Devil in Disguise
The reflection I stare at shows me Nikki, in all her glory, dancing to the music coming over the classic rock radio station I always have preset on my stereo. Her indulgence of my musical tastes is one thing that just sort of adds to the feelings I have for her.
Regretfully, I tear my eyes away from Nikki getting dressed and open my closet door. Screwing my mouth to the side, I sort through my clothes.
"Sugga," Nikki purrs behind me, "Whatever shall we put you in?" Her hands run up my side and goosepbumps litter my skin in the wake of her touch. "You know this is the first time I get to paw through your closet." She presses against me and I feel her bare skin against mine. The silk of her bra and panties tickles me, but I lean back and push into her.
Her head drops and she begins to nibble my shoulder and I shudder. Christ. I need to focus. "Nik," I swallow, "We need to get dressed. I have to finish off the paperwork at the bank to set up the rest of my cover." Her lips don't stop as she wraps her arm securely around my waist.
Futilely, I think of the case details. We met with Richard Deavoroux the lieutenant for Narcotics and decided to partner with them to help make their busts. Nikki has a few friends that are inside that she can work with on the criminal angle and I can fulfill the need at the bank to start laundering and tracking behind the scenes.
Her tongue presses flat and glides up my shoulder blade. My knees go a little weaker than I will ever admit as her left hand comes up and teases my hardening nipple though the fabric. "Nik," I protest.
She stops briefly and travels back up, to the nape of my neck. Her warm breath teasing me. "Yeah, baby?"
"We should," I stop as fingers pinch my nipple, "You, we…look. Bank. Soon. Dress." I don't know if she understood, but that's pretty much all I could get out from the actual thought of 'you need to stop, we need to go to the bank soon and we should get dressed.'
She huffs but relents. "Fine. Spoil all my fun for the morning."
I turn in her arms and raise an eyebrow. "You have no room to say I'm spoiling your fun. Wasn't it you that was cackling madly before we went to bed. Something about getting to dress me up?"
"Well, I can't really recall, detective." She puts on her 'dumb blonde' face and I shake my head.
"Well, ma'am, I believe it was between your first and third orgasm of the evening," I smirk and waggle my eyebrows at her.
"Hmmm," she hums and taps her index finger to her lips, "Perhaps we should reenact to jog my memory."
I roll my eyes. See I knew I should have let this go. "Nope. Later." I pull back from her and she lets me. Moving out of her way to give her access to my closet, she steps forwards.
"So, we need to find you something bookish, professional and flattering of that body," she says to herself, because as we set up this undercover operation, I was to get no say so in what I was going to wear.
I shake my head and walk backwards, sitting on the edge of my bed. As things go, I may as well enjoy the show if I'm gonna be uncomfortable all damn day.
I smirk as her hand goes to her hip and she taps her foot. "Nora dear, I thought you said you had clothes that would work?"
I lean back and shrug. "I have slacks and a shirt in there somewhere."
She spins around and holds up a few garments. "Sugga, what about something from this decade?" her eyebrow rises at me and I shrink back in the bed.
"Uh…" I smile and shrug again. "Unless, I go to court to testify, I'm in jeans and a t-shirt."
She cocks her head. "What do you wear to court?"
I smile and say, "My dress blues."
She loudly rolls her eyes and huffs, "Okay, today after you get done at the bank, we are going shopping."
"Why?" I ask. The bed squeaks as I shoot up from the king sized mattress and cross my arms over my chest.
"Honey, you can't spend your time undercover, working in a professional environment, in jeans and a t-shirt." She tosses the clothes in a pile by the dresser and then taps her index finger to her lips. "Now, our problem here is what are you going to wear today?"
She by-passes me and goes to her garment bag hanging on the back of my bedroom door. She turns back and looks at me then swivels back to her bag. "Alright," she says turning around and holding up a short black skirt, green top and matching blazer, "I think this will work."
I look at the garment bag then at her and the clothes. I'm not sure I really want to know what else is in that thing.
"Now, the skirt will be a little longer on you and what's your shoe size?" she asks laying the clothes on the bed.
"Nine or ten, depending on the shoe," I answer.
"Hmm." She walks to her bag and pulls out a pair of mid-calf, low-heeled boots. "Try those on."
"You really can't expect me to wear those?"
She rights herself and stands in front of me, her hands on my shoulders as she looks down. "I think that given your current condition in the closet," she smirks at her pun and I stick my tongue out at her, "that you'll wear it and then tonight, we'll go find something a bit more 'Nora Delaney'."
How come going shopping with her sounds like a bad idea?
"Well, as I live and breathe!" Ron Baird shoots up from the booth he was sitting at and grins the most foolish grin ever at me.
I return the hug with the same amount of force then pull back and look him over. My old partner's once-twinkling blue eyes look a little dull in the lighting, the three day old stubble gracing his face and the absence of his wedding ring let me know everything I need to. Clucking my tongue, he motions for me to sit. I slide into the booth and look over the other two sitting there. Both have brown hair and brown eyes, look like they haven't seen a bed in two days and are dressed in equally rough attire.
Looking back over at Ron, I notice that his outfit is similar. Now I'm thankful that I went with my gut and wore some items from Nora's closet. The Poison tour shirt, ratty jeans, boots and old leather coat go well with this crowd.
"Nikki Beaumont, I'd like you to meet officers Brad Taggard and Calvin Waltham." I nod at them both.
"Nice to meet you both." I stick out my hand and shake theirs one at a time. "Nikki Beaumont of S.C.U. and Ron's old partner."
"Welcome aboard, Nikki." They say in unison and I raise my eyebrow over at Ron. He shrugs and I let it go.
"So, you ready to start up today?" he asks.
Nodding, I say, "My partner is working the bank angle while we work the back alley. How exactly is this going to go down?"
"Easy enough. I've laid the groundwork for you. Told Cameron that you were an old associate. We pulled some jobs in Georgia together. Kept it vague." He takes a sip of his coffee and finishes, "We should get going, our first names haven't changed, but our last ones are Miller for me, Brad is Ives, Calvin is Mason." We all stand and Ron tosses a twenty on to the counter before we head out.
I slip my sunglasses off my head and wait for him to catch up. The mid morning weather is cool but the sun is bright. "Nik," Ron says, coming up behind me and putting his own glasses on, "Are we keeping you as Nikki or something else? The gang we infiltrated likes to assign nicknames so..."
I look at him and at the other two officers. "DeSantis," I answer absently and ask, "Just how long have ya'll been working this case?"
"A few months," Brad answers and I can hear the weariness in his voice.
Undercover operations that last this long wear on you and as I study the three men a little more closely, I can see that this one is taking its toll. The one and only I ran did me in for the rest of my career. Sympathetically, I nod.
"Nikki," Calvin speaks up, "We have enough evidence to bust them for a few crimes, but this would be huge. If we can collar them for the hit, laundering, conspiracy and trafficking, I can go home and actually see my new baby girl."
The message is received loud and clear. "So where we goin'?"
"It's just you and me. I'm sending Brad and Cal in to get some shut eye," Ron answers.
I nod and they wave their goodbyes, hopping into a Cadillac CTS parked on the street. I whistle at the rims and the tint, shaking my head. "They upped the budget on Narc ops?"
He laughs and lays a hand on my shoulder. "Nah, that's a guy named T-rock's ride. We use it sometimes." He looks around the street and says, "Where's your ride?"
I nod over to June Lee and grin. His eyes go between me and the car and he shakes his head. "I think you and I have some catching up to do, rookie. "
I look him over and nod at the hand stuffed in his pocket. "That we do. That we do." I don't bother with anything further and head to June. Slipping behind the wheel, I wait for him to climb inside and take off asking, "Where are we going?"
"Hang a left and then a right on Dawson. I'll direct you from there," he answers and looks me over.
I let the silence settle in the car and wait for him to ask whatever he wants as he gives me directions. I know he wasn't so happy when I left the department for the unit he's now working in, but it doesn't explain why he's working in Vice either. The years we've not been partnered haven't been good to him. That much is clear to me and I can't help but feel a little guilty about that.
When did he and his wife break up? Are they broke up or is the absence of his wedding ring something more innocuous because of his job here?
"You gonna talk at all?" he asks, slumping in his seat.
"Ron, I don't know what exactly to say," I answer his question.
"Hang a right," he directs.
I pick up, "Shall I ask about this operation? How your life has been since I left the Fourth? Why you didn't return the dozen or so phone calls that I left for you and why you aren't wearing your wedding band?"
His mouth pinches as I look over and he presses against the passenger side door. Nodding, I sigh. "Yeah, partner, that's what I figured. Look, I'm not going to bust you on any of it, if that's what you're expecting. Let's get the job done."
I feel his eyes on me as I stop at a traffic light and I look over. His eyebrow is raised and his weary eyes are slit. He clucks his tongue and shakes his head. "Somethin' up that I should know about before we get you in on this?"
"Such as?" I ask.
"Left at the second light," he tells me as the light we're at turns green. "I dunno. Something's different with you. That much I can tell."
I roll my eyes and answer, "It's been nearly three years since you or I said boo to one another." I can't help the hurt lace through my words and spit, "People change Ron. You have and so have I."
He just says, "The club coming up on your left, go through the alley and park in back."
The silence in the car is deafening and as I follow his direction, park and kill the engine, I wonder how we're gonna act our way through this.
Pulling to the curb outside my apartment complex, I spot Nikki leaning against June Lee, sunglasses pushing her long brown hair back, dark brown leather jacket pushed back and her amrs folded across her chest. She smiles as she see's me and I wonder what she's been up to today.
Killing the engine and grabbing the keys from the ignition, I reach for my leather bag and hop out of the SUV that's on loan from the department. "You been waiting long?" I ask walking up to her.
She shakes her head and grins. "I ran a few errands after my meet and greet with the others."
The coy look on her face leaves me wondering a few things, one, who did she meet and two, what were the errands that she ran?
"Well come on, we can fill each other in while we get dinner." I turn and make my way into the apartment complex. Not hearing her footfalls behind me, I spin around and see her butt sticking out of the open passenger door window of my car. As she rights herself, she's holding half a dozen shopping bags.
Oh no.
"Nikki, tell me those aren't what I think those are?" I half whine as she approaches.
"They, my dearest love, are clothes for your assignment." She grins and pushes me along the corridor to my apartment door. "I would have taken you with, but we have to be somewhere in thrity minutes, so no time for dinner and no time to take you with me."
I groan and unlock my apartment door. "Where do we need to be?" I ask dropping my bag by the door and making a beeline to my bedroom. I need these clothes off. Why her and I didn't switch jobs on this assignment is beyond me. She has the clothes and the tempermant to deal with the idiots that I have dealt with all day.
"Ron's swingin' by so we can follow him to a meeting with one of the dealers." She sets the bags on the bed as I plop down and unzip the right boot. Peeling the god-forsaken piece of clothing from my foot I groan in pleasure. "God that feels good," I moan.
"Here," Nikki says walking in front of me and dropping to her knees. Gingerly she raises my left foot and removes the other shoe. Letting her hands glide up my calf she reaches for my stocking and pulls it off. I let loose another moan of appreciation as she begins massaging the tenderest parts of my foot.
"Those shoes are the work of the Devil." I flop back on to the bed and let her hands run over my feet, easing the pain from them.
"They're fine. You should wear my four inch knee highs one day and then complain."
I raise my head and then my eyebrow, giving her the 'you have lost your mind' look.
She drops my foot and stands. "Come one, Nora. We've got to get you presentable and Ron," she says looking at her watch, "will be here in fifteen minutes."
I groan and stand up; happily disrobbing from the monkey suit I've been in for eight hours. Casting a dubios glance at the bags on the bed, my lover reads my mind and says, "Those aren't for tonight. Find some jeans and wear…" she taps her index finger to her lips for a moment and finishes, "that faded green t-shirt you're so fond of on our off days."
I smirk. She loves that shirt. She loves it more when it's off me, but I like her clothes better too when they aren't actually on her. "Ma'am, yes, ma'am." I mock salute her and head to the bathroom to wash my face and get ready for tonight. Whatever tonight may hold.
The whatever the biggest question mark hanging in the air. The thing here is that it's all going to rely on how we work in an undercover setting. It's new to our partnership and normally, I would be worried. The few undercover operations Dan and I ran together, well the first one ended disastrously. Maybe one day I'll tell Nikki how Dan blew our cover and nearly got us killed.
I splash cool water on my face and reach for the towel hanging on the rack. Wiping my face, I blink and look in the mirror. On second thought, I'm not sure that's such a great idea. She'll probably shoot him in the leg.
"Nor," Nikki calls out, "Ron's here!"
"Alright," I holler back, "Lemme change and we can go." I scurry from the bathroom and quickly slip on a pair of my favorite jeans, the green t-shirt and a scuffed up pair of Doc Martens. Snatching the brown leather coat Nikki bought me on one of her shopping trips off the back of the door, I head to the living room and see Nikki and a sandy haired, semi-disheveled man sitting on my couch talking.
"Hi," I say smiling, extending my hand in greeting, "Nora Delaney."
The man stands, smiles and firmly shakes my hand. He's adorned in a very similar outfit to Nikki and I, faded t-shirt, worn jeans, boots and jacket. I scratch my head and wonder if there was an informal dress code policy that I wasn't aware of.
"Ron Baird," he says and gives me a once over. "You Russell Delaney's daughter?"
Smiling, I joke, "Guilty as charged."
"Good. He always spoke of his kids, you specficially. He was a good man, good cop," Ron says.
"He was," I confirm. Talking about my dad right now isn't something I really want to do.
"Alright," Nikki butts in, "We ready?"
We all nod and head for the door. I grab my keys off the end table by the door and lock up behind me.
"We want to all drive together or would you two prefer to follow me?" he asks stepping next to a tricked out Caddie.
I look at my partner and shrug. She grins and says, "We'll follow you."
Nodding, he hesitates, dancing next to his car.
"Ron?" Nikki asks.
"Uh," he stammers rubbing the back of his neck, "There, well, after you left, Eric started asking questions about you, Nikki. I was trying to brush him off, but he became pretty insistent." He shifts the weight on his feet and finishes, "Wanted to get to know you, ya know? So I told him you were…and your partner are…uh, partners."
My mouth drops open and I stand stunned. Nikki thankfully recovers for the both of us. "It's alright. It'll be something Nora and I can play to."
He looks at me and offers an apologetic glance. "I'm sorry Nora, I didn't mean to make you so uncomfortable, but I don't want this guy sniffing around either of you and he would have, both of you, once he got a look at you."
I'm not sure whether to take that as a compliment or not but I shrug playing it off.
Nikki moves to the passenger side of June Lee and tosses me the keys. "Come on, honey," she purrs, leering in my direction, "We got a dinner date to get to."
I jog over to the driver's side and as I'm about ready to slip in, Ron, standing by his open doors says, "Follow me and remember we'll see this Eric guy tonight, but you're also going to meet his boss and that's who we really need to worry about." I nod and he ducks inside his car.
Following suit, I get in, turn the engine over, buckle up and follow him as he pulls out in front of me.
"Nora," Nikki's voice sounds a little worried, so I cut my attention to her briefly. "You okay with this?"
I nod. "Yeah," I say trying to play it off, "It might make things easier."
I send her my best smile. Scarred shitless, I focus on the road and not the rock that's settled in my gut.
Ron takes us to the same club from earlier today. It stunk of seedy desperation in the light of day, and at night, it cloys to the back of my throat. The main floor of the bar is filled with people too drunk, stupid, lonely and/or beaten up by life to be more than what they are now. I shake my head and keep my eyes on the exits and where Ron is going.
He took me to one of the back rooms of the place where I had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting Eric earlier. Not a bad guy given the circumstances but… Tonight I get to meet his boss. Oh, how thrilled I am. I cast a glance to my right to confirm what I can already feel coming from my partner. She's nervous about us being a couple in front of everyone. I need to get her calmed down or we're gonna blow our cover.
We hang the requisite left at the end of the hall and go through the first door on our right. Ron holds the door open for us and I place a hand on the small of Nora's back as I step through behind her.
"Well look what Ron brought back for me!" Eric's voice booms from the large folding table to the right of the room where he's sitting.
I smile and step in front of Nora. "Now, now Eric," I lay on a sweet tone, and wag my finger at him. I'm not sure if he's as bad as Ron made him out to be. I still need to, at some point when Darius and I aren't arguing, make a point to ask him about this man. At six-foot-six-inches, he's built like a Saints linebacker and I've not spotted an ounce of excess skin and fat on him. "This," I say, pulling Nora to me by wrapping a possessive arm around her waist, "is my partner, Nora."
His hands fly up to his sides and he grins. "Yeah, I bet she is." He waggles his eyebrows good naturedly and continues, "I was tryin' to get the word on you, baby. Ron gave me the business." He comes around the table and sticks a hand out in Nora's direction. "Eric Valentine." Nora shakes his hand and steps into his space.
"Nora Gifford," she says. I see the muscles in her hand tighten and a small look of something ghosts over Eric's face. "Nikki's partner and," she crooks a finger at him to bend lower and whispers in his ear. I don't know what the hell she says, but when he rights himself he nods in her direction.
"You think it would be that easy?" he asks.
She drops his hand and shrugs. "There will be nothin' easy about it, big guy, but it will be what it will be. Trust me when I tell you it's nowhere you want to find yourself."
He raises his eyebrow at her and folds his massive arms across his chest looking her over then looking at me. He chin juts out and he nods again. Worried, I'm about to speak, but his face splits into a wide grin as he claps Nora on the shoulder. "Understood. Now, ladies, I make two requests tonight."
"Eric?" Ron asks from behind us.
"Just the basics," Eric supplies, "First, if you're strapped, use the set of lockers behind me and stash your gear. Second, don't call me Eric. My friends call me Chocolate."
I grasp Nora's hand and pull her to the lockers. "That's something we can do." I remove my firearm and look at Nora expecting her to do the same. Both of us made sure to have shoulder holsters on tonight. I reach under my jacket and pull out my service weapon, remove the clip and pop open the chamber placing the freed bullet, clip and gun inside the locker as Nora does the same to hers.
I shut the door, turn the key and slip it into my jacket pocket. Turning back to Eric, I chirp, "Now if you'll excuse us gentleman, Nora and I are going to powder our noses." I slip my hand into her's and feel her stiffen further. I think she's about ready to pop. "Er…Chocolate, if you would be so kind as to direct us where to go."
"Sure thing. Go out the door hang a right and it's the first door on your left."
I smile and lead us out the door and into the bathrooms. There are only two stalls so I take advantage of the larger one and stuff Nora into it, ignoring her protests. Locking the door, I give her a brief once over before pulling her to me and covering her lips with my own. Running my hands up her back, I feel the muscles ripple under my touch and loosen just a bit. Satisfied, I pull back and wink at her, causing the silly grin she's wearing to spread.
I unlock the stall door; let it fall open and pull her out of it, locking my hands behind her neck. I stop when my butt hits one of the sinks and I rest our foreheads together and whisper, "Baby, I need you a little calmer. Relax, sugga, it's just a job."
Her eyes plead with me and she takes a few measured breaths. The focus comes back and she nods firmly. I know she understands and now she knows I understand. "It will work in our favor."
"I know," she whispers, "It's just, this isn't the club or our homes, ya know?"
"I do."
Her arms finally move to rest on my hips and I smile.
"Well isn't this a heartwarming sight?" A voice sounds from the open door.
Nora springs from my grasp and we both glare at the woman standing in the doorway. I look the woman over; five-four maybe with long, thick red hair, alabaster skin that I will swear hasn't seen a Louisiana summer in a pale blue halter top, low riding brown slacks and boots that have a point sharp enough to kill on her feet.
"Cameron!" Chocolate's voice, rumbles from the hallway. I wince at the volume. Does that man not know the concept of "inside voice"?
Her head whips around and my jaw drops.
Tell me that's not Cameron Hunter?
As if on que, Chocolate's big head pops through the doorway and looks down at the small woman. "Boss, the other two are here." His eyes glance at us and he grins. "Nikki, Nora I see you've met my boss Cameron."
"So," she says, her hands go to her hips as she looks us over, "this is the brunette you were telling me about earlier?"
"Yeah and her partner Nora." He comes inside the bathroom and shuts the door.
Her arms fold across her chest and she nods, appraising the two of us. I see Nora stretch to her full height and my back straightens in response.
"Good," Cameron says. "There are two rules in my house. We take care of our own and if you piss me off, you won't be able to run fast enough."
Nora's hands go to her hips and she lifts her chin a little. From the corner of my eye, I watch the left portion of her mouth quirk in a grin as she says, "Fair enough, but the same rules apply to me and my partner."
Unable to resist, I smile and add, "I'll take all this posturing as a green light on our job." Cameron smirks, Nora looks at me as if I've lost my mind and I shrug. Taking her hand, I brush pass Cameron and Chocolate letting them follow us back to the room.
As introductions go, I think it could have gone worse. Nora squeezes my hand as we enter the room and I feel better. I also know we'll get out of this assignment intact and with our collars. Nora's confidence confirmed that much.
