You Only Love Twice (Masters and Mercenaries #8)

She heard him curse but then came a grudging, “Do you have everything you need? Erin? Can you back her up?”


“Already there.” Erin strode up to the bar. She looked more sophisticated than normal. Erin was a boots and jeans kind of girl, but Phoebe could admit that she cleaned up quite nicely. She wore a green gown that was fairly modest, but there was no way to truly cover Erin’s curves. The emerald color complemented her skin. “I’ve got everything we need to have a fun time.”

Phoebe ordered the drinks and almost didn’t see the moment Erin tipped her hand over the whiskey glass and poured the roofie in. “Want to have a threesome?”

Erin grinned. “Oh, and I thought I was going to get through this entire conference without a single ménage à trois with a douchebag I would rather punch in the face than look at. Thanks, friend.”

They picked up the drinks and started to make their way back.

“Phoebe, you get in, you plant a bug and you get out,” Ten’s voice commanded. “Right now Jesse’s working with Simon on something, but the minute he gets back he’s going to look for you. I swear to god this is the last time I take a couple with me on assignment, especially where the male is a possessive caveman. Make it quick.”

Albertson turned and his eyes went wide. “Hey, who’s your friend?”

Erin’s lips curled up in a surprisingly seductive grin. Apparently there was a reason Tag had hired her that had nothing to do with her ability to kick ass. “Phoebe and I both work for Kash, but he’s busy.” She looked back to where Kamdar was holding court. “He’s got enough female attention, don’t you think?”

He licked his lips right before downing the entire glass of whiskey. “I think he’s got more than enough. Come on, girls. Let’s go party like real Americans.”

She caught Theo watching them as they began to walk out of the ballroom. He was practically staring a hole through Erin, but he held his ground. His face flushed slightly, and she wondered what her brother was saying into Theo’s ear. Poor Ten. He was used to his band of merry men who had each other’s backs, and the biggest drama they had was where to buy beer. There was a reason he never worked with couples. No matter how professional, they couldn’t stay cool and collected when the one they loved was in danger. Theo and Erin weren’t a couple, but it was obvious Theo was interested and not in sharing her with some politician.

“I’ve got some good Scotch in my room. Nothing but the best,” Albertson said, starting to slur his words.

“What floor are you on?” Phoebe asked as they walked into the elevator. She needed to get him as close to his room as possible before he couldn’t walk on his own anymore. Even in the hotel, there could be issues with anything considered lewd behavior, including men and women touching in the halls.

“Five. Jeez, you’ve got nice tits, babe.” He stumbled into the elevator and hit the button. Luckily, they were alone. He threw an arm around Phoebe’s shoulders and another around Erin’s. “You two are hot. Are you going to kiss?”

Erin nodded. “I’m so much more likely to kiss her than you.”

He just sighed. “Show me your tits.”

Oh, he was a charmer. “As soon as we make it to your room. I need to relax a little. You can help me with that, right?”

His eyes were starting to close. “Yeah. I can help. You just stick with a winner. I’m a winner.”

His head fell forward and Phoebe groaned under his weight. For a slender dude, he was solid.

“I’m going to need a room number,” Erin said quietly, keeping her head down. “What’s his name?”

“Albertson. He’s going to be listed with the senator’s party,” Phoebe said, doing the same. There were cameras in the elevators.

“Chill, sweetheart,” Hutch said, his voice smooth over the comm. “I believe you will find that the cameras in this elevator and on the fifth floor are going to have a little trouble. You have five minutes and then I can’t stop them from coming back on. You get in and out fast, you understand, Thelma and Louise?”

Ten took over. “He’s in 5105. It’s four doors down from the elevator you’re in. Take a left and move it. I don’t want anyone to remember you tomorrow. That roofie should erase the last thirty minutes or so. If anyone remembers you walking out with him, you were helping him to his room.”

“Understood.” The doors opened and she and Erin started down the hall.

“I think by calling us Thelma and Louise, Hutch was giving me permission to shoot this guy in the balls.”