"You're not helping her case any right now, Susanna," Kas spouts.

Sara rolls her eyes, pulling Raina further into the living room. "You look amazing, besides, you don't have time to change, Michael will be here any minute."

Seeing her slipping confidence, Kas bites back his overwhelming desire to demand she change, knowing the reaction every hot-blooded man will have to her new look, a magnified reaction to their already l.u.s.ty stares at her when she is dressed modestly in regular jeans and a t-shirt. "They're right, you look incredible. You always do," he manages to allow himself to admit. He tears his eyes away from her to answer the knock on the door, wanting to punch Michael hard in the mouth when he sees the carnal blaze kindle in his eyes when his gaze lands on Raina, struggling to remember his place.

Michael catches the scathing glare and shrugs his shoulders, giving Kas a guilty grin as he shrinks back a step. "Sorry, man, I'm only human."

"Yeah, well, you can keep your h.o.m.osapien eyes to yourself," he only partially jokes.

"Absolutely, I can do that," Michael tries to a.s.sure him, both fully aware that he's completely lying through his teeth.

Kas manages to relax somewhat, knowing Michael is a good man, and even though his eyes may wander, he's not the type of man to cross that kind of line. He pulls Raina into his arms, wishing she wasn't going, hoping it won't take long for Michael's team to take the ring down so she can come home. Kissing her bye, his mind replays last night, and how she made him come completely undone, her sensually talented body showing him exactly how much she's going to miss him.

"You're smearing your lipstick," Sara scolds, tugging Raina away and sooshing her towards Michael.

Pulling her created license from his back pocket, he hands it to her, "You will be Jules, and Brent is Caleb while you're undercover."

Raina takes the license, nodding her head before giving Kas one last look of longing, hints of regret and uncertainty edging her eyes.

"You're going to do great, sweetheart. We'll all be here cheering you and Brent on. We'll be listening to the audition on the feed Erik set-up."

She gives him another quick hug as Michael opens the door for her, "I love you."

"Love you, too. Now, get your hot b.u.t.t to Jersey and knock em dead."

The outside of the club is nothing special, Raina muses as Brent pulls the sedan into the lot. She takes a deep breath, willing the b.u.t.terflies to stop fluttering uncontrollably in her stomach. Brent looks deliriously happy when she glances at him, grinning like he's just won the lottery. She wishes she had a fraction of his exuberance instead of the unbelievable urge to puke.

Brent takes one look at her and laughs, "You okay?"

Raina nods, afraid to open her mouth, not wanting to tempt the nausea upwards. He checks the transmitter and nudges her to check hers, watching worriedly as she fumbles with numb fingers. "Seriously, Raina, are you going to be alright?"

Swallowing hard, she forces a smile and meets his gaze, her eyes steadier than her nerves, "Let's do this."

He rewards her with a killer grin before grabbing his guitar, looking the part perfectly with his stylishly messy hair, dark, ripped jeans, and light blue flannel shirt over his white tee, complimenting his stark blue eyes. He b.u.mps her shoulder excitedly as he opens the door. The inside of the club is a drastic difference to the plain, understated entrance. Raina momentarily forgets her bad case of nerves as her widened eyes take in the sw.a.n.k, sophisticated night club. The walls are an earthy bronze with panels of mixed hue pebbles under a thin sheen of water continuously flowing over the small stones. The ceiling has copper, oval designs covering the pitch black tiles. The bar is a bit more dramatic with jagged shards of gla.s.s providing a spectacular cover over the bar, reflecting the shades of muted blue, green, and pumpkin lights shining from the tiered, suspending sphere globes. The seating is spread throughout the large room in a mixture of tables and long, red plump couches in front of several round mosaic table tops.

Her nausea-inducing b.u.t.terflies re-strategize their attack, hitting her square in the gut when she turns and sees the stage behind a large crowd of musicians practically foaming at the mouth for the same coveted job. The nervousness radiating through the crowd seems to fuel Brent, doing just the opposite to Raina, sucking the precious air right out of her. The talented duo before them is almost done, and Brent turns towards Raina, feeling nervous for the first time when he sees the stark paleness of her petrified face.

"Breathe," he whispers.

Her response is a tight nod.

Quickly glancing at the stage, he takes her arm and pulls her to the side. "I need you to do this, Raina. We all need you to do this. These traffickers are ruthless, and we've got to get them this time."

Hearing the desperation in his voice, she pulls herself together, "I know."

Brent studies her, panic flashing in his eyes when they are called.

"I'm fine, Brent. I can do this," she a.s.sures him, reminding herself exactly why she is here, forcing her body to cooperate with her mind.

"Okay," he breathes, uncertainty lingering in his blue gaze.

Raina takes the stage, closing her eyes when Brent starts to play. She pictures Kas, willing his image to stay in her head as she starts to sing. Brent visibly relaxes when her sultry voice picks up strength with each chord.

Kas is surrounded by the whole team, Dexter, Erik, Derrick, and his team joining them as they listen to the audition from the stream feeding from Michael's computer in New Jersey. His heart swells with pride as he hears his wife's talented voice rise and fall, perfectly matching the tempo. Everyone is quiet until the song is done, then Austin lets out a loud whistle.

"h.e.l.l, yeah, they nailed it!" Austin proclaims proudly.

"Yeah, they did," Kas agrees, his chest constricting with a heady mixture of relief and concern.

"Is there anything that girl of yours can't do?" Derrick laughs, thoroughly impressed at the amazing show he just heard.

Brent grabs Raina, swinging her around in his arms, "We did it!" He puts her down, holding her out at arm's length, "I was told you could sing, but dang, girl, you rocked it up there."

Raina blushes at his praise, extremely relieved they got the gig. "You were pretty amazing yourself. You really know how to make the guitar come to life."

"I have my moments," he winks at her, his blue eyes sparkling. Grabbing her hand, he ushers her into the car, in a hurry to get to the meeting point with Michael.

"Well, done," Michael beams as they exit the vehicle, hardily slapping Brent on the back while he pulls Raina in for a hug. He takes a set of keys out of his pocket, "Your apartment is on Stiles. It has two bedrooms but you have to share a bathroom."

Raina nods as Brent takes the keys, she feels a little dazed, all of this suddenly becoming very real. She never thought of having to share a place with another man. The uncomfortable thought tugs at her, making her miss Kas fiercely.

"Your suitcases are already there, and the fridge is full. Go to your new home, get some rest before you perform tomorrow night, you deserve it."

Brent closes his guitar case, nodding at Raina, letting her know he's ready to leave. He watches her make her way down the stage steps to the rest of the band members waiting at the door. They have performed every night the past week, and Brent is impressed with how Raina is relaxing more each time. He's glad they have tomorrow night off, well, off from performing anyway, but is frustrated that they haven't gained any ground with the trafficker's yet. Brody, the band's over-s.e.xed drummer, has been flirting relentlessly with Raina, and Brent chuckles as he sees how she graciously steps out of Brody's grasp, making up an excuse that she forgot something, when he slips his arm territorially around her shoulders.

A sudden wave of unpleasant emotion smacks him hard in the chest. He is confounded by a feeling that strongly resembles jealousy when he watches in distaste how Brody thoroughly enjoys himself staring at Raina's retreating derriere. He shakes his head, telling himself he's just tired, or feeling protective for his partner, rea.s.suring himself that it can't be jealousy, she's taken.

They are met with a willing ring of groupies as soon as they walk out of the door. Raina shakes her head and steps back as the girls throw themselves at the band members. Brody wraps his arms around two girls who have their hands in places that seems to please him immensely. Raina practically gags as he leads them both to his car. Curt sets his sights a little lower and leaves with only one.

Raina tries not to smirk as a pretty brunette with too much make-up and not nearly enough clothing grabs Brent's hand and writes her number on his wrist. She leans close to him when she's done, whispering something in his ear as she's sure to rub her b.r.e.a.s.t.s against his arm. Brent blushes, and Raina laughs out loud, gaining a scathing glare from the unashamed, brazen bimbo.

Raina ignores the glare and pushes Brent's arm, "Let's get you out of here before we have an all out cat fight," Raina teases. "Unless you wanna go, and in that case, I'll drive myself home."

The word 'home' rolling off of her lips leaves Brent not wanting to leave with anyone else but Raina. It means nothing to her. It means everything to him. He rubs his thumb across the soliciting number on his wrist, smearing it, "I'm not a one night stand kind of guy."

Raina smiles approvingly, "I knew you had some cla.s.s." She laughs again, and it rips a hole in his heart. "C'mon, I've got a call to make," she declares, dragging him to the car.

His hole just got bigger.

It's a short drive to their temporary home, and Brent concentrates on the case, trying to distract himself from the troubling emotions surfacing inside. Shadrack, the popular club's owner, has relaxed with them a little, but it's obvious he's guarded, leaving the room with certain phone calls, obsessively locking the office every time he leaves the room, even when making a quick trip to the john. They have seen other suspected traffickers meet with Shadrack in the locked room, and Brent has looked for ways to get into the office, but no one even goes down the hall where the office is located, unless lead by the head trafficker himself. It seems to be some kind of unspoken rule that employees are to stay in the main room, they can party and drink as much as they want after their performance, but they are to stay clear of the hall east of the bar.

Raina immediately calls Kas as soon as she walks through the door, her face lighting up when he answers, and another stab of the hateful emotion hits Brent. He grabs a towel, deciding to take a shower and go straight to bed, hoping the nonsense rioting in him will be long gone in the morning. His plan is shattered when he smells pancakes as he opens the bathroom door.

Raina flips a pancake as she stares at the skillet, her mind miles away, thinking of and missing Kas intensely, and missing how they cook breakfast side by side most mornings. She decided to make breakfast now, even though it's technically dinner, needing to somehow connect with him. She sees Brent leaning against the wall at the edge of the kitchen when she turns to grab the syrup, "You hungry?"

Brent mentally slaps himself for the inappropriate, wayward thoughts running through his mind at her choice of words. Chastising himself, he shrugs, "A little."

"Grab a plate, these are almost done."

He focuses on chewing the food, pushing back the new emotions swirling around in him dangerously every time he looks at Raina. "So, how did you and Pierce meet?" he asks, desperate to remind himself that she's married, that she is strictly off-limits. He barely hears her answer, too preoccupied with trying to tear his eyes away from her succulent lips.

Later that night, Brent punches his pillow, throwing his head back into the overstuffed cotton puff. Sleep has been avoiding him for the past two hours. Unwillingly, his mind drifts to Raina, who is fast asleep next door, with only a piece of thin sheetrock separating him from her. He groans loudly as he rolls over, slamming the pillow over his head, praying for sleep that never comes.

Michael swings by early the next morning. Raina hands him a cup of freshly brewed coffee and a warm blueberry m.u.f.fin as he sits at the small kitchen table. "That's delicious," he mumbles with his mouth still full. He takes a sip of coffee, "Where's Brent?"

"Shower."

Michael glances over at his agent, his concern peaking when he sees how haggard Brent looks when he steps out of the bathroom. "You're not getting sick are you?"

"No, I just didn't get much sleep last night," he grumbles, a yawn escapes his mouth as if showing proof to his words.

"Rest up today," Michael commands, "we need you to be on top of your game."

"Yes, sir."

Brent takes a seat as far away from Raina as possible when the rest of the team arrives. He does his best to focus his attention on the task at hand as they spend the next couple of hours developing a plan to access the locked office if he's not able to get inside by invitation in the next few days.

The crowd cheers and whistles when the band finishes their last song of the night, some raucously calling for an encore. Shadrack takes the stage flashing his killer smile as he slips his arm around Raina's waist, pulling her close to him. She manages to keep from ripping his slimy hands off of her as she fixes a smile on her face and gazes as pleasantly as possible at the sleek, well-groomed trafficker who she would consider handsome if it weren't for his career choice making her furiously ill every time she sees him.

"How's everyone doing tonight?" the tall, tan, dark-haired handler yells into the excited crowd, his Irish accent eliciting pheromones to ooze from the women. His question is answered by more loud whistles and hoots.

Raina's stomach churns at the grin that spreads across Shadrack's lips and how his hand slips lower on her hip as he holds her flush to him.

"You guys want more of the band?"

More loud whistles ring out, coupled with a few profane affirmations, and Raina can't stand looking at the ignorant girls hanging onto his every word, l.u.s.t pooling in their hope-filled eyes. She wishes he would shut-up before one of the girls can't control herself any longer and decides to shimmy out of her panties and toss them on top of the stage. Her anger riots as she thinks of how one of these poor girls could end up getting way more than she bargained for if he takes her home tonight.

"What about my girl here? You want more of Jules?" he yells, his gluttonous hand tightening around her hip, his fingers slipping lower, dangerously close to her intimate area. Raina bites the inside of her cheek, maintaining her plastered smile as she refrains from flipping Shadrack off the stage.

The crowd roars for more, so the band happily delivers. Brody flashes his s.e.xy smile as he taps his drumsticks slowly, steadily upping the rhythm as Curt joins in on the keyboard. Brent jumps in next, his wicked skills making the guitar sing. The rowdy crowd is working itself into a frenzy when it's time for Raina to sing. She closes her eyes, focusing on the words to Brent's song, wishing she had more time to practice.

Opening her eyes, she begins to sing, her voice a sultry mixture of seduction and pain, matching the theme of the song. Brent is mesmerized, watching her body move to the music, hearing her intoxicating voice belting out the words. All eyes are on her when she sings the chorus, I'm torn between the two One's touch, the other's love The flame burns higher cursing me like a witches brew He calls my name, and I fall to my knees One's innocence is my poison The other's desire is a tangled web I forsakenly weave.

Brent has to look away as Raina continues to sing the song he wrote years ago, the words haunting him, cutting into his heart. He knows she has no idea of how she is singing his misery, desperately wanting her, knowing she belongs to another.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE.

Raina takes a long shower. Images of Kas rush through her mind as the hot water spills over her, sending a sharp pain slicing through her heart at how much she misses him. Since she's met Kas, she's never been away from him this long, and she's feeling the loss distinctly more with each pa.s.sing day. She wants nothing more than to be in his arms right now, to feel his touch, his love, as she drifts to sleep in his embrace.

Brent is cooking hamburgers when Raina steps out of the bathroom, her face clean and make-up free. Her wet hair is wrapped in a towel, and she is completely covered in PJ's and a robe, drawing Brent to her carefree, natural beauty. A loose, auburn curl frames her fresh, ivory face, and it's all he can do to keep himself from brushing it off of her cheek, still pink from the heat of her shower.

"Do you want a burger?" he asks, turning away from temptation.

Raina politely declines, telling him she's not hungry. She grabs her phone out of her purse, needing to hear Kas' voice again before she goes to bed, but it rings before she has a chance to dial. Brent turns around, seeing her tense as she looks down at the phone. He shoots her a questioning gaze, but she apologetically throws up her finger, slipping into her room. Raina's heart pounds in her chest as she hears the familiar silence on the other end. Roughly closing the phone, she dials Kas, comfort immediately relieving her when she hears his voice.

"Can't get enough of me tonight, huh?" he teases, wishing he was there to hold her, touch her, so he could give her as much of him that she wants.

For a few seconds, she's tempted not to tell him about the call, but relents, knowing it will hurt him if she doesn't and he finds out.

"I miss you so much," she begins, pausing briefly before rushing her next words, "I got another call."

"We changed your number."

She can hear the tension in Kas' voice. "Maybe it's not related," she offers, feeling slightly guilty, knowing that it is.

"I'm not taking any chances. I'll trace the call."

"It will lead to a burn phone." She hears him sigh on the other end, knowing he knows she's right.

"Hold on, Rain, I'm calling Pete. I want every inch of Chris' cell searched again."

Brent walks by Raina's cracked door. Every part of him tells him to walk away, but he doesn't listen to his internal warning, and he peeks through the door, anyway. His heart constricts at the expression on Raina's face, a combination of worry, sadness, and what looks a little like fear. He backs away, not trusting his judgment lately, especially with his own emotions short circuiting.

"The guards are going to check his cell," Kas tells her briskly, "I'll have your number changed again. I'll call you back with the information on both in a few."

She doesn't want to let him go, needing to hear his voice a little while longer, but she ignores her need, quickly telling him she loves him before hanging up. She is sitting on the bed, dreading ever meeting Chris when Brent knocks on her door. Pulling herself together, she tells him to come in.

"You sure you're not hungry, you barely ate any lunch today?"

Deciding eating might provide a needed distraction, she agrees to try his cheddar mushroom hamburgers. They are sharing funny stories about their experiences with the FBI when her phone rings. He sees her apprehension as she answers, apologetically excusing herself again as she heads back to her room.

"They didn't find a phone," Kas informs her, the anger in his voice evident. "I don't know how he's pulling this off, unless he is having someone else make the calls."

Raina chews on her bottom lip, she knows Chris well enough to know that he would want to make the calls personally. "I don't think so, Kas. Somehow, he has a phone."

"Maybe I should go to the prison myself and beat it out of him," Kas growls.

Raina tenses at the undiluted anger in his voice, not used to hearing Kas like this. "Please, Kas, don't."

Brent is on the way to his room when he hears Raina's voice as he walks by, hating how it trembled when she asked Pierce not to do whatever it is he obviously threatened to do. He pauses, tempted to listen more, but guilt wins, and he reluctantly walks into his room, giving her privacy.

The next few days don't provide any opportunity to breach the office, so after a hefty argument between Michael, the FBI attorney, and a federal judge, a warrant was granted for a listening device. Raina tries to lose herself in the song at rehearsal, pushing the thought out of her head that Brent is going to risk getting caught attaching a transmitter to the underside of the office door. After rehearsal is over, he tells Raina to go to the car, asking her to watch for anyone coming back into the building as he is placing the device.

"If you see any indication of danger, you leave," Brent demands, hurriedly placing his own device in his ear. "Go to the car, Raina!"

She hesitates, hating leaving him on his own, but realizing she is better able to a.s.sist him by being a lookout. She slips into the vehicle and prays that Brent gets done quickly so they can get out of there before Shadrack returns. It's only been two minutes before she sees Shadrack pulling in the lot and drive around back. Talking into the transmitter, she gives the warning to Brent, but he doesn't respond. Trying again, she impatiently waits, but there's still no response. There's no way she can just leave him there, realizing what would very likely happen to him, so she jumps out of the car and races inside, praying she is faster than Shadrack.

Brent has just secured the transmitter as Raina slides around the corner, racing towards him, panic apparent in her eyes. "Shadrack is here, we have to go, now!"

Brent grabs her hand, and they start down the hall, stopping short when they hear voices. Raina's heart is pounding.

"Play along," he whispers quickly, then shoves her against the wall.