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  Joshua couldn’t help the swell of pride he felt for Tessa. She had played it perfectly. Everything she said was true, but she’d played on their sense of honor and courage. Two things men in their positions were very keen on.

  All three moved back into the room though Lon looked as if he might change his mind at any moment.

  Jess smiled at Tessa. She blushed. Joshua felt his temper getting away from him. Maybe they didn’t need McMean after all.

  Jess said, “I thought Banta was in prison. Didn’t your brother have an issue with him a while back?”

  “Will?” Joshua said.

  Will stepped forward, his eyes scanned the room, stopping briefly in the direction of the fireplace and then moving on. “After Josh’s sister-in-law bashed in Banta’s head…”

  There were a few snickers.

  Will continued, “He was taken to the Treadwell Federal Penitentiary, maximum security. He remained there until about two months ago.”

  “How long was his sentence?” Piper had a low, scratchy voice.

  “He was in for life without parole,” Joshua said.

  Will said, “Two months ago someone signed Banta’s conditional release.”

  Joshua wanted to jump down Will’s throat. What was he talking about? Everyone in the room must have sensed his energy changing. Tessa’s hand was suddenly on his arm.

  He reined in his temper. “Who signed the order?”

  “That I couldn’t find out. Classified. And classified so high none of my sources have access.”

  “And the conditions of his release?” Jess asked.

  “Also classified.”

  “This is bad news,” Parker said.

  Wanda put her glass down on the coffee table and stood up. “Bad news for sure, but the fact still remains, Banta and his army will probably be here within twenty-four hours and we’re going to have to stop him. Each of us has a talent that might be very tempting for a madman. I for one am willing to die, but I’m not willing to lose my soul to a monster.”

  All the agents were nodding in agreement.

  Joshua had full control of his emotions again. “I appreciate the help. I think we should meet back here at dawn and wait for him to come to us. No reason to go searching for him. The airport is away from the public and defensible.”

  The group agreed and Wanda moved to speak to Joshua. “A word, Josh?”

  “Sure, Wanda.” They moved to the side of the room.

  “You’re going to have to go and talk to Trip.”

  “I know. I’ll go tonight.”

  “He won’t like it.”

  “But he’ll come, won’t he?”

  She shrugged. “You never know with Trip.”

  “Did you find anything out about who ordered me to probe Tessa?”

  She shook her head. “I could get as far as Washington and then I hit a dead end. Here’s what I do know. Since our existence went public after the business with Oscar Thorn there have been three big opponents to the Psi Agency.”

  “And they are?”

  “Walker, Breckenridge and Drury. All three have spoken out publicly against the continued funding of what they consider an uncontrollable force within the government.”

  “I’ve met Drury, he hardly seems capable of any kind of coup.”

  “I agree, but either of the other two might like to make a big show, maybe even a play for the big chair.”

  Joshua’s attention kept flicking across the room toward Tessa. He needed to focus. “Keep an eye on the other two and let me know if you find anything that would indicate they might like to rid the United States of Psi Agents.”

  Wanda nodded.

  A knot formed in Joshua’s stomach and it didn’t help that once the meeting broke up, Jess made a beeline for Tessa. Joshua had never really paid any attention to how good-looking Jess probably was to women. Dark blond hair with blue eyes and dark eyebrows and eyelashes, it was an odd combination. Joshua wanted to beat him senseless.

  Wanda chuckled. “Go break that up before you start popping light bulbs in Will’s fine house.”

  “She’s a big girl. I have no claims on her.”

  “Who do you think you’re talking to, Josh? We go way back. I’ve never seen you show any interest in a woman beyond the essentials. It’s obvious this woman is different or you wouldn’t have risked your neck for her in the first place.”

  “Yeah, well, I don’t have the kind of rights to her you’re imagining.”

  She shook her head. “Seems pretty basic to me. Story as old as time. Just go.”

  He wanted to tell Wanda she was wrong, but instead he took the opportunity to move to where Jess and Tessa were engaged in a seemingly intimate conversation.

  “I thought you’d gone back to Ohio after Germany.” Jess hid the better part of a Cajun accent behind a light Southern drawl.

  “Just for a week then I got another assignment.”

  Joshua asked, “You two know each other?”

  Tessa slid her hand over and threaded her fingers through Joshua’s. “Jess and I have worked together quite a few times.”

  Joshua loved that she was not afraid to let people know they were together. He was even more relieved to know she was willing to let him know. Did she sense his insecurity? He thought he had his mind pretty well blocked. Maybe it was obvious in other ways.

  “I didn’t even know you were in trouble.” Jess glanced down at their clasped hands, but his expression didn’t change. He continued to appear concerned.

  “My mission was classified and I assumed what happened after was as well.” She shrugged.

  “Man, Tessa, I’m sorry. I wish I’d have known. I’d have tried to help you.”

  “Thanks. Luckily they sent Joshua and he was willing to take steps to get me away.” She made the statement very casually as if she was talking about something besides her life being in jeopardy.

  Joshua gave her hand a slight squeeze.

  Jess turned to Joshua. “Do you think you can take Banta?”

  Good question. “I don’t know. I could when we worked together. I’m pretty sure I could have last year when we met up in Boston. It will depend on how many auras he’s collected in the last two months.”

  Jess gave him a nod and looked down at the floor for a minute. “I’ll see you two in the morning. I’m going to try to find those agents Wanda couldn’t. I have a feeling we’ll need all the help we can get.”

  “You’re probably right,” Joshua said.

  Chapter Seven

  It was not the first strip club Tessa had ever been to. She was in law enforcement and that career choice had taken her to some pretty unsavory places. Though she had to admit there was a big difference in this club. Most of the time these places where filled with men sitting in the dark watching a dimly lit stage.

  That was not the case with The Silk Stocking. The main room was a large brightly lit bar and dance floor with music blaring from speakers. The high bar tables were occupied by as many couples as single men. Young women wearing costumes walked around flirting with patrons. There was a cop, a nurse and a dominatrix, complete with cat-o’-nine-tails. Even with the strippers present in the bar it was a friendly environment. There was a long hallway leading to a more traditional strip club.

  There was no food served at The Silk Stocking. The chalkboards on either side of the long bar had a different kind of menu. Each one gave the cost of different lap dances. The list included one girl for fifteen minutes, two girls for fifteen minutes, one girl for thirty minutes, lap dances for couples with one or two girls and variations of each.

  Tessa had never really considered having a woman give her a lap dance, but the idea of Joshua watching made her panties damp.

  He was leaning against the bar and had his hand wrapped around her waist. “What are you thinking about?”

  “Lap dances.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “Hmm… Maybe if we survive the next few days.”

  She laughed. She didn’t reall
y know why, but the idea they might die in Key West didn’t really concern her. It was part of being an agent. She had always expected to die in the line of duty. This didn’t feel that much different. Thinking about her team and the way they had been killed brought her back to reality. This was different. Whoever Troth Banta was she didn’t want him stealing her psi energy. Not that she would need it if she was dead, but she didn’t want that asshole to have it.

  “I don’t think he’s here. He may have gone upstairs.”

  “To the swingers club?” She couldn’t help that the idea excited her. She didn’t have to look down to know her nipples were standing out through the thin material of her dress.

  A wicked smile pulled at Joshua’s lips. His eyes lowered to her chest. “Did I tell you how hot you look in that dress?”

  “About ten times since we left Will’s.”

  The silk halter dress in candy-apple red clung to every curve. The neckline dipped to just above her belly button, exposing a good deal of flesh between her breasts. The skirt was a lot shorter than she was used to and most of her long legs were revealed. She might have protested the scanty dress, but the look on Joshua’s face when she walked out of the bedroom kept her quiet on the subject.

  “Good. You are stunning. Let’s go check in the other bar and see if he’s watching the show before we go upstairs.”

  Before they had a chance to move a stripper in a police uniform approached them. The entire outfit consisted of a skirt that barely covered her full, round ass and a short-sleeved jacket that was unbuttoned down to the waist, revealing a lacy pink bra and extremely large tits. She moved in very close to Joshua. “How about a dance, tall, dark and dangerous?”

  He smiled down at the pretty brunette. “I wish we had time, sweetheart. Another time.”

  Without missing a beat she turned and stepped in front of Tessa. Her ass rubbed against Tessa’s thighs, pushing the woman’s skirt up until there was nothing between the two women except a tiny triangle of thong.

  “Maybe one for the lady. She’s beautiful. Doesn’t she deserve to have a good time?”

  Tessa had to stifle a moan. The stripper’s body exquisitely teased her pussy and she wanted to touch her. The warm, floral scent of her long hair filled Tessa’s senses.

  Joshua made no move to separate the women. He watched intently and Tessa’s gaze didn’t leave his. His watching was more of a turn-on than the woman.

  “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

  “Joy.”

  He stepped in front of Joy so the stripper was sandwiched between them. The lust in his eyes nearly made Tessa touch herself in public just to get some relief.

  “Joy, I’m sorry to say we just don’t have the time tonight. When we do we’ll come back and find you. That much I can promise.”

  If she was upset or disappointed she didn’t show it. Joy smiled and turned to kiss Tessa’s cheek. “I’ll look forward to it.”

  “Me too.” Tessa’s voice was low and rough.

  Joy sauntered away from them and disappeared onto the crowded dance floor.

  Joshua stepped forward, trapping Tessa against the bar with his big body. “You look so fucking hot, I want to fuck you right here.”

  She swallowed. He probably knew she wanted the same thing, but they had other things to do. “We better find your friend.”

  He closed his eyes for a moment, took her hand and they walked into the dimly lit room where small tables surrounded a stage. Three girls danced and slowly removed articles of clothing in time with the music.

  Joshua was scanning the room for Trip and didn’t pay any attention to the show. Since Tessa had no idea what Trip looked like she scanned for trouble before settling her gaze on the three women on the stage.

  She had to admit those girls could dance. Two brunettes and a blonde moved in a slow, sensuous pattern of hips and arms. They danced together and you couldn’t help thinking about them having sex. One brunette moved to the long brass pole in the center of the stage, wrapped a hand and leg around it as if she were embracing a lover and then with a push spun around one time. She climbed higher with her ass to the crowd. A string of pearls traveled up the crack of her muscular yet round butt.

  Tessa wondered how those pearls felt and found her pussy wet just from the thought.

  When the dancer was several feet in the air, she freed her hands and holding on with her legs, spun herself around in a slow descent. When her hands touched the floor she did a back walkover to dismount the pole. The crowd applauded. She pulled the strings on her silver string-bikini top and let it fall to the floor. The applause grew louder at the sight of her stunning tits and large, hard nipples.

  Joshua’s mouth touched her ear. “You look very excited watching this.”

  She gasped at the contact and her body hummed with need. “Are you excited?”

  “I’m so hard watching you get turned on by those girls it’s going to be difficult to take the stairs to the roof.”

  She couldn’t help her grin and she was sure she looked stupid. The idea it was her and not the strippers that turned him on made her feel a little giddy. She didn’t think she’d felt this way since she was in junior high and had her first crush. They had a job so she pulled herself together. “I guess that means Trip is not here.”

  He shook his head and led the way to the door that brought them to an outdoor set of stairs. In spite of his claimed discomfort they made their way up to the roof where they found another bar.

  A nice breeze from the ocean kept the roof cool in spite of the scene before her.

  There were no strippers on the roof, only couples drinking and mingling. In the corner was a tented area. Tessa peaked in to find a man body-painting an elaborate bra onto a completely naked woman. The woman’s curly red hair cascaded down her shoulders. Her eyes were closed, but she squirmed slightly with each stroke of the artist’s airbrush.

  Around the walled rooftop were deep couches with large white cushions. A hot tub on one side was filled with several couples, all naked and flirting. Several people were dancing including two women who had removed their tops and had their tits pressed together and their legs intertwined.

  Joshua gave her hand a tug and she followed him to the far side of the bar where an African American man in khaki trousers and a white cotton shirt sat talking to a woman with graying blonde hair and no top on. He acknowledged Joshua with a nod and excused himself from the company of the woman.

  Trip’s salt-and-pepper hair was cut short and his chocolate skin had weathered from too much sun. His eyes sparkled when he looked at Tessa and she smiled in spite of herself.

  He gave Joshua his hand. “How are you?”

  “In trouble,” Joshua said.

  Trip frowned. “Introduce me to your friend.”

  “Tessa Clark, Trip Maynard, one of my oldest friends.”

  She shook his hand and said hello. There was something easy in this man’s demeanor that was incongruous with a Psi Agent.

  “Let’s find someplace we can talk.” He led them down another set of stairs to a lower rooftop on the other side of the building. It was gated and there was a small grouping of chairs. The moon’s glow shimmered off the water, adding to the ambiance.

  At one end was a four-poster bed with what looked to be at least two couples entwined and gyrating. Tessa couldn’t tell where one body ended and another began. The sounds of mutual gratification drifted from the bed and were lost in the noise of Duval Street and the music of the club.

  Other than the people on the bed they were nearly alone on the roof. A waiter came over as soon as they sat down and asked if they would care for a drink. Both she and Joshua declined, but Trip ask for his usual and a minute later the waiter returned with a Corona with lime.

  “What’s going on? Wanda told me you were in town, but she didn’t say what was happening.”

  Joshua gave Trip the abridged version of the story. He left out the part about Banta. She didn’t like that he was holding
back the information. She sent him a directed mental image letting him know her feelings.

  His sharp look let her know he’d gotten the message. He looked back at Trip, who sat watching them both carefully.

  “There’s one other thing, Trip,” Joshua said. His eyes shifted toward her for a moment.

  “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “There’s a very strong possibility this is all being orchestrated by Troth Banta.”

  “Shit.” Trip bit out the word sharply. “That is not good, buddy.”

  “I know. And I’m pretty sure he’s learned how to gather and even draw power necro-electrically.”

  “Jesus. He’s gathering?” His eyes dimmed and he looked off into the dark skies above the Atlantic Ocean.

  “I know it’s a lot to ask, but I need your help.”

  Trip rubbed his hand over his hair and turned back. “Josh, what you need is an army.”

  “Wanda has already put a small one together.”

  Trip smiled and his entire face lit up. “I’ll go see her tonight. You’d better hope Banta has pissed off enough people that a few more will be willing to come to your aid in a hurry. I think your odds are pretty good.”

  “If I haven’t pissed off just as many.” Joshua was smiling too.

  Trip’s laugh was full and came from deep in his gut. Tessa looked around at the people on the bed. They were still in the throes of passion and hadn’t heard the outburst.

  The beer in Trip’s hand floated from his fingers to the coffee table. The motion was smooth. He was a practiced and accomplished telekinetic. “Let me put out a few discreet calls and see where we end up. There are quite a few people on the island already who have some talent plus Will and his armory will come in handy.”

  Joshua nodded. “Will’s will be the best place to make a stand and not endanger the tourist population.”

  “I agree.”

  They shook hands and Trip said, “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Tessa could feel Joshua relax.

  “I appreciate it.”

  Trip was about to leave the roof when he turned back, dug in his pocket and handed Joshua a cell phone. “This is clean and you can toss it. I have more. Call Kane. You’re going to need him.”