The President was obviously not in agreement with Sable that their relationship was over. Derek intended to do something about that. Somehow, he would convince the other Master that Sable was now off-limits and by her own choice.
As they reached the motel room door that shielded Leroy from their prying eyes, he slowed and placed a finger over his lips. Sable stepped past him and took a position on the other side of the portal. She cocked her head and listened. Her nostrils flared and her eyes widened.
He’s fucking someone! she mouthed.
Derek knew his face had to be as shocked as Sable’s. Jeff was married for Christ’s sake and had always seemed devoted to his wife who even now lay dying. Raising his brows, Derek shrugged sheepishly.
Sable snorted with disgust and walked away.
He followed. “Damn, I’m going to beat Jeff within an inch of life when he gets out of there.”
“For cheating on his wife?”
“No, for doing what we would be doing, if we weren’t out here chasing him down.”
She laughed and Derek softened his posture. Only a few days ago she’d been openly hostile toward him. Now they shared a growing connection that he was beginning to value greatly. “Sable?”
“Yeah?” She turned those stunning blue eyes toward him.
“If I hadn’t trapped you on my ship a couple of days ago, would you have come after me when your mission was over?”
She scratched the back of her head. “Probably not.”
“Why not?” He was surprised that she’d answered without hesitation. “You said you were interested in me from the beginning, that you’re crazy about me.”
“I was. I am.” She crossed her arms under her chest. “But you’re an arrogant bastard. I had my share of inflated egos with Marius. And your reputation precedes you. You never stick with the same woman for long. My track record with men isn’t very good, as you witnessed tonight. I doubt I would have thought you were worth the risk.”
“I’m not arrogant,” he protested.
Raising a brow, she said nothing. Which said a lot.
“And now?” he prodded. “Do you consider me a good risk now?”
She met his gaze and her ripe lips pursed in thought. Finally, she said, “The jury’s still out on that one. You’ll have to prove it to me, I guess.”
“And how do I do that?”
“Stick around, Derek,” she said quietly. “Just stick around.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but she shook her head. “Do me a favor, okay? I’m beginning to suspect your friend Leroy is doing nothing more criminal than adultery. I’m not blowing my cover for that. Will you question him when he comes out? If my suspicions are correct, it will prevent the waste of two years of work.”
“No problem,” he agreed. “I’ll come up with a good reason for being here.”
“Good, I’ve got something to take care of.” She strode down the hall.
You’re just going to leave me here? he called after her in surprise.
“Sure,” she tossed over her shoulder. “I trust you, Derek.”
* * * * *
Sable crossed the street and entered the nearby telecomm café. She’d checked in with her superior earlier that day, but already so much had happened since then. She needed to know where IAB wanted her to go from here. Slipping into a privacy booth, she closed the door and inserted her identi-card. She was pulling on the headphones and mouthpiece to further safeguard her conversation, when Captain Donnie appeared.
“Good evening, Captain.”
The jovial Donnie smiled good-naturedly. “It’s barely morning here, Taylor. What have you got?”
“Another all-nighter? How does your wife put up with you?” She smiled at his grimace. “I’m not positive yet, but I’m fairly certain we can rule out Leroy.”