Tangled Web

By Sarah & Lanie

Chapter 11

August 13, 1999

Cameron ran along the stone sidewalk in the park. He rarely went for mid-afternoon runs, but the confrontation with Halliday still had him rattled. One slip from Halliday could destroy everything. Cameron needed time to think and get himself under control. His emotions continued to rage inside. His head was full of the noise. He needed a clear mind right now. This was not the time to be distracted by that idiot!

He had not said a word to Gary when he had left the office. Gary had simply glared at Cameron as he walked out. That was another thing. There was something going on with Gary, and Gary was not saying a word. Cameron had too many things pulling at him right now. He was trying to please too many people and making a mess of it all.

He had no choice but to finish this case. There was too much at stake. Logan was slippery and Grant Harrison was even worse. Watching and waiting was not something Cameron enjoyed. Like Tess, he wanted to storm Logan's compound and torture him until he told them everything. His years of training had taught Cameron patience when dealing with someone like Logan. Given time, Logan would show his hand. In the mean time, they had to protect those that Grant might try to hurt, if he was alive. Cameron had little doubt that Emmanuel Logan knew the answer to that question.

Cameron ran around the fountain and stopped short. In the distance, he could hear a woman crying. It tugged at his heart. Forgetting about his multitude of problems for a moment and throwing caution to the wind, he quietly walked toward the sound.

Donna Love sat in a secluded section of Foster Park. The stone bench in a small memorial garden was a private place. It had been Marley’s idea to create the garden in Michael’s memory. Even though Michael’s grave brought some comfort to his children, it was in this place that Donna felt closest to him. She had not intended to cry. She had not intended for any of this to happen. She dabbed at her eyes thinking she had once again regained her composure, but the sobs wracked her body again and she cried out.

Cameron slowly edged around the corner of the stone column. His eyes widened as he found the source of the sobbing. He took a step forward, then thought better of it. I shouldn’t get involved. Still it tugged at his heart. He struggled for a moment with what to do. As he turned to leave, he kicked a stone causing Donna’s head to jerk up.

Her liquid brown eyes stared mournfully at Cameron. Cameron closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. Instead of leaving he walked toward her.

"I’m sorry, Ms. Love. I heard you crying and…. is there something I can do?" he asked. The genuineness of his concern was reflected in his voice.

Donna continued to stare at him, then indicated with her hand that he should sit down. Cameron slowly sat down beside her. Donna looked up at him as the tears continued to roll down her cheeks.

"Please, call me 'Donna'," she urged in her strained voice.

"Are you hurt? Is there someone I can call for you?" Cameron asked quickly sweeping her body with his eyes looking for signs of injuries.

Donna smiled slightly, humorlessly. "No, it’s not pain you feel on the outside…. only the inside."

Cameron nodded. "They say talking to someone eases the pain, especially when that someone is a stranger."

Donna leaned her head to the side and smiled at Cameron. "I don’t consider you a stranger, Cameron."

Cameron tentatively took her hand in his. When she did not pull away from him, he squeezed it gently. "Then talk to me. Tell me what I can do to help you."

Donna took a deep breath. "It’s nothing really. Sometimes the world just closes in around you and……it’s a woman’s prerogative to cry."

Cameron smiled. "Yes, it is."

Donna smiled in return, feeling her spirits lift with the curve of her lips as she responded to Cameron’s tenderness.

"I see it all around me. Vicky and Jake are so happy preparing for the arrival of the twins. Nick and Remy are spending every waking moment together. Marley has Tyrone now, and I’ve never seen her so filled with happiness. Even Cass has Lila, and he is happy again. I don’t begrudge any of them their happiness. It fills me with a certain degree of happiness for them. When I have time on my hands, it gives me far too much time to feel sorry for myself. And I miss Michael so much sometimes that I wonder if I will ever be truly happy again."

"It has to be tough losing someone like that."

Donna shook her head as if the movement would remove the emotions flooding into her heart. "It is far worse than I could ever have imagined. We worked so hard to make it back to each other…..So far have I wandered, that nevermore may I find the right path. All that my eyes behold is but weariness and sorrow, weakness of spirit and heaviness of heart….."

"…In all this world, there is nothing that my heart loves, except you."

"You know of Tristan and Isolde?" Donna asked unable to hide her shock.

Cameron stiffened realizing what he had done. He shook his head. "I had a teacher who was really into opera," he explained.

Cameron offered his handkerchief to Donna as the tears continued to fall. Donna leaned her head on his shoulder and Cameron hugged her to him. As he held her, his mind drifted to the not so distant past…

Cameron wore a navy muscle shirt and matching biker shorts. He had his bare feet propped up on the chair across from him. He shuffled the floor plans of the building around on the small table. The slight breeze did nothing to alleviate his discomfort. The smell of the garbage from the dumpsters below the windows assaulted his nostrils and he snorted in disgust. He looked at the doorway again. "Where is she?" he asked himself. Annoyance furrowed his brow.

As if on cue, Tess sailed through the door. Her arms were loaded with groceries. Cameron did not bother to offer her assistance. He had learned long ago that she did not want it.

"It’s about time," he muttered.

Tess’s mouth drew into a straight line as she shot daggers at him with her eyes. "Lovely to see you, too, darling," she intoned sarcastically in a fake New England accent.

Cameron narrowed his eyes and returned a sarcastic smile.

Tess placed the sacks of groceries in the small kitchen. He knew that Tess hated this apartment as much as he did. So much for playing a wealthy, educated, successful couple. He and Tess had decided that this apartment was the FBI’s idea of a joke until Kane told them that the apartment overlooked the business of the people who they were supposed to watch.

As Tess came back into the small living room, she threw an object at Cameron. He caught it easily and looked at her with curiosity.

"What is this?"

"I thought you might want to have some idea of what you were watching when we go to the theater."

Cameron stared down at the video. "You expect me to watch this!"

Tess glared at him. "Oh please, forgive me for trying to insert a little bit of culture into your life, Mav. Heaven forbid that you might actually learn something from this case."

Cameron held his hands up in front of him. "Somebody’s touchy today."

Cameron picked up the videocassettes and a book. Tess walked to him.

She pointed at each item as she said, "Those things are all about the Celtic legend of Tristan and Isolde. The set of two videos is "Tristan and Isolde" and the other is "Lovespell", which was an adaptation of the opera. The book is the English translation of Wagner’s "Tristan und Isolde"."

"Why do I need these things?"

Tess’s eyes flashed fire and she took a deep breath before she answered. "Because we are supposed to be a culturally enlightened couple and I know that you do not speak German. It would be a good idea for you to know the plot of the story should you need to speak about it to someone."

Cameron nodded. "But why do I need this? I am going to observe, Dev, nothing else."

"Just look at the stuff, Mav," she spat then walked to the kitchen.

Cameron tugged at his bow tie. He hated these monkey suits. He never understood how he always got chosen for these kinds of cases. Tess had told him that a little cultural enlightenment would not hurt him. He had had far more cultural enlightenment in the past week than any person should have to withstand in a lifetime. As he watched the opera play out on stage, he felt a stirring of some appreciation, although he did not understand a word they were saying.

He looked at Tess, seeing that the performance was affecting her in a different way. The tears were flowing down her cheeks, as her eyes remained riveted on the stage. Cameron took his handkerchief out and handed it to her. He put his arm around her and kissed her cheek gently as he looked past her at the object of their surveillance. He spent more time than normal fussing over Tess knowing this might be his only opportunity to observe the man unnoticed this evening.

Cameron and Tess entered the small apartment. Both were frustrated that their excursion had not gotten them the information that they were hoping for. Tess rubbed her fingers across the back of her neck. Cameron walked up behind her and rubbed her shoulders. Tess relaxed as he massaged her neck and shoulders. She began leaning into him. His mouth hovered near her ear. Tess picked up the book that Cameron had left on the bed. She opened it and began reading aloud.

"’So far have I wandered, that nevermore may I find the right path. All that my eyes behold is but weariness and sorrow, weakness of spirit and heaviness of heart. In all this world, there is nothing that my heart loves, except you…’"

"Do you believe that crap?" Cameron asked as Tess walked away from him. Her long, black dress swung slightly as she walked. The material clung to her curves as she let her wrap fall to the floor.

Tess stepped out of her shoes and tucked her leg under her as she sat on the bed. She continued reading the book. "I think all of it is a fairytale. What is love anyway, but someone’s fantasy given to them during childhood, because of legends and fairy tales just like this one."

Cameron nodded as he yanked off his bow tie and threw his jacket over the back of a chair. He unbuttoned the first few buttons on his shirt and sat down beside Tess on the bed.

"We can blame it all on the Grimm Brothers."

Tess nodded. "It’s in our culture. We're told from birth that there is one true love for everyone and fate will somehow bring those two people together."

"That is total bull."

"My thoughts exactly. You and I have traveled all over the world, and we have found nothing."

"But each other," Cameron said as he looked over her shoulder.

Tess jerked her head around startled that he was so close to her. Her blue-green eyes were suddenly lost in a pool of green. Cameron’s breath caught in his throat.

"Lust is what drives everyone," Tess whispered.

"Lust…." Cameron agreed as his tongue moistened his lower lip. He searched her eyes once again, then reached up and removed the pins from her hair. Cameron ran his fingers through the unruly auburn tresses. Tess closed her eyes as Cameron’s mouth captured hers in a hungry, demanding kiss. They fell to the bed together mouth to mouth, heart to heart, body to body.

"Thank you, Cameron."

Cameron stared at Donna for a moment still caught up in his memories of the past. He fumbled over his words as he said. "It…it…was nothing. I mean…. you don’t have to feel alone, Donna. A lot of people love you. Just remember that when you’re feeling sad. I’m sure that there is a special angel out there watching over you."

Donna smiled. "I think you’re right. You are a very special man, Cameron Sinclair."

Cameron was embarrassed by her compliment and turned his face away from her for a moment. "I had a good teacher," he responded as he looked into the distance.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cory Mansion
Matt's Studio
Midnight

Matthew paced with Jasmine held securely in his arms. He had brought her down here so that she would not wake up the rest of the household. She was teething and having a very difficult time of it. He looked into her reddened eyes and she stuck out her bottom lip as if she were going to cry anew.

"I wish that old tooth would come on through, baby. Daddy can't stand to see his little girl like this."

Jasmine's bottom lip trembled as she looked at her father. He patted her back and they sat down on the couch together. Jasmine sighed heavily and leaned back against Matthew. He kissed her forehead, as she seemed to be settling down again.

Matthew looked up at the easel. The moonlight streamed through the windows creating a circle of light around the picture he had drawn of Tess. She seemed to stare back at him challengingly. Matthew recalled the kiss they had shared earlier in the week. He could not figure her out. One minute she was cold as ice and the next minute she was full of fire. She had not been able to hide the desire that matched his. But the moment was fleeting and she had put the walls up between them once again. One day she would not be able to run away and he would break down her walls. It had been a long time since he had felt such a desire to accomplish something.

Looking down at Jasmine, he was happy to see that she had finally fallen asleep. He smiled slightly and leaned further into the couch, knowing that was going to be his bed for the night. He was not going to disturb Jasmine while she was sleeping peacefully.

Matthew looked up into Tess's eyes again. They beckoned him like a siren, luring him ever closer. As his eyelids became heavier, he whispered her name.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

August 14, 1999

Tess turned around in front of the mirror in her bedroom. She smiled slightly pleased that she had created the look she had wanted. She looked through her makeup case for the perfect shade of lipstick. A satisfied smile curved her mouth, and then she pursed her lips to apply the red lipstick simply called "Seductive".

Tess had spared nothing when it came to her appearance. Gone were the conservative business suits and hairstyles. She had seen the type of women Logan surrounded himself with. Conservative elegance would not do for him. Only something sexy and provocative would get his attention. Tess had allowed her hair to dry naturally, leaving it in corkscrew curls. Using sequined combs, she had pulled it up leaving the curls to frame her face. Thin straps held the top of her dress, which revealed several inches of cleavage. The lace up lattice back plunged dramatically curving deeply below her waist, leaving a large amount of glowing bare skin. Hologram sequins iced a sheer black layer over a black lining. The dress stopped several inches above her knees, leaving little to the imagination.

Tess stepped into her shoes, then picked up her evening bag. Taking one last look in the mirror she said, "Tess Richardson, you are dressed to kill."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cameron looked at himself in the mirror on Amanda's vanity. He tugged at his black bow tie again, trying to loosen it. Over his shoulder he asked, "Tell me why we have to go to this thing again?"

Amanda walked out of the bathroom in a deep purple evening gown. Wide straps formed a square neckline in front and back. It was a simple, elegant gown, which enhanced Amanda's beauty. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail at the base of her neck. Her necklace was a cascade of amethysts and diamonds. Tiny diamonds sparkled from her earlobes. She smiled at Cameron in exasperation.

"We have to go to this thing not only because it is the grand opening of the hottest night spot to hit Bay City in years, but also because Emmanuel Logan is donating the all the profits from tonight's festivities to the revitalization of Bay City's waterfront."

"So it's a charity thing," Cameron stated.

Amanda shook her head at him, then adjusted his bow tie. "Yes, but we might have a little fun, too. Come on. Don't you want to spend a night just dancing and having fun?"

Cameron smirked and tilted his head. "I would rather be spending my time right here with you."

Amanda placed her hands on his cheeks, and then drew his face to hers sharing a tender kiss.

"You know that if it were up to me, I would spend every moment in this house with you, but this opening, believe it or not, is important to the business community and Cory has to be represented."

Cameron sighed heavily. "Just promise me that we won't stay long."

Amanda leaned her forehead against his and whispered, "Promise."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Chi Town

The nightclub was very dimly lit. An outline of the Chicago skyline adorned two of the walls. Purple and black strobe lights flashed alternately illuminating the dance floor. A winding, open iron staircase led down to the festivities below. People were arriving in a steady stream.

Ryan and Hawk stood at the top of the staircase, looking down at the throng of people below them. Both were fully disguised. They had arrived early to observe. Their eyes roamed the room as they walked down the stairs together.

"Look at this. Logan has drawn quite a crowd. It looks like a list of the who's who of Bay City," Hawk said.

"He's creating another perfect cover for himself. With a business like this one, he can launder anything he wants. This isn't a nightclub. This is a den of iniquity," Ryan perceived as they reached the bottom of the stairs and quickly blended into the crowd.

Both stopped short when they espied Vicky and Jake speaking with Marley and Tyrone just a few feet away. Nick walked up with Remy on one arm and Donna on the other. Jake said something that caused everyone in the group to laugh. Their laughter trickled to Hawk and Ryan even with the roar of the crowd around them.

"That's a nice scene, huh?" Ryan observed as he drank in Vicky's beauty.

Hawk gave him a sharp look. "Is this going to be too much for you? If it is, you can go back to the warehouse now."

Ryan narrowed his eyes at him. "I've got it covered."

Hawk turned away from the group and looked out over the rest of the crowd. They had to be fully alert tonight. As Ryan walked up beside him, Hawk continued, "Good, because one wrong move and everything could go up in smoke. Remember that."

Ryan watched him closely. "Don't tell me that this is any easier for you than it is for me."

Hawk continued to watch the people around him. "I should have been there."

"That's why you're here now."

Hawk glanced up at the stairway. He clenched his jaw. "We've got trouble."

Ryan looked up at the top of the stairs immediately seeing what Hawk was referring to. With a heavy sigh he said, "With a capital 'T'."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tess stood at the top of the winding iron staircase looking down at the activity below. It appeared all of Bay City had turned out for the grand opening of Emmanuel Logan's newest venture. She looked around hoping to spot him. The filtered lighting made it impossible to readily identify anyone in the crowd. It would make her mission here more difficult, but she was determined to not only find Emmanuel Logan, but also interrogate him about Grant Harrison. Nothing would deter her. Nothing.

She quickly made her way down the stairs. Halfway down she spotted the object of her quest greeting guests just a few feet from the bottom of the stairs. Up close the man was very handsome. His hair was dark black and the silver at his temples only made him more alluring.

"This is going to be easier than I thought," she said to herself as she strode toward Emmanuel Logan.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cindy and David stepped off the stairs and looked out at the crowd. Her sapphire blue dress shimmered in the lights. She smiled at David.

"I can't believe you brought me here."

"Why not? Isn't this the hippest spot in Bay City?"

"Yeah, but you don't strike me as a…"

"Careful, Cindy," he warned with a wide smile.

Cindy grinned in return. "What? I was just going to say that you don't strike me as a dance club kind of guy."

David gave her a little bump with his hip. "I am just a man full of surprises."

Cindy laughed clearly pleased with this newest revelation. As she looked out over the gathering of people, her eyes made contact with those of Emmanuel Logan. Her smile quickly died on her face. She tugged at David as she quickly said, "Come on, Davie boy, show me those moves of yours."

David had not missed her transformation or the false bravado. He looked at the people surrounding them, trying to find the source of her change. Cindy tugged at him harder and they disappeared into the crowd.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Emmanuel Logan had noticed Tess from the moment she appeared at the top of the stairs. As he watched her walk toward him, he swept her body from head to toe liking everything he saw. When Tess stopped before him, he eyed her appreciatively and smiled. He offered his hand to her. Tess smiled and offered her hand in return. Locking his eyes with hers, Logan leaned forward and touched his lips to the back of her hand. Tess involuntarily shivered. The shiver was not lost on Logan, but what he felt and what Tess felt were two very different things. As he straightened, he placed his other hand on top of hers and held her in place.

"I don't believe I've had the pleasure," Logan said.

Tess smiled and lowered her eyelashes. "I am Tessandra Richardson. I recently moved to Bay City."

"Welcome to Bay City, Ms. Richardson, and to Chi Town. I am Emmanuel Logan, and all of this belongs to me. It is an extreme pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise, Mr. Logan. Please call me 'Tess'."

"Tess. Well, Tess, why don't we finish this conversation in my office in say…. fifteen minutes?"

Tess nodded and smiled silently celebrating her good fortune.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cass and Lila stepped off the stairs onto the floor of the nightclub. Lila's pale periwinkle blue dress glittered and shimmered in the flashing lights. She smiled at Cass.

"Would you look at this place?" she asked with a smile. Her eyes danced with excitement. "This is going to knock the stuffy old people of this town on their ears."

Cass had spotted Emmanuel Logan immediately. His extreme distaste for the man was mirrored in his expression. He had seen enough of the place already.

"I don't know why he didn't call this place Little Cicero," Cass sneered. "That's what it will be before it's all said and done."

Lila elbowed him. "Cass!"

"He may fool the rest of the world, but he will never fool me. I know who and what Logan is. Just like everyone knew what his father was. This is the mob, Lila. Capone may be dead, but his legacy lives on right here in Bay City."

Lila looked at him with wide eyes. "Cass, you're scaring me."

Cass smiled. "Now don't you worry you're pretty little head. We just got rid of good ol' Sparky. I won't allow Emmanuel Logan to harm you."

Lila frowned. "Maybe we should go. I shouldn't have left Jasmine with the babysitter anyway. Matt said that she kept him up all night and she was fussy all day today."

Cass put his arms around her. "Honey, she will be fine. You deserve a night out."

"Still…"

"Still nothing. We'll do some schmoozing, then we will go home."

Lila nodded in agreement and turned for them to continue on their way. She stopped in her tracks when she spotted the woman with Logan.

"Who in the world is that?" Lila asked looking Tess up and down from where she stood.

Cass looked at Tess with an appreciative eye. "I believe she's what people call a hottie."

Lila's eyes shot to Cass's as she elbowed him in the side again. "Cass Winthrop, put your eyes back in your head."

Cass smiled. "Now you know I only have eyes for you, Sugar, " he told her in a mocking Southern accent.

Lila glared at him in response.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cameron, Amanda, and Matt walked through the crowd together.

"Can you believe how many people turned out?" Amanda asked as she looked around at the crowd.

"It looks like Mr. Logan has pulled out all the stops," Matt observed.

Cameron spotted Logan as he disappeared into a hallway beside the dance floor. He tensed when he spotted Tess at the bar. His instincts were on immediate alert as he began scanning the crowd.

"Cameron?" Amanda asked, noting the tenseness of his body.

Cameron smiled at her. "What?"

"Is something wrong?"

Cameron stared at her for a moment. "No, nothing. I just don't like large crowds."

Matt patted him on the back. "What do you say that I get us all some drinks? That should loosen you up a little bit."

"That would be great, Matt. Thanks," Amanda told him with a smile. When he walked away, she turned to Cameron. "Are you sure that nothing's bothering you?"

Cameron was about to answer her when Gary and Josie appeared beside them. Gary looked poignantly at Cameron.

"I'd like to hear the answer to that myself," Gary said.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tess sipped slowly on a glass of wine, hoping it would calm her. Her nerves were on edge. Nothing had prepared her for meeting Logan. The chill that had gone up her spine when he touched her still had not gone away. She had to push that element of pure evil aside. This was too important. Meeting Emmanuel Logan one on one was the only way this case was going to move to the next level. So she had no back up. Her gun was in her purse. Everything would be fine.

"We could have car pooled."

Tess visibly stiffened at the sound of his voice. She jerked her head around to look at him. Matt's gaze held no amusement just a steady stare.

"I didn't expect to see you here," Tess told him offering no greeting.

Matt raised his eyebrows. "This is where I was going to bring you," he told her, then gave the bartender his drink orders.

Tess felt a stirring of guilt. She would much rather be on a date with Matthew Cory than preparing to face the crime boss of Bay City. Matt turned back to her and moved closer.

His eyes slowly swept over her approvingly. He felt a tightening in his chest and his pulse accelerated. Matt looked into her eyes and raised his eyebrows.

"Did you come alone?" Tess asked silently hoping the answer was "no".

The bartender placed three drinks in front of Matthew. He looked down at them, then back up at Tess. "What do you think?" he asked, picked up the drinks, and walked away.

Tess watched him walk away with a mixture of hurt and wonder in her eyes. "He's angry with me," she whispered. She closed her eyes. My God, why did I come here?

Lila had watched the entire exchange with avid interest. The body language between Matthew and that woman had been charged with electricity. Instinct told her that was not the first time the two of them had met. She narrowed her eyes as she continued to watch the woman at the bar.

"What bee have you got in your bonnet?" Cass asked noticing Lila's distraction.

"Her," she spat, nodding her head toward Tess.

"Why has your radar homed in on her tonight?"

"I want to know who she is and most of all, I want to know just exactly what she means to Matthew Cory."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cameron looked at Gary in irritation. He had hoped that he would not have to deal with Gary tonight.

"There's nothing bothering me, all right?" he told them, looking back and forth between Gary and Amanda. "You know I don't like crowds or getting dressed up," Cameron explained.

Gary raised his eyebrows at his brother's prickly response. He was about to tear into Cameron when the lights came up on the stage in front of them and the music stopped. He clasped Josie's hand tightly as everyone's attention turned toward the stage.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen!" Emmanuel Logan greeted from the stage. "Thank you all for coming to the grand opening of Chi Town."

The crowd pressed in closer to the stage as Logan continued to speak.

"As many of you know, all of tonight's profits go to benefit the revitalization of Bay City's waterfront business district."

The crowd erupted with applause. Tess moved through the crowd readying for her meeting with Logan. Cameron immediately spotted her and his instincts lurched with impending danger. He searched the crowd for Hawk and Ryan. He became nervous when he could not quickly identify another agent. There were too many people.

Cameron was not the only one whose eyes were on Tess. Matthew had rejoined Cameron and Amanda, but now his sights were on Tess. He set his drink on a nearby table and began weaving his way through the crowd. As he did, the crowd erupted with another round of applause and Emmanuel Logan exited the stage.

Tess watched from a safe distance as Logan walked down from the stage and disappeared into the nearby hallway. She knew that his office was at the end of that hallway. This was the moment. There was no turning back now. Tess swallowed hard, squared her shoulders, and followed Logan down the hall. He had disappeared inside his office by the time she entered the hallway. She slowly walked toward the closed door, knowing that her every move was being captured on videotape. Tess took a deep breath and reached for the doorknob. Her wrist was grasped in mid-air. She jerked away from her captor, but he held fast.

"You!" she spat in outrage.

Matthew glared back at her as he grabbed her other wrist, causing her purse to fall to the floor. "What do you think you're doing?" he demanded.

"What's it to you?" she asked with eyes blazing.

"Do you know who you're dealing with?" he asked her in a low whisper.

"What are you talking about?" Tess asked.

"Emmanuel Logan."

"Oh him. I was just going to have a drink with him."

Matthew's eyebrows shot upward. "Stay away from him, Tess. I'm telling you this for your own good."

"You are not my keeper," she reminded him and managed to break his grip and remove her wrists from his grasp.

"You need one," he told her. Their eyes shot fire at one another.

Tess was about to reply when the door swung open behind them. Emmanuel Logan stopped in the doorway. The toe of his shoe bumped into Tess's purse. He knelt down and picked it up. Tess's breath caught in her throat as he lifted it from the floor. He looked between Matthew and Tess.

"Is there a problem?" Logan asked retaining possession of Tess's purse.

"No," Tess replied quickly. "I believe he is lost."

Matt held out his hand to Logan. "Nice to see you again, Mr. Logan."

Emmanuel Logan smiled at him. "I'm glad you could come tonight, Matt. Ms. Richardson, please forgive me, but I'm going to have to postpone that drink. Will you take a rain check?"

Tess smiled in response. "I would like that."

"Very good, then. Oh, I suppose this is yours," he told her with a smile and held her evening bag out to Tess. She reached for it quickly. "It feels like you're carrying an anvil in there."

Tess laughed charmingly. "Everything but the kitchen sink."

Logan chuckled in response. "Have a good evening."

Once Logan had walked away, Tess turned to Matt. Her eyes blazed with undisguised anger. She pushed against his chest. "Stay away from me!" she ground between her lips, then walked away.

A fuming Tess walked directly to the ladies' room. She was pleased to find it empty as she sank down onto the plush chair in front of the lighted mirror. He had ruined everything. Everything! This had been her one chance to question Logan, and it was not going to happen. She closed her eyes, trying to regain her composure. She clenched her fists when she heard the door open and close. A woman sat down in the chair beside hers and began checking her own makeup.

"Wonderful party, huh?" the woman asked in a Southern accent.

Tess narrowed her eyes, but did not look at her. "Yes," she responded.

"Emmanuel Logan has just gone all out. It's been a long time since Bay City had a bash like this one. I mean everyone who's anyone is here," she gushed.

Tess ventured a glance at the women not wanting to encourage any further conversation. She noted the familiar face, but could not place it. "I suppose."

"Hi, I'm Lila Winthrop," she said and offered her hand to Tess.

Tess recognized the name immediately and tensed. "Tess Richardson."

"It's nice to meet you, Tess. Have you been in Bay City long?"

Tess hesitated for a moment, then pushed forward. "Long enough. I work for your ex-husband."

Lila's eyebrows shot up. "Well, you do get right to the point, don't you?"

"I see no reason to pretend that I don't know who you are."

"I'm sure Matthew likes that…. that you're straightforward. He can't stand to be deceived."

"Our relationship is purely professional," Tess told her quickly.

"I see," Lila responded. "That is some dress you're wearing. I haven't been able to keep my eyes off of it all night."

Tess met her gaze and saw the sparkle within. She did not like being questioned, and she had no idea what Lila's angle was.

"I bought it the last time I was in New York."

"So are you from New York?"

Tess narrowed her eyes at Lila. "Why don't you just get to the point, Lila?"

Lila did not feign innocence. Her smile was wide, but there was no humor in it. "My, my, manners are not one of your strong suits, are they? Fine, I will get to the point. Matthew is the father of my child. What happens in his life affects hers. Hurt him and not only will you have to deal with the Corys, you'll have to deal with me."

"I thought I made myself clear that our relationship is purely professional."

"I know what you said, and I know what I see, Tess. You want him, and there's no amount of makeup or rudeness that can hide it. I see it in your eyes."

"I don't know what you think you see, but you are wrong. Matthew Cory is the last person I want to get involved with," Tess told her as she stood to leave.

"Good," Lila responded, then watched Tess walk out the door. "You're a liar, Tess Richardson. It takes one to know one," she said to the empty room.

Tess strode out of the bathroom intending to leave the club. She had no intention of staying any longer. All of her plans had been ruined and things just kept turning from bad to worse. As she started walking across the room, Cameron came out of nowhere and grabbed her. She struggled against him for a moment before she allowed him to pull her along.

Gary was walking toward the men's room when he saw his brother pulling Tess along. Both looked angry. He froze in place as he watched Cameron pull her into an alcove. He could not hear a word that was being said, but from the set of Cameron's jaw, Gary could tell he was angry.

"Let go of me!" Tess demanded as she jerked away from Cameron. She advanced on him when she saw the movement out the corner of her eye and froze. "What is this?" she demanded.

Hawk came at her from the side. "What stunt were you trying to pull tonight?" he demanded. "We agreed to stay away from Logan for the time being."

"I saw a window of opportunity and I took it," she replied.

"No, what you did was put yourself into a dangerous situation without backup!" Cameron replied with growing anger.

"I can handle myself."

"That's not the point," Hawk told her. "That's not the point at all and you know it better than any of us. We work as a team or we don't work at all. Have you got that?"

Tess glared at him. "Since when did you three become such a bunch of nervous nellies? What is this really all about? I had an opportunity to interrogate someone key to busting this case wide open and I seized it. That's what you taught me to do."

Ryan stepped between them and spoke calmly. "You purposely put yourself in danger without backup. What would you have done if he had caught on to your little fishing expedition? We're concerned, because we could have lost you tonight."

Ryan's words calmed Tess's anger a bit. She looked at them. "All right. I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't get it," Hawk told her in an authoritative tone. "I'm warning you, Tess. If this happens again, there may not be anyone around to save you."

She nodded. "I get your point. I won't do anything else without letting someone know," she told them, crossing her fingers behind her back in a childish gesture.

Cameron looked at Tess a while longer. "Don't think for a second that I believe you."

Tess glared back at him, then walked away.

Cameron, Hawk, and Ryan exchanged looks before Cameron worked his way back through the crowd to find Amanda. He was so angry with Tess that he felt like he was going to explode. As he pushed his way through the crowd, he felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned around. Gary looked at him with a steady stare.

"What's going on, Cameron? And don't give me that bull that you gave Amanda earlier."

Cameron swallowed hard. He thought about lying to his brother, but decided to try a different tactic instead. "There's nothing that I can say to you that you're going to believe so why bother?"

"How about trying the truth?"

"I'm sure that you've already made up your mind so what good will it do? Let it go, Gary. I'm telling you right now. Let it go!"

Cameron did not give Gary time to answer and walked away. Gary watched him go then shook his head slowly. "I can't."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tess found a side door and stepped out onto the docks. The water lapped gently and the dock swayed slightly. She was so filled with anger that she wanted to jump into the water just to cool off. They are treating me like a little girl! Being a female in any profession was hard enough, but in the FBI it was even harder. She knew that she could handle this. Why had they all turned so overprotective all of a sudden? It infuriated her.

Tess turned as the dock swayed with the weight of another person. Matthew stood a few feet away just staring at her. He looked so incredibly gorgeous in his tuxedo. There was something about a man in a tuxedo. He had loosened his tie and unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt, making his appearance even sexier. They simply stared at one another. Matt was equally affected by Tess's appearance.

Tess made the first move as she tried to brush past him. He grabbed her arm, spinning her around. She pulled away from him angrily.

Leave me alone!" she spat and moved to walk past him.

"No," he flatly refused, blocking her way.

Tess shoved him and he did not move. With a cry of frustration she yelled, "You make me crazy!"

They were mere inches apart. Tess's chest heaved with anger. Looking into his eyes, Tess grabbed his face and pressed her mouth to his in a devouring, savage kiss. Her hands unconsciously worked at the buttons of his shirt until she could press her fingers against his bare, muscled chest. The intensity and the desire coursed between them as they lost all sense of time and place. His hands moved down the length of her back pulling her against him. Tess gasped in sweet agony as Matt raised his mouth from hers and gazed into her eyes. Tess clung to him as if he might disappear with the blink of an eye.

"Matt…" she breathed.

His lips moved toward her once again and he whispered as he touched his lips to hers, "Let me take you home."

Tess said nothing as she grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the parking lot.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Have you seen Matt lately?" Amanda asked as she tried to locate him in the crowd.

Cameron looked at her. "No, I haven't, but he told me earlier not to worry about him he would find his own way home. So does this mean you're ready to go?" Cameron asked hopefully.

Amanda gave him a sharp look, then smiled. "I suppose that I've tortured you enough. Let's go say good-bye to Josie and Gary."

Cameron tugged on her hand as she started to walk toward them. "Can't we just make a quiet exit?"

Amanda looked at him quizzically, "What's going on with you and Gary?"

"He's not happy about a case I'm working on. It's causing friction between us. We'll work it out."

"What's the case?"

"Amanda…" he said warningly.

She sighed heavily. "What's it about?"

Cameron shook his head. "You're relentless."

She grinned, "Once a reporter…"

"….always a reporter. I know. It involves a false life insurance claim."

It was not exactly the truth, but it was as close as he could get.

"Someone claiming someone is dead when they're not?"

Cameron nodded. "Yes. Now that the inquisition is over with can we go home?"

"So what's Gary's problem with it?"

Cameron laughed at her tenacity. "It's a case I took on while Gary was away and the client wants everything to remain strictly confidential. In other words, they deal with me only and I agree to say nothing about the case to anyone not even Gary. Gary doesn't like the client's terms."

Amanda narrowed her eyes in reflection. That did not seem so bad to her. "Maybe Gary is just overreacting. I mean the business was his alone until you came along. I'm sure the two of you will work it out."

Cameron tugged at her arm. "Can we go now?"

"Okay, okay…. we're going," she said with a playful smile. "Besides I know how cranky you are when you don't get your sleep."

Cameron smiled. "Who? Me? Never."

"Ah, but you're my little cave man. Come on, Sinclair, I've got plans for you when we get home."

"Why do I have a feeling that these plans of yours involve me losing sleep?"

Amanda laughed and smiled secretively as they walked toward the stairs.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tess and Matt walked into her apartment. They did not turn on the lights. Keeping their hands off one another in the car had proved impossible and they had gotten honked at while sitting at more than one stoplight. Now that there was nothing to stop them Matt sat on the couch and pulled Tess into his lap. He pulled the combs out of her hair allowing it to cascade around her shoulders and down her back. He leaned down, kissing the pulsing hollow at the base of her throat. She gasped in response, feeling her whole body respond to his gentle caress. His hand moved up the length of her inner thigh and Tess placed her hand on top of his. Their eyes met with a mutual desire sparkling within.

"I want you, Tess," he confessed.

Tess's heart leapt with the sound of his voice. "Maybe we should take things slow."

"I don't want to scare you. I don't want to send you running. I'll wait forever, if that's what it takes."

Tess pressed her lips to his again, then leaned away, looking into his eyes. "You don't have to wait, Matt. I want you, too. I feel….I feel…."

He smiled. "Why Tess Richardson, are you speechless?" he teased.

His words did not shatter the moment. Tess smiled in response. "You would be so lucky, buddy! Would you like a glass of wine?"

Matt nodded. "I like whatever you like."

"Hmmmm….." she contemplated with a mysterious smile. She got up and walked toward the kitchen. She turned at the kitchen door. "I'll be right back."

"I'm not going anywhere."

Tess leaned heavily on the kitchen table once she was out of Matt's sight. Her knees felt like jelly. Her heart was beating a frantic rhythm. Never had anything in her entire life felt so incredibly right. Professionalism be damned. These were her feelings and for once, she was going to let her heart lead the way. Tess fumbled around in the kitchen for a few minutes, trying to get her raging feelings in check. She walked back into the living room with two glasses filled with red wine.

"I hope you like…"

Tess's words trailed off at the sight of Matthew on her couch. Her heart was in her throat. She said his name, but there was no response. Tess set the glasses on the table and walked toward him. He had fallen asleep. Tess was not sure whether to laugh or cry. Tenderness filled her heart, as she looked at his face relaxed and childlike.

"It looks like I made quite an impression on you," she whispered as she reached for the throw at the end of the couch.

Tess sat on the overstuffed chair beside the couch and watched Matt as he slept.

"…And if I don't need your touch
Why do I miss you so much, tonight
If it's just infatuation
Why is my heart achin'
To hold you forever
Give a part of me I thought I'd never
Give again to someone I could lose
If I'm not in love with you…."

Tess got up. She turned off the lamp and turned to walk to her bedroom. She stole one last glance at Matt, then walked away. As she turned on the light in her bedroom, she looked over her shoulder. With a deep sigh, she walked back to the sleeping man on the couch. Tess gently ran the back of her hand across his cheek, pulled the throw so that it covered him better, then kissed his forehead. She looked at him wistfully.

"What are you doing to me?" she whispered before walking away.

"If I'm not in love with you
What is this I'm going through, tonight
And if this heart is lying then
What should I believe in
Why do I go crazy
Every time I think about you baby
Why else do I want you like I do
If I'm not in love with you…."

Author's note: The lyrics quoted are from the song "If I'm Not in Love", which can be found on Faith Hill's CD, "Breathe". The lines from Wagner's opera, "Tristan and Isolde" were taken from an English translation of the opera. Click on the hyperlinked title to listen to a Real media clip from the song.

(click here to continue on to chapter twelve)