A/N: This chapter includes the October Writing Challenge for the facebook group Janet Evanovich Fan Fiction.

Challenge: As you start to fall asleep alone in your bed, you feel someone's breath against your ear. "Good luck." They whisper.

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Chapter Two

Luca glanced up when she walked in, and gave her an easy smile. Stephanie thought he looked a lot better than she felt. He was freshly showered and shaved. His hair still damp, and slicked back from his face. His scar on full display. She often wondered what horrors had marked him. They'd shared their bodies for years, but never once shared their memories, experiences, or anything else that vaguely resembled feelings.

She'd spent mere hours with Ranger, and practically told him her life story. She'd confessed her feelings. Told him about Gabriel. Told him things she'd never told anybody. And then she had watched him get on a plane and leave she reminded herself. Relationships that started under intense circumstances were never real, and they never lasted. Everyone knew that. It had been the fear and the adrenaline that had loosened her lips and made her blurt out heavy truths that were better left unsaid.

"We're going to some pub called Vortex. I really hope it isn't some yuppy disaster." Luca said absently. "I could really just use a beer."

Stephanie laughed. "I hear you."

Luca handed her a knife that she slipped into her boot. "No guns?"

Luca gave a negative shake of his head. "No, not tonight.'

"What do we know about this contact."

Luca gave her a look that said that was the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question. "Not much. Just that they will make contact at Vortex, and they asked for you specifically. It's all very hush hush, but Nick said it's legit. Apparently, whoever it is, it is so sensitive they don't speak on the phone or write it down in files. All that cloak and dagger shit."

A little prickle of unease slid through Stephanie, but she pushed it away. If Nick vouched for the guy than that was good enough for her. Assuming it was even a guy. Stephanie bit back a sigh.

"You ready?" Luca asked.

"As I'll ever be." Stephanie shrugged. "Other than a recovery for a VIP, do we know much of anything?"

"No, just what was in the file."

So, all they knew was that they were doing a hostage recovery for a VIP client, and their mysterious unnamed contact was supposed to fill in the details. Really what could possibly go wrong. Stephanie kind of wanted to just whack her head on the wall and get it over with.

"The file was useful, but it was all about the kidnappers. Mob guys, no big reveal there." Stephanie snorted.

Stephanie turned towards the door and Luca caught her arm. She turned to face him.

"Look Steph. If I stepped in something between you and Manoso, I'm sorry."

Stephanie gave a dismissive wave of her hand. "You didn't."

Even as she said it, she knew it wasn't exactly true. Luca might not have stepped into something, but it didn't mean there wasn't something there.

Luca held her gaze for a beat. Stephanie worked to keep her face neutral and her gaze level. It was Luca's job to read people, and Luca was very good at his job.

"OK." He seemed satisfied with her answer. "I still want to talk about us."

His head bent down and his lips feathered across hers. His skin smelled crisp and clean, a little like the ocean. Stephanie's hand snaked behind his neck and he deepened the kiss, gently stroking inside her mouth. This was the second time he'd kissed her on the mouth in as many days. Upending their carefully crafted dance and throwing uncertainty into the mix. His lips were soft, and everything about Luca felt familiar. His touch was not unwelcomed, but it made her long for a different one. She wondered if it would always be like that. Stephanie pulled back and he gave her a smile. They both knew they were in uncharted waters.

Stephanie nodded. "Me too, but after, OK."

"Of course." Luca concurred and brushed another light kiss across her lips before stepping back.

They'd been doing the same dance for years. Stephanie couldn't help but wonder what the sudden urgency was, what the change in Luca had been that he was pushing for resolution. She had a bad feeling it had something to do with Ranger. Somehow Luca had sensed that her connection with him was broader and deeper than just sex. That had scared Luca, pushed him out of his comfort zone, because they were both way out of bounds from the nice tidy little box that had been the corral around their friends-with-benefits relationship for so long. That box had kept things neat and simple, just the way she liked them. Emotions made people messy.

The pub was just a few blocks away so Luca and Stephanie headed out on foot. They nipped through a passageway, roaming through a courtyard until they found the steep set of stairs that led to the pub's entrance. The pub was underground. That didn't make Stephanie feel any better about meeting some random contact. The ceilings were as low as the lighting. It had the feel of a wine cellar or perhaps it was a dungeon. Stephanie tried not to think too much about that. A saying on the wall declared 'success is about a happy life.' Stephanie thought success might be getting out of Vortex without getting stabbed, but she kept that to herself.

They grabbed a booth and ordered food.

"What time is the meet?" Stephanie asked around a mouthful of Řízek.

"Fifteen minutes ago." Jack replied.

Unease slithered around the base of Stephanie's spine. She felt like they were being watched. Just like she had in Colombia. Stephanie continued to scan, but didn't see anything. Neither did Luca or Jack, even though she could tell they were both on edge.

"How'd things go with Olivia?" Stephanie queried.

"OK. I guess. The doc said she was fine, physically anyway." Jack clarified. "A little dehydrated and had some infected bug bites. All things you would expect. It will probably take a little longer for the emotional side of things. She was pretty withdrawn."

Stephanie's heart gave a little tug. "I just hope she gets the help she needs."

"Yeah, that was the funny thing. Apparently Akerman set up a trust for her. Two million, more than twice what the ransom was. They also gave her mother her job back. Well, a better one anyway."

"Akerman did that?" Stephanie asked. Akerman had been a tool of the highest order. His company had refused to negotiate for Olivia's release because she wasn't on the Kidnap and Ransom policy and any money paid wouldn't be covered by insurance. She really couldn't see him or his company doing anything for Olivia.

"I know, it was the weirdest thing. He kept babbling on about how the devil had made him do it. I think that guy might have gone nuts." Jack shrugged.

Stephanie turned away and mashed her lips together to keep from smiling. Yeah, she bet she knew exactly what devil had made Akerman do it.

Stephanie polished off her food. "How long are we going to sit here?"

"It's been over an hour. Maybe something happened." Luca stated. She could hear the irritation in his voice. It matched the irritation sweeping through her. They'd been pulled straight into this mess with no down time and now the jackass they were supposed to meet was MIA.

"I'm going to the ladies' room, then we should go. If it is important, they'll contact us again. If not, they won't." And Stephanie really needed a good night's sleep, before she fell asleep standing up.

Stephanie made her way down the hall to the ladies' room. Her spidey sense was jumping up and down and practically shouting. She turned around, but no one was behind her. She was utterly alone in the dimly lit hall. Stephanie slipped into the ladies' room and locked the door. It was a single toilet and a sink. Not much going on in the tiny room. No windows, no vents that she could see.

Still, everything about this made her uneasy. She quickly finished her business and opened the door.

Stephanie gave a sharp inhalation and she might have even squeaked a little, she couldn't be sure. Lounging up against the wall, setting the time on his watch like he didn't have a care in the world, was the amber eyed devil.

She saw his lip twitch up as he slid the watch back on his wrist and fastened the clasp. Stephanie just glared at him; arms crossed over her chest.

He pushed off the wall and took a step towards her. Instinctively she stepped back, which she immediately realized had been a mistake. He stepped into the washroom with her and locked the door. The lock engaging was louder than a canon in the tiny room, and Stephanie forced herself to swallow past the lump in her throat.

"You." She hissed and narrowed her eyes. "You're our contact."

The devil smiled. "Yes, love. Me."

His gaze travelled over her at a leisurely pace, and it took all her willpower not to squirm. She couldn't quite help the flush that was spreading up her neck, as she wondered what he saw when he looked at her like that. The tiny room seemed devoid of air, and she sucked in a deep breath. Stephanie instantly realized her mistake. His spicy, earthy scent invaded her nostrils and a momentary flash of panic went through her. She was trapped in a room with a dangerous man. One that had no escape.

"What do you want." Unease made her voice sharp.

"You, Ms. Plum. You." His velvet voice slithered around her and her lips parted and a little gasp escaped. Stephanie figured that's exactly how the snake had whispered to Eve, and everybody knew how that had turned out.

Stephanie gave the most bored, disinterested, and slightly pissed-off look she could manage given her heart was pounding and her palms were sweaty. "Drop the game, Lucifer, and tell me what you really want."

He gave a bark of laughter and held up his hands in mock surrender.

"I need you for a job."

"A job?" Stephanie repeated like a deranged parrot.

"Yes, I need a woman with your skillset."

Stephanie gave him a look that said she thought he might be on the wrong side of stupid. "There are plenty of women with my skillset. You don't need me." Even as she said it, she knew that wasn't entirely true.

"One that doesn't look like a linebacker Ms. Plum." His voice held just a hint of exasperation.

Suspicion immediately bloomed at that statement. "To do what?" She knew she wasn't going to like the answer before he gave it.

"Get close to Alexi Novak." The devil stated without so much as blinking. "Get invited to one of his parties."

Alexi Novak was high-up in the organization that had kidnapped the current target. He ran prostitution and gambling rings throughout the city, and dabbled in drugs and the occasional arms deal. The thought of getting close to Alexi made her dinner almost come back up, and she swallowed hard against the bile in her throat. Alexi was a vile, filthy, sweaty pig.

That is the reason you don't eat things bigger than your head, her little voice chastised. Focus Stephanie thought. Focus. Being trapped in a tiny room with the devil standing between her and the only exit, was causing her brain to buzz.

"Why not your partner then?" Stephanie challenged.

He gave a shrug. "She definitely has the skills, but she's not available. Besides she's not the right type." He said diplomatically.

"What does that mean?" Stephanie hissed, knowing she was not going to like the answer. That woman was everyone's type.

The devil made a vague gesture with his hands. "She's not…" His voice trailed off as he looked for the right word. "Not robust enough." He finally said.

"Robust?" Stephanie knew her voice had gone up an octave. "Is that code for fat?"

The devil actually sighed and his eyes flickered heavenward like he was praying for patience, which was about fifty shades of ironic. "No Ms. Plum, Alexi likes women with larger breasts and longer legs. Taller, not petite."

Stephanie's nostrils flared and she crossed her arms back over her chest, suddenly feeling exposed, wondering if that is what he had been thinking when his gaze had raked over her. She felt a bit like a piece of meat. He gave her an insolent shrug and a look that said she was the one that had asked. It wasn't like he didn't have a point, but she glared at him for good measure anyway.

"Besides you look almost exactly like the woman he took. That's how I know you're his type." The devil reached inside his pocket and handed her a picture.

Stephanie took it, taking care not to brush his fingers as she did. Her eyes widened in surprise. She and the woman could easily be sisters now that he pointed it out.

"Who is she?" Stephanie whispered.

"Senator Ryan's niece. Ashley Ryan." The devil replied. "She was here with a study group, and had the bad fortune of crossing paths with Alexi. He took her with the intention of having her work in one of his brothels, but then discovered who she was. He's trying to leverage her to blackmail the senator. Not for money mind you, but for his vote. You can understand why we have kept this quiet."

Stephanie nodded. The Senator was the pivotal vote stopping an aid package that was little more than a sanctioned bribe.

"I'm not saying I'm agreeing, but if we are going to be working together, you should call me Stephanie or Steph."

"Stephanie." He said her name with that velvet voice of his and caused every nerve in her body to go taut like an overstretched string. The way he said it sounded like pure sex. Not ordinary sex, but dirty, sweaty, sinful sex that would curl your toes and make you lose your mind.

She narrowed her eyes at him. He gave her a predatory smile that was one step below lascivious. He knew exactly what he was doing. Stephanie just rolled her eyes, and shook her head. He was toying with her, and they both knew it. Stephanie wasn't really in the mood for playtime, she was still plenty pissed he had held a gun to her head.

"What should I call you?"

He lifted one shoulder. "It depends."

"On what?" Stephanie wanted to smack her own head the minute the question was out of her mouth.

"What we're doing." He casually explained as his gaze locked with hers. His meaning clear.

"What do you want to call me, Stephanie?" His voice sounded like a purr, and she was struck by just how much he reminded her of a panther.

"Nothing flattering." Stephanie retorted. A beat went by. "Look we can just go with the devil, prince of darkness, or lord of the underworld if you want."

He rewarded her with a smile, a genuine one. "I prefer Lucifer." He winked at her. "It's easier. It slides right off the tongue." The way he said it left very little to the imagination of what he wanted her to do with her tongue. Those amber eyes darkened ever so slightly.

Stephanie felt heat flash through her and she laughed. It sounded hollow to her own ears. Whoever he was, he had the seduction game down, she'd give him that. Stephanie wasn't stupid and she was never, ever going there. That man might be all kinds of hot, but he was also all kinds of crazy, and definitely dangerous.

Stephanie gave a disinterested shrug. "Lucifer it is then. Or maybe we should just go with Luc? What do you think? Maybe a little too close to Luca, I wouldn't want to get the two of you confused." She batted her lashes at him and gave him an innocent smile.

She could see the laughter in his eyes. "OK, Ms. Plum. Point taken."

"Stephanie." She corrected him.

He inclined his head. "Stephanie." Her name spilled from his lips. It still sounded plenty sinful to her.

"Nikko. You can call me Nikko."

"And that's actually your name." Instinctively Stephanie knew he had given her his real name and that surprised her.

He gave her a bored shrug. "As far as I know."

"OK, Nikko. What do you want me to do?"

"Catch Alexi's eye, and hopefully he invites you to the party he is throwing. You'll have a device that allows you to clone his phone. Once that is done, we'll pull you out."

Stephanie gave him a skeptical look. "It won't be that easy. I assume the women never leave these parties. He lures them in with the promise of meeting rich business men and then once they are there, that's it. They become prisoners. Once he tires of them, he ships them to one of his brothels. Probably hooks them on drugs."

"True." Nikko confirmed.

"What if he decides he wants to sample the merchandise?"

"I promise you; I won't let it get that far. He won't hurt you." There was steel running through his velvet voice, and all pretense of play was gone. Stephanie felt the hair on the back of her neck stand straight up.

"You can't promise that!" Stephanie snapped.

Nikko just looked at her, his face betraying nothing.

"You have a man on the inside."

Nikko just smiled.

"What would the plan be?"

"I've secured another team to join us, one that I marginally trust. We'll go over operational contingencies with them tomorrow. Cloning the phone should be easy. Once we do, we'll figure out where Ms. Ryan is being held and work-up an extraction plan. There is an exclusive wine tasting tomorrow night. Alexi will be there, and so will you. If all goes well, he'll ask you to come to his private party."

"Why can't I clone the phone at the wine tasting?"

"The phone we are after isn't the one he uses in public, and even if it was, the wine cellar is deep underground, under the castle. It was originally part of a labyrinth of caves and underground passages. The walls are too thick and it messes with the signal."

"How will I know he has the right phone?"

"He will be expecting a call, and that call will have him waiting on another call." Nikko explained. "That should give us a window of opportunity."

Nikko handed her a burner phone and Stephanie slipped it into her pocket. "I'll send you the details of the meet."

"Slow your roll, I haven't agreed to do this. Do I know this other team?"

Nikko gave a negative shake of his head. "I doubt it."

A tingle of unease went through Stephanie. "Care to share anything about them?"

"Where is the fun in that." Nikko reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Your bruises are fading nicely." He said absently.

Stephanie was caught in his gaze, unable, or maybe unwilling, to look away. The way he looked at her made her pulse pound. It was like he could see straight through her, and knew all of her dirty little secrets and wildest fantasies. Suddenly the room felt too small, and he seemed far too close. The sound of her swallowing echoed in the room. She took a step back, bumping into the sink. It reminded her, there was no place to go, and just how vulnerable she was.

"I'd want full operational planning for the extraction." Stephanie stated, supremely pleased her voice didn't crack.

"Naturally." Nikko confirmed. "So do we have a deal?" That velvet voice drifted over her.

"I'm not in the habit of making deals with the devil." This time her voice came out far too soft and a tad strained.

He smiled at her. "I'm not the devil, Ms. Plum. In fact, I'm quite sure the devil is a woman. No doubt, one like you. Clever and beautiful."

They stared at each other for a minute. Stephanie weighing all the risks, including working with Nikko. That felt like a slippery slope, and far more dangerous than cloning Alexi Novak's phone. She had no doubt he skated a little too close to hell for her taste.

He continued to look at her. His gaze intense. His pursuit of her unrelenting. Just like him.

"I need you, Stephanie. Ashley Ryan needs you."

"Why me?"

"I've been watching you a long time, and you're one of the best, and I like to work with the best."

Stephanie watched him, looking for any hint of sarcasm or manipulation. Nikko was telling the truth. She might have been flattered, if it weren't for that one little part. The part where he had said he'd been watching her a long time. She could feel unease prickle her scalp.

"I promise I'll behave." He smiled at her, breaking the mounting tension.

Stephanie gave a low laugh. Neither one of them thought there was any chance of that happening. "And where would the fun in that be?"

"Touché." Came his low reply.

Stephanie knew they were coming to agreement, setting boundaries, and testing each other. One job. She'd do this one job for him and that was it. She was not getting in league with Satan, no matter how tempting it might be.

Stephanie cocked her head, knowing she was going to regret it. "We have a deal."

Nikko shook her hand, and gently brushed his thumb over the back of it. "I'll be in touch."

Yeah, Stephanie thought. That's exactly what she was afraid of.

He was gone, just as quickly as he had appeared.

Stephanie poked her head out. There was no sign of him, he had evaporated into thin air. She gave her head a little shake wondering if he was actually real. Stephanie headed back to the table, debating if she'd ever really had a choice. Nick had probably already agreed and pledged the team. She had a bad feeling Nikko had played her by giving her the illusion of control, and letting her think she had a say in the matter. Half the fun for him, was toying with her. The banter and veiled innuendos were meant to keep her off-balance and guessing, more than genuine interest. If she was always trying to find her footing, she wouldn't learn anything about him that he didn't carefully curate. That was pretty clear.

Jack and Luca gave her a questioning look when she got back to the booth. "I'll fill you in back at the house, and no, you aren't going to like it."

Stephanie spent an hour with Luca and Jack detailing her conversation with Nikko. She didn't' have answers to most of their questions, or even a reason beyond just her gut instinct.

"Why you, why did he approach you alone?" Luca growled.

Stephanie lifted her shoulder in a half-shrug. "Not sure. Maybe the sensitive nature of the extraction."

Luca clearly wasn't fooled. "Or he's trying to recruit you."

Stephanie tilted her chin up and locked eyes with Luca. "Or that." She bit back. "Is that so crazy."

Luca gave her a look that said she was being an idiot. "Of course not. Is it something you are interested in?"

Stephanie thought about it for a second. "No, I don't even know who he works for." Stephanie didn't mention the job offer she was considering was in Trenton with RangeMan.

"But you are thinking about leaving?" Luca prodded.

"No, I mean maybe. Aren't we all looking at other things?" Stephanie said defensively. "We've talked about going into business together."

"We have." Luca conceded. "So that's all this is?"

Jack stepped in before she had to answer. "We can deal with that later. Let's get back to the business at hand."

Stephanie threw Jack a grateful look and steered the conversation back to what they had learned.

Predictably they were not happy, but Nick had vouched for the guy, and they all trusted Nick's judgement. It must mean he wasn't all bad or as crazy as he might seem. Still, something felt off. Stephanie wasn't even sure what it was. The whole operation; this whole place made her spine tingle. Old ghosts were lurking behind every corner and nothing was quite what it seemed.

Stephanie did her best to dismiss it and put it out of her head. She was exhausted and her mind was playing tricks on her. That was all. Being back in Prague didn't help, it was harder than she thought it would be. This is where Gabriel had died. Taken far too soon. One minute he was there, and the next he was just gone. No rhyme and no reason. No time to say goodbye. All those wounds just felt raw. Ripped back open and oozing. It was odd, the emotions were so close to the surface, the feeling of Gabriel was all around her, yet she could barely remember anything about him. Gabriel wasn't the man she was missing, and that thought was disconcerting.

The dull ache of Gabriel had been sitting out there for years, but when she closed her eyes, it wasn't Gabriel's touch she craved, it was Ranger's. Stephanie refused to think about what that might mean.

She stripped off her clothes and climbed into bed. The cool sheets, wrapped around her and comforted her against the loneliness that seemed to stalk her tonight.

She pulled the covers up higher and snuggled into the pillow, trying to calm her racing thoughts. There were a hundred ways this could go bad, there always were, but she couldn't shake the feeling of dread. "This is a cluster in the making," Stephanie mumbled to herself.

Alone in the bed, her eyes began to drift shut, sleep pushing her consciousness away, dreams beckoning her. She wondered who she would see in her dreams tonight.

Stephanie felt someone's warm breath on her ear.

"Good luck," they whispered.

Stephanie jerked awake and bolted upright, frantically scanning the darkness. Her heart was pounding and sweat was pooling at the base of her spine. Her breath was coming in ragged pants as she desperately tried to suck in oxygen. It took a minute to force herself to calm down and flip on the bedside lamp. The glow illuminated the darkness and drove out the shadows. There was no one there, it had just been her imagination. An involuntary shiver worked its way through her. That warm breath against her skin, that voice. It had all been so clear and so real. It had been Gabriel's voice.