will to protest. Heat exploded in her belly, spreading like wildfire through the rest of her. His lips moved over hers as he shifted, and pressed her body between the door and the hard wall of his chest. Her hands, caught between them, clung to the lapels of his jacket, pulling him closer. Every plane of him pressing against her, making her ache with need, stoking the fire inside. His tongue plunged into her mouth and she moaned softly. His mouth released hers, moving to taste the sensitive hollows along her neck. The rasp of his jaw against her smooth skin sending longing spiraling from her head to her toes, leaving her grasping for control.

  “I’m sorry, Toni. I can’t believe the danger I almost put you in.” He shook his head, his lips never leaving her skin, nipping at the hollow where her neck and shoulder met, making her shiver against him. “If anything happened to you, I couldn't…”

  “Don’t,” she whispered, letting her head drop back against the door. “Don't go there. Please.”

  She didn't want to point fingers or lay blame. She didn't want their jobs to be an area of contention between them any longer. Leo shoved his jacket from his shoulders and she let it fall behind him before reaching for his shirt.

  His hands slid over her back, bared by her dress, tracing the length of her spine. Goosebumps broke out over her skin and she shivered against him, her fingers barely able to work properly as she slid the buttons of his shirt open. What was it about this man that turned her into a quivering mess of yearning?

  “You’re taking too long,” he murmured. His words fell against her flesh as he reached up and gripped both sides of the shirt, ripping the rest of the buttons loose and freeing it from his pants. He shrugged the scrap of cloth to the floor and flicked at the front of his slacks, kicking off his shoes.

  “Isn’t that tux rented?”

  “Yeah, so?”

  Toni snorted a laugh. “Guess we’ll be replacing that shirt tomorrow.” Her hands brushed his away from the fly of his pants.

  He let her take control of the final vestiges of his clothing and they were cast aside. Leo stood before her, nude and content to outline her collarbone, following the material draped along the front of the dress with his index finger, exposing her rising swell of her breasts to his perusal. He was almost eye-level thanks to the high heels and his blue eyes gleamed with the same desire burning through her.

  “You still have too many clothes on.” His gaze dipped momentarily over the curve of her breast, tracing it, before plucking at the spaghetti strap of her dress.

  “Do I?” She arched a brow and let her gaze travel over him, relishing every ounce of her feminine power as the muscles of his chest flexed involuntarily at her appraisal, his erection straining toward her. She cupped him in her palm, her thumb brushing over the wetness at the tip. “I’d do something about that but you’d have to let me move first.”

  Her fingers closed over him and she didn’t miss the way his hands clenched into fists at his sides. A pained groan broke from his throat as his eyes fell closed. She stroked him, reveling as his muscles tightened, fighting to control his reaction to her. So focused on giving him pleasure, she didn't realize he'd released the zipper on the side of her gown.

  “Too much,” he ground out, tugging the strap down her shoulder and watching the dress fall into a pool of satin at her feet.

  His hands followed her curves, glancing over her ribs to the indentation of her waist before swelling out over her hips. Leo brought a palm up to cup her breast, the pad of his thumb brushing over the taut nipple. Dipping his head, he sampled her, sucking at the beaded flesh. Pleasure shot-gunned through her body, making her back bow, pressing her into him. His hungry laugh washed over her and he sucked harder, his hand moving over the flat plane of her abdomen, slipping beneath the satin underwear and finding her ready for him.

  Leo teased her, taking her close to the brink then holding steady only to carry her with him again to the edge. She rode him, her fingers digging into his shoulders as her hips bucked into his hand, his palm grinding against her as she begged him for more. With one sweep , he pushed her underwear down her thighs and lifted her thigh over his hip, positioning himself between her legs, the tip of him pressed against her core where he paused.

  “This doesn’t change things, Toni. I still hate you being undercover.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and wound her other leg around his waist, lowering herself on him, taking him into her completely. With a sigh, Toni dropped her forehead to his shoulder, letting him bear her weight against the door. His hips jerked, moving within her as he tried to hold back his release. Her body clutched his, begging for more, wanting him to drive himself into her, to give himself over to the passion of their lovemaking.

  “Toni?” Tension strained his voice.

  His body trembled. Or maybe that was hers. She couldn’t tell anymore where one of them ended and the other began. She moved against him and he sucked in a harsh breath. Tears of desperation filled her eyes, at least that was what she'd admit to.

  “I know you do. We’ll talk about it after.” She caught his lower lip between her teeth, nipping gently. “Less fighting, more fucking.”

  6

  Toni slipped out of her house to meet Jones at the office, leaving Leo sleeping soundly in her bed. She knew she shouldn’t feel ashamed, but she did. She was getting the jump on Leo. He told her about his appointment with Monique Bentle
y and she wanted answers for her own case before he alerted the woman that the 4Teen Center was being monitored. After what he'd revealed about his case last night, she was beginning to suspect their cases were coming to a crossroads and deliberately kept it under wraps. While it was a leap, it wouldn’t be unheard of for a girl to runaway and go missing, only to find herself mixed up in a sex trafficking ring. However, Toni wasn’t ready to jump to that conclusion yet. She needed to talk to Monique before Leo did because, if there was any truth to her suspicions, she didn't want Leo tipping Monique off that one of her employees was a suspect in the FBI’s case.

  Her pumps pinched at her toes as she slid out of the Mercedes and Toni wished she’d been able to wear her more comfortable Ferragamos but her role as a starving student in borrowed Prada called for cheap shoes. Few twenty-one-year-olds, even ex-pageant models, could afford shoes that high end. Hell, she couldn’t have afforded them if not for the money she and her sister had inherited from their father’s vast portfolio of investments. The man had been a genius, both in business and in law, and she wished she had even half his acumen. Not that she wouldn't give up every penny to have him back again.

  Jones’ deep voice rumbled in her ear. “You remember the list of questions we need answered?”

  “Wouldn’t be here if I didn’t,” she muttered as she made her way across the parking lot.

  “Good to see you’re frisky this morning. We’re down the street. Got your six.”

  Toni lifted a thumb at her side, confident he observed her acknowledgment, before knocking on the front door of the 4Teen Crisis Center. For a facility that housed people in need, it was incredibly elegant. However, the brick building still had the chemical smell of fresh paint and antiseptic cleaners. Hidden sprinklers misted over the planters, hitting Toni’s bare forearms, wetting her face as she approached the granite steps of the front doors. The cloying scent of lilies overwhelmed her as she got closer to two towering floral decorations gracing the pillars alongside the entrance at the doors.