he was in league with Red Wolf. At this point, Coop’s mission had switched from reconnaissance to infiltration. He needed to discover how the operation worked so he could dismantle it. It was essential to make sure the operation wouldn’t just start up again when the ringleader was in custody.
The only question that remained was how.
How would he insinuate himself into Ming Kow’s good graces without tipping his hand?
He had several ideas, though one of them interested him far more than any of the others.
Ming Kow straightened his jacket, then rounded the passenger side of the car and, with a smirk on his flat face, opened the door and reached a hand down to the passenger.
Coop knew what was coming and every fiber in his body sizzled.
It was her. It always was.
Sterling whistled into his ear. “There she is,” he said.
Coop’s hackles rose. Sometimes his partner was such an ass. “Shut up,” he muttered, and, of course, Sterling chuckled. If Sterling hadn’t been halfway around the world, monitoring this operation via satellite feed, Coop might have smacked him.
He held his breath as one long, lithe leg emerged from the car, bronzed and shapely and fitted with stiletto heels that made the drool pool in his mouth.
Fuck.
He sucked in a breath and forced himself to focus on his work.
He’d never had a problem with that before.
Had no idea why is was so difficult now.
Or maybe he did.
She slid from the car and her silky skirt drifted down to cover her thighs, but he got a glimpse of them before they disappeared. And damn, they were gorgeous gams.
Everything about her was perfect. Her svelte body, poured into that black gossamer gown, her elegant posture, even the perfect ponytail that gave him delusions in the dark of night sometimes.
Coop prided himself on never letting women get to him, never sinking into that swamp folks claimed to be love. He prided himself on never allowing something as simple as a jaunty ponytail distract him.
But damn, hers did, swinging back and forth with her every move.
He had the sudden urge to yank it.
With a growl, he sharpened his gaze and watched Ming Kow escort her to the broad revolving doors of the hotel. He knew where they were going, to the penthouse Ming Kow kept for private meetings and occasional trysts.
Bile rose in his throat at the thought of that woman cozying up to his enemy—which was ridiculous because he knew nothing about her, other than the fact that she clearly worked for his nemesis. Was possibly one of his trusted operatives.
Aside from that, she was, without a doubt, the sexiest woman on the planet.
Was it stupid for him to allow his other head to make a decision of this magnitude?
Was using her as an entrée to Ming Kow’s inner circle a foolish wet dream? Or a clever ploy? Unfortunately, he wasn’t altogether sure.
But it hardly mattered.
It was a relief that this operation was nearly at an end. He’d built an excellent case, proving the supposition that Ming Kow was, indeed, the key player in Red Wolf’s Far East slave trade. God only knew how many poor souls were shuttled through this port because of the corrupt inspector’s machinations.
They’d originally been tipped off by a local diplomat who’d noticed that Ming Kow’s lifestyle would never be possible on a Chinese official’s salary. The fancy cars, luxury apartments and shiny suits bespoke activities way beyond his means. And the man’s attitude made it clear he considered himself untouchable.
Then again, he might be.
But the bastard hadn’t factored in the Elite Metal team and their slavering zeal to put a stop to each and every one of Red Wolf’s illicit activities. Coop had been tasked with collecting intel on Ming Kow’s Hong Kong operations and reporting back to Titanium. And then, he was to shut the operation down and bring Ming Kow back to headquarters for extended interrogation. With the nasty enterprises Coop had uncovered, he couldn’t wait to shut the bastard down.
Coop had a personal vendetta against smarmy criminals who preyed on the helpless. And from what he’d found, Ming Kow was one of the worst offenders. He was into extortion, money laundering, illegal exports and, worst of all, human trafficking.
All he needed at this point was access to Ming Kow’s computer files…and he was pretty sure he’d found a way in.
Her.
“Go get ’em, Cesium,” Sterling said. Coop ignored the smirk in his tone. His buddy had become such a fucking boy scout since he’d fallen head