"Maybe we can meet them both somewhere for coffee this afternoon?"

He shook his head. "I'd love to, sweetheart, I really would. But Pete and I are going over a few things before the operation tonight. There's surveillance reports, telephone intercepts and a heap of other last-minute stuff-you do understand, don't you?"

Savannah forced a smile. "Of course. I should have thought."

"I promise I'll make it up to you." Pulling her close, he gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "Are you ready to go?"

She nodded and collected her handbag from underneath the table. "Sure, let's go."

Dylan let himself into his sister's condominium with the spare key she always kept on the ledge above the door. The place was spotless, as usual. Even the smell of vomit had disappeared. She'd always had a thing for neatness. It was one of the things she'd been forever on his back about.

'Pick up your clothes, Dylan.' 'Wash up your dinner plate.' 'Leave your dirty boots outside.' The list went on and on.

Even so, his heart thudded at the thought of silencing her forever. It wasn't like he wanted to. Vince had ordered the hit. It was kill or be killed. Not that he thought Vince would actually kill him-"Billy the Kid" was Vince's current favorite-but Dylan had witnessed the savagery of Vince's anger toward those who fell out of favor. It hadn't been pretty.

Dylan had been furious when Savannah announced they were moving back to Sydney so he could go to rehab. He had a nice life in Canberra, hanging out with mates, doing drugs, making a tidy sideline profit.

It had all changed when he'd been caught by the cops, but a court appearance and little slap on the wrist by the judge wasn't anything to get your panties in a twist over-at least, that's the way he saw it.

It was unfortunate Savannah hadn't felt the same way. But now, after living back in Sydney for six months, the infectious vibe of the city had gotten into his blood. He'd done the obligatory time in rehab-well, all but the last month-and it hadn't been too bad. He'd said all the right things and promised them what they wanted to hear. Besides, if he'd never gone to rehab, he wouldn't have met Tony and through him, his Uncle Vince.

Okay, so he hadn't exactly signed on for murder, but what the h.e.l.l-it was a small price to pay and the few people he'd killed so far had deserved it. Someone had to do Vince's dirty work and if that someone happened to be him, then so be it.

Dylan had the big picture in his sights. Vince wouldn't live forever. He wasn't married and had no kids. The money had to go somewhere and even if a portion of it went to Tony, there was still plenty left over for a favored go-to man.

It was unfortunate Savannah had come to Vince's attention, but then again, the silly b.i.t.c.h had put herself directly in the line of fire. How stupid was she to sneak into Vince's domain and not only obtain secret information, but then go and publicize it? She only had herself to blame.

Dylan thought back to the last time he'd been at his sister's place. She'd told him she was going out for a night on the town with her girlfriends. He wondered again if she'd returned to the Black Opal. He hadn't seen her there, but that didn't mean s.h.i.t.

Anger coursed through him. He should have strangled her when he'd had the chance. Forget that she was his sister. She'd been stupid and stupid people paid a price. It was just the way it was. It would have been kinder than what Vince planned now.

Voices outside the front door halted his movement. He could make out his sister's voice, but there was someone else with her, a man with a deep, unfamiliar tone. Were they merely pa.s.sing in the stairwell or had she brought someone back with her? It wasn't like her to entertain male guests in her condominium. In all the years he'd lived with her, he couldn't ever remember that happening. He didn't know where she went to f.u.c.k, but it certainly hadn't been in her own bed.

The sound of the key turning in the lock threw him into action. Whether she was alone or not, he wanted the element of surprise. He needed to get the job over and done with, but he wasn't going to be stupid about it. No sense leaving a witness behind.

He ducked inside the broom closet and managed to pull the door closed just as the front door swung open. Dylan watched through the tiny crack between the door and the wall. Savannah tossed her head and laughed. She entered the room, followed closely by a hulk of a man. His shoulders barely fit through the narrow opening.

f.u.c.k. There was no way he could take them both out. He cursed under his breath, knowing he was now stuck in the broom closet until he found the way clear to escape. It could be hours. He swore again and d.a.m.ned his sister to h.e.l.l.

"You have a great view from here." Will looked out the living room window of Savannah's condominium. The dark blue of the ocean sparkled in the distance.

"Yes, almost as good as yours," she joked, coming to stand beside him. Milo prowled around her ankles, mewling hungrily. She hurried into the kitchen to fill his bowl. From the doorway, she saw Will bend down and hold out his hand, encouraging the cat to come closer. Milo stood his ground, staring at him balefully, his eyes wide with suspicion.

"He's beautiful," he called out to her. "What's his name?"

"Milo. Purebred long-haired Siamese." She walked back into the living room. Her voice softened. "He belonged to my mother."

"Wow." His eyes held hers. "It was good of you to keep him. Especially given how unexpectedly she died." Distracted, he stood and gazed out the window. "I'm not sure I could have taken on a pet of my brother's... Too many memories."

"I know what you mean. Milo brings back memories, too, but that's okay..." She smiled gently. "They're usually good ones. My parents left him with me when they went traveling."

Will put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close against his side. They stood in silence for a while, each lost in their thoughts.

"You're in a great spot here, not far from the city. With the train station so close, I bet you get into work even quicker than I do," Will murmured.

She grinned. "Seven minutes from Waverton to Town Hall. It's great. I love it."

"I hope you won't mind too much leaving it behind?"

For a moment, she pretended to consider his question and then answered. "Mm, let me see. You know what? I think I'm prepared to rough it in your little shack by the water." She shrugged. "It's kind of grown on me."

"Are we back to that mold thing again?" Will teased.

Smiling, she stepped away from him and walked the short distance to her bedroom.

Savannah strolled past the broom closet and Dylan gritted his teeth. He was still in shock that his sister had brought a man home. And not just any man-she'd brought home William Rutledge, the son of the advertising mogul.

Dylan had recognized him straight away. He looked just like he had in the photos. And here he was, following Savannah into her bedroom.

What the f.u.c.k? He shook his head in confusion and swallowed a sigh. The door to Savannah's bedroom stood open. The broom closet was diagonally opposite. There was no way he could sneak out without being seen. With his jaw clenched tight, he settled in to wait.

Will followed Savannah into her bedroom. By the time he got there, she'd stripped off the borrowed T-shirt and board shorts and wore nothing but her bra. His heart thumped.

Seemingly oblivious to his presence, she strolled across the room to a chest of drawers and bent low to pull out the bottom one. He was treated to a view of her naked rear end. She bent over and he caught a hint of the soft pink lips of her s.e.x.

He sucked in his breath. Blood thundered through his veins and centered in his c.o.c.k. He was amazed he could get hard so quickly after the marathon sessions of s.e.x they'd enjoyed over the past couple of days.

"I beg to differ about the view. It's every bit as good as the view I have from my condominium." His voice was thick with need. He stepped forward and ran a finger along her exposed slit, feeling her liquid warmth envelop it. "In fact, I think it's even better."

He probed her deeper with his fingers. Savannah gasped and stood slowly upright.

"Mm, that feels very nice." She leaned back against him. His free hand came around to play with her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Fiddling one-handed with the clasp of her bra, he eventually gave up and pulled the garment over her head. It dropped to the floor.

Within moments, his c.o.c.k was thick and hard and throbbing. He pressed it up against the soft cheek of her a.s.s. His fingers continued working rhythmically inside her. He now knew just how she liked it. A thrum of satisfaction surged through him when she pressed down onto his hand and breathlessly pleaded for more.

Standing on tip toes, she drove herself up and down on his fingers. Within minutes, her movements became frantic. Mewling noises of need escaped her tightly compressed lips.

Kneading her b.r.e.a.s.t.s with one hand, he murmured soft words of encouragement and did his best to ignore the painful throbbing between his legs. "That's it, sweetheart. Come for me, babe."

Moments later, she fell over the edge and collapsed against him. He eased his fingers out of her. Turning her around to face him, he kissed her before picking her up in his arms and laying her down on the four-poster bed that dominated the room.

Dylan listened to the sound of them f.u.c.king and curled up his lip. Of all the times to be caught hiding in Savannah's condo, it had to be the one and only time she brought a man home. From the sounds coming from the bedroom, the pair of them were well and truly occupied.

He could do it now. He could whack both of them. They wouldn't even know what had happened. Unless something went wrong. Unless Rutledge saw him before he had a chance to kill him.

Dylan suddenly remembered he hadn't brought a weapon and cursed under his breath. He hadn't thought he'd need one because he towered over his sister and weighed nearly double. Once he had his hands around her throat, it would only be a matter of minutes before she was dead.

He hadn't counted on her having company-and definitely not company who looked like he could handle himself. Muscles bulged across the man's arms and shoulders. He was taller than Dylan and easily outweighed him. Rutledge would be no soft target.

With a sigh of resignation, Dylan cracked open the door to the broom closet and slipped into the hall. The sounds from the bedroom continued, camouflaging the slight noise the front door made when he swung it open.

Closing it behind him, he jogged down the short flight of stairs and into the yard below. His sister lived to see another day. Determination surged through him. The third time, she wouldn't be so lucky. He'd make sure of it.

Savannah lay spread-eagled across the bed, her legs opened wide. Sheathing his c.o.c.k with a condom from his wallet, Will positioned himself between her legs and plunged into her slick center. He groaned in ecstasy when her tight walls hugged him close. He thrust hard once, twice. The third time he spurted his release and collapsed on top of her, spent.

"We have to stop doing this," he mumbled when he'd recovered the power of speech. He rolled onto his side and grinned at her. "It's not normal. I'm sure it's not. I know I've never done it this much before. Do you think we might do ourselves an injury?"

A blush crept across her cheeks. She lowered her gaze. "I am beginning to feel a little sore down there. It's probably just as well you're going out this afternoon."

He was immediately concerned. "Did I hurt you? Why didn't you say something?"

She shrugged and looked away. "I'm okay. I'm not used to all the friction, I think. And it was worth it."

He grinned again. "Okay, I'll try and leave you alone for the rest of the day. Good thing I have work to do. At least the job will take my mind off trying to get you naked."

"Yes, good thing." She smiled back at him.

Will frowned, remembering her earlier resistance. "You're sure you're all right with me leaving you?" His eyes probed hers.

Her gaze slid away, but she smiled with rea.s.surance. "Of course, I am. You're just doing your job. I understand."

"Is it okay if I drop you off at my place about two? That'll give me a few hours to meet with Pete and get the lowdown before I have to be at the brothel."

"Actually, I might stay here tonight, if that's okay with you? I presume you're going to be home late?"

He nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, it's gonna be another late one. But you don't have to stay here. I'd be more than happy to come home in the wee hours and find you warming my bed." He grinned at her.

"As tempting as that sounds, I think I might spend the night here and get a head start on the packing. You're still happy for me to move in, aren't you?"

He pulled her close. "You bet. The sooner, the better. Tomorrow wouldn't be too early."

Savannah leaned over and kissed him lightly on the mouth. Will held her head with one hand and deepened the kiss, slanting his lips over her mouth. Fierce emotion scorched his soul.

"I-I love you, Savannah."

Her eyes widened in shock. "You do? Are you sure? I-I mean, just because we've had fantastic s.e.x and I've agreed to move in with you doesn't mean-"

Will made an impatient sound in the back of his throat. "Would you be quiet? I just told you I love you. Can't you simply accept it and tell me you love me back?"

Savannah blushed and dropped her gaze. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you think-"

Will cut her off again, suddenly needing her confirmation.

"Savannah, I'm dying here. Do you love me, or not?"

"Of course I do. I never imagined loving anyone like I love you. I'm still trying to get my head around it all. It feels so...so..." She shrugged helplessly, unable to find the words.

"I know exactly what you mean. I feel it, too." He took her hand and placed it against the bare skin of his chest, right over his heart. "You're in here. Way deep inside. I'm not sure how it happened, but just so you know, I'm never gonna let you go."

CHAPTER 25.

Sat.u.r.day evening It was a little after eight-thirty when Will arrived outside the Black Opal. It was too early for many of the club's regular patrons, but the surveillance guys had reported the place was abuzz with extra security. Something was definitely going down.

A Tactical Response Group, or TRG taskforce, had been hastily a.s.sembled earlier in the day and now waited in cars strategically parked along the street outside the brothel. As soon as Will gave the signal, armed law enforcement officers would raid the building.

Striding to the entrance, he cast a casual glance around him. The usual bouncers were outside the closed front door, but three more guards stood off in the shadows to his left. A quick glance to his right identified two others who leaned against the end of the building, smoking and talking quietly.

Will gave the doormen a brief nod and greeted them with a smile. "Evening, fellas."

"Good evening, sir," the taller of the two responded, stepping forward to open the door.

"Busy night?" Will asked, keeping his voice conversational.

"Not so far," the other one replied. "But it's a bit early, yet. You wait until midnight; the place will be pumping."

"Sounds good." Will stepped through the doorway and into the foyer. He waited for his eyes to adjust to the dimness and then made his way over to the bar. He took a seat on one of the barstools and ordered a scotch. From his vantage point, he surveyed the room.

The crowd was comprised of a few small groups of men at separate tables. Another man sat on his own near the stage, talking into a cell phone and taking intermittent sips from a gla.s.s of dark liquid that had been placed in front of him.

The stage was silent and empty, but a couple of scantily clad Asian girls worked the room, carrying trays of drinks from the bar and occasionally stopping to engage the men in conversation. As far as he could tell, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

In fact, given the meager scattering of patrons, the increased security presence seemed way out of place. His curiosity was aroused. Their intelligence appeared to be spot-on, but the action sure as h.e.l.l wasn't happening in here. It was time to take a closer look outside. A lot of old houses had bunkers built beneath them during the war. It was possible Maranoa had access to one of them. It was the only thing that made sense. The inside of the building sure as h.e.l.l wasn't large enough to store the quant.i.ty of drugs it appeared they were talking about. It would also explain why drugs weren't found in the last raid.

An unfamiliar barman sat a drink before him. Will fished out his wallet and handed over a few bills. "Listen, mate. I've left my phone out in the car. Do you mind keeping an eye on my drink for a minute?"

The man eyed him in silence and then gave him a brief nod.

"Thanks. Won't be long."

Will returned the way he'd come, stepping outside and straight into one of the bouncers.