Too Far Gone by Debra Webb, Regan Black Page A

like he was shooting down every suggestion she made. He might be the expert, but she had skills, too. A streetlight’s reflection glared across the sparkling beads on her skirt and she sighed. There was no denying they were dressed for clubbing, not scoping out what could be a trap. She didn’t want to believe Vanya would do that, but then again, Polzin’s mistress wasn’t in total control of the situation. After all, she had told the police a pack of lies about what happened in Desmond’s office.
    By the time they reached their room, Lauren had reconciled to the idea of waiting until tomorrow to make a move. “As long as we’re resting up for tomorrow, food would be good, too.”
    “Name your take out.”
    “Chinese.” At least she’d get a wealth of cooked veggies that way. Thinking of food made her wonder about the conditions at the school. “How often do you think they bring food in to the women they keep at the school?”
    “Alleged school,” he reminded her.
    She huffed in exasperation. “Allegedly, how often do you think they take food in?”
    “Are you thinking we might be able to sneak the victims out on a food truck?”
    “We might have better luck with a laundry cart?” She could tell by his quick flash of a smirk he found her Hollywood suggestion amusing. Her attempt at humor didn’t last. A frown tugged at his brow and lips. “It must be something like a prison.”
    “Whatever the setup, it’s probably self-sufficient,” he replied.
    Lauren hid her dismay behind a tacit agreement. They’d find out tomorrow. Though daylight was only a few hours away, it felt like far too long to wait. “Can we tell the police about the school?” she asked when they were back in the hotel suite. “Couldn’t they storm the place?”
    He picked up the stack of laminated menus near the room phone and handed them to her. “What place and with what cause? We don’t
know
anything yet. And let’s not forget that we don’t know who inside the police department we can trust.”
    “Maybe Claudia’s property research will give us options.”
    “That’s possible. We’ll check it out tomorrow and go from there.”
    Lauren had to forcibly ignore the way his shoulders flexed as he removed his jacket. His fingers worked the buttons at his cuffs and he rolled the fabric back over his forearms. When had that become so sexy?
    Maybe when she was desperate to do anything but think about waiting for tomorrow.
    The meager splash of charm he rationed with that ripped body and sexy swagger, made him nearly impossible to resist. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so attracted to a man. Blaming the attraction on stress and proximity wasn’t working anymore. In the clubs tonight she could’ve had her choice of tempting men, but she’d only wanted Mike and not just for safety or protection. Maybe it was the reality that she hadn’t had sex in two years.
    Two whole years
. The passing brush of a kiss and touch of a hand in public was all she and Desmond had shared on a physical level since she’d discovered his penchant for cheating. She was not only in serious trouble here, she was truly pathetic.
    “Call in an order for whatever you want to eat,” he said. “Use my name and credit card. I’m grabbing the first shower.” He closed the door before she could reply.
    Staring at the closed door, she cursed the years she’d wasted with Desmond. Their dysfunctional relationship had messed with her head and undermined her confidence. She did the necessary maintenance on and off camera to keep her job and to audition for others, all the while telling herself Desmond would come around. That he cared for her in his odd way. And he did, twisted as that care was. He’d kept her employed and as his loyal girlfriend he kept her visible among the media. He’d told her the other women never mattered. Vanya was different. Lauren knew it with every fiber of her being, even if she didn’t have proof. Yet. As soon