Rank: Lighthouse Security Investigations Series

by Maryann Jordan

  Shaking her head, she lifted her hands and pressed them against his muscular chest. “No. I’m fine. Honestly.”

  His eyes, full of concern, searched her face. “Then what’s in your head?” he asked gently. She didn’t say anything for a moment, so he asked, “Can I come see you tonight?”

  A smile lit her face, as a sigh of relief left her lungs. “I’d love that,” she admitted. “I wasn’t sure that you’d have time to see me.”

  He brought his hands from her back, sliding them up to cup her cheeks, his thumbs soothing her skin. “Helena, I know we’re new,” he said his face inches from hers. “But you’re not just part of the mission. Please don’t ever think that. I want to be here. I want to be with you.”

  She closed her eyes and smiled. It was like he had just read her mind and immediately did what he could to ease her worry. His lips took hers and all of the emotion from the past hours moved through both of them, the kiss flaming into an inferno in no time. Excitement, fear, nerves, and adrenaline all combined as their hands roamed freely and their tongues tangled. Holding nothing back, they barely made it to the sofa as clothes were flung about the room.

  Delving his finger between her legs, he groaned, “Thank fuck, you’re ready for me.” Snagging a condom from his wallet, he rolled it on in record time. He stopped and stared at her, flat on her back, with her legs apart and her sex exposed, for all of five seconds before he knelt between her thighs and, with one quick thrust, seated himself.

  The inferno continued to rage as he pumped deeply and she urged him on with her heels against his ass. Crying out at the same time, their combined orgasms rocked them both. His arms were shaking with the force of his release, but he managed to hold his upper body off of her chest so he would not crush her. With his hands still clutching her cheeks, he bent and took her mouth again in a long, wet kiss.

  She blinked her eyes open and stared at him, her lips curving into a satisfied smile. “Wow.”

  He threw his head back and laughed, nodding. “You can say that again. Wow…” As his mirth ended, he stared at her beautiful face, and asked, “Tell me honestly, are you still afraid I’m just using you? Is that what that look was for?”

  Shaking her head, she decided honesty was best. “I never felt like you were using me, Rank. I mean, yes, I misunderstood the situation after our first date, but I believed you when you explained to me what was going on. It’s not about that. I just know that we met in an unconventional way and the case has been part of who we are together this whole time. I suppose I just needed to know that we were on the same page. That we both felt there was something more here.”

  He brushed the sweaty strands of hair away from her forehead and stared into her green eyes. “Babe, this is the beginning of you and me. All I can think about is keeping you safe.”

  A weight lifted off her chest and her eyes twinkled as she asked, “That’s all you think about me…keeping me safe?”

  He pressed his hips back into her pelvis and she felt his cock spring to life inside of her, causing her breath to hitch. “Okay, smartass,” he laughed. “The other thing I think about is figuring out how long my cock can stay inside your sweet body.”

  A giggle slipped out between her lips and she pulled him down for another kiss. It was another hour before Rank finally left to head back to LSI, and as he drove down the road, he did so with a smile on his face.

  18

  “You know how much this displeases me.”

  Frank winced, irritation and uncertainty warring inside as he listened to the thinly veiled threat. “I told you that she was methodical and that there was a good chance she was going to be vetting the names on the list, not just sending checks blindly there.”

  “You indicated that she would be so thrilled to have almost half a million dollars for her to donate to my charity, that she would not hesitate to do so immediately. Now, here it is three days later, and I find that the money is going to be returned to me. This is not what we agreed upon.”

  “I never made any promises,” he retorted, fighting to keep his tone of voice steady. “You asked how I was able to move money around and I told you. I also told you that it took time to do the background work to establish a network of nonprofit organizations that were willing to allow me to move money through their systems as long as I helped support them in the end.” Not giving Kozlov a chance to interrupt, he continued, “It took almost a year of planning before I was able to use them as a way to move my money without detection.”

  “And your point?” Kozlov asked, his growl even deeper.

  Willing his heartbeat to slow, he replied, “My point is, you tried to rush things. I just started using an intermediary that has no fucking clue what I’m doing in order to further cover my tracks. You set up a phony nonprofit quickly, without making sure it would work, and then sent me money to have my new intermediary donate to that phony nonprofit. Of course she was going to look into it. It took her no time at all to determine it was not legitimate. I tried my best to convince her that it was a simple mistake, but she has enough integrity to want to return the money.”

  There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment and he felt a trickle of sweat roll from his forehead and past his neatly trimmed sideburns before he wiped it away.

  “I have paid you handsomely to shift my money. While you are intent on laying the blame of this fiasco at my feet, I do not accept that. I want to know what you plan on doing to make this right.”

  Sighing heavily, he had thought of nothing else since lunch, knowing that Kozlov would want a solution. “I’m not sure, since I don’t want to arouse her suspicion any more than it already is.”

  “Then I suggest you think harder. You will not find my method of retribution pleasant to your palate. And keep in mind, if the pretty Ms. Jernigan continues to be inquisitive, I have no problem dealing with her.”

  “I do not do well with threats,” he bit out. “And leave Helena out of this.”

  “Helena. A beautiful name for a beautiful woman,” Kozlov chuckled. “By the way, when the check from her arrives today, I will be sending it directly back to you. You will find a way to make my donation work, or when the Feds look, it will be found with you.”

  As the phone went silent with the disconnection, he closed his eyes, his jaw tight with anger. A knock on his door caused him to jerk and his secretary peaked in just as he lifted his head. Growling at her uncharacteristically, he shook his head. “I’m not to be disturbed for the rest of the afternoon.” Her eyes widened and she gave a quick nod, backing out and closing his door.

  Letting out a deep sigh as he leaned back against his thick, comfortable, leather chair, his mind raced with how to extract himself from Kozlov’s clutches. Without going under myself.

  It had been so easy. Years of placing sums of money with agreeable organizations, who would hold it until he needed to move it somewhere else. They would get a comfortable fee for their trouble and he, in turn, had an easy place to launder some of the money that he gained from his nefarious dealings with people like Kozlov. He never wondered how they made their money, just that working with them lined his coffers.

  Rubbing the back of his neck, he regretted ever listening to Paul Jernigan talk about what his daughter did. It gave him the idea to use her as another intermediary so that his money was easier to hide from the Feds. He knew she was a clever girl, but he had built and planned and covered his tracks for years, so he did not think it would be hard to keep her from sniffing them out. Kozlov on the other hand…he never anticipated the man to be so careless. Jesus, what a mistake!

  He thought about simply having Helena give the money to one of the organizations he had done business with, but did not want her to become even more suspicious. It was one thing if Kozlov was found out and another thing entirely if she learned what he was doing with the organizations. Sighing heavily, he knew that Kozlov would not be satisfied until he had an answer. But, the only action he could think of was to mak
e a payment himself to one of the nonprofits that he used to deal with before he ever used Helena. One that he had not put on her list.

  Rubbing his brow, trying to ease the headache building behind his eyes, he felt like he had come to a decision. Picking up his phone, he dialed Kozlov.

  “That was quick,” Kozlov said as he answered.

  “We’ll do this the way I originally planned. Get the money to me, in cash. I’ll get it through someone who doesn’t mind dealing in cash with no receipts.”

  “It had better work.”

  He assured, “It will. It always has for me. So you can rest in the knowledge that it will be done.”

  “And Ms. Jernigan?”

  Fear clutched his heart and he quickly said, “She’s out of it. She’s not a problem, so don’t worry about her.”

  “She had better be, or I’ll take care of her—personally.”

  The phone disconnected once again and he settled uneasily back in his chair. He knew Kozlov was true to his word. Just look what happened to Lawrence. He hated that the man had gotten entangled in all this. When he had first noticed him becoming suspicious, he had thought shifting him away from his business and sending him to work for Thomas’ campaign would be a good plan. But Lawrence had been tenacious, snooping where he should not, and it cost him his life.

  Having always dealt with the upper crust of those who wanted to make money, illegally as well as legally, he had to admit, he was not prepared for Kozlov. He was a totally different breed. And one I wish I’d never met.

  Anatoly placed his phone on his desk, precisely lined up with the corner. His laptop was in the exact center and the few other items present were also neatly arranged. He craved order in his world, something that those who worked for him strived to always make sure he had.

  His office was lush by most standards, but especially for those in his trade. The burgundy carpet was plush and one wall was lined with floor to ceiling bookcases. The books, leather-bound classics, were not just for show. His grandmother had instilled in him a love of reading, while his grandfather had insisted that it would take a learned man to rise in the business world.

  The heavy oak desk, highly polished, was situated so that he had a view of not only the rest of his office, but outside the large window overlooking the Boston harbor as well. The real estate was prime, but being as close to his shipments as possible was essential. As a child, he had often watched the large ships come and go from the port at Novorossiysk in Russia. His family had worked on the docks, where he quickly learned that not all the cargo was legal imports and exports. His father and uncle had risen to positions of authority for one of the larger Bratva, illegal brotherhoods.

  It was there that he rose from an errand boy to the position of Brigadier, before being sent to the United States as a Pakhan. As the boss, he controlled everything through his part of the shipping business, making sure that the legal shipments were all in order, as well as making sure that the weapons they illegally transported were safe.

  Looking across the wide expanse of his desk, his two Patsans, his right-hand men, sat in the heavy leather and oak chairs waiting for his orders, quiet and attentive. Victor and Ivan were two of his distant cousins whose loyalty was beyond question. Both large men, with barrel chests and square heads, their expensive suits could not mask the air of danger they gave off. Their gazes were sharp, always anticipating his needs and moods and, for that, they gained his respect.

  “It appears that Frank Tercelli is not as reliable as I had hoped he would be. His method for handling some of my money has now caused a problem.”

  “We can take care of that for you,” Victor said.

  Ivan spoke up, “It can be handled as easily as that assistant. Just say the word.”

  Resting his elbows on the arms of his chair, he interlocked his fingers across his stomach. Contemplative, the room remained quiet as he considered his options. Not one to make rash movements, Victor and Ivan waited patiently for him to speak again.

  “Frank is a powerful man, but also a powerful ally. I’m not ready to tamper with him, or even his son, yet. Ms. Jernigan, on the other hand, might have stumbled across too much information for her to keep quiet about. Contact Sabina and have her lock up Barker Services. Make sure someone goes in and wipes it down, leaving no trace of us there. Get someone on Ms. Jernigan, for now. They make no move, but I want her watched.”

  With orders given, Victor and Ivan stood and, with head nods, they turned and walked out of his office together. His assistant knocked on the door and he waved him in, a pleasant smile on his face. Without further consternation, he began signing the forms that were placed in front of him, continuing business as usual.

  “Hey, what are you doing up here?” Todd asked as he walked into the office the next day.

  Helena, looking up at him from Anna’s desk, replied, “Anna called in sick today and I thought I would just sit up here and get my work done.” The small reception office had a glass front facing the fairly busy, downtown street, so it was a nice change of pace from her typical view. Laughing, she added, “I never realized it before, but Anna must really have to tune out what’s going on outside. I find myself terribly distracted. I keep looking up as cars go by and people walk down the street.”

  Tom glanced over his shoulder and nodded. “Funny, I never thought about that either.” Turning back to her, he asked, “Would you prefer to work in your office and me sit out here today?”

  Shaking her head, she declined, “Thanks, but I’ve got it. I’m just working on a little bit of research today and, with my laptop, I’ll be fine.” Todd nodded, then moved back to his office and she continued sitting at Anna’s desk, sipping her coffee while scrolling through the contacts she needed to look up.

  Her eyes occasionally drifted toward the outside, usually when a loud car drove down the street or she heard pedestrians talking as they walked by. For some reason a dark, tinted-windowed SUV parked across the street caught her attention. Considering there were all types of vehicles traveling the road or were parked on the street, she was not sure why she even noticed it, but an hour later, she realized it was still there.

  By the time she was ready to step out for lunch, she noted it had not moved, when the other vehicles parked nearby had at least changed sometime during the morning. Allowing Todd to go to lunch first, she continued to work but her eyes often drifted to the window, where the SUV was parked. When he returned, he said, “I’ll sit out here while you go to lunch.”

  Glad to be leaving, even for just an hour, she walked out and headed down the street. A small deli, offering delicious sandwiches, was only two blocks down from her office and around the corner. A few minutes later she was inside, had ordered her lunch, and was sitting down at one of the stools at a counter situated near the front window. It was her normal place to eat when she came there, because it gave her time to people watch after having been locked away in her office all morning. Today though, having spent the morning being distracted by the views from the street, she now wished she had chosen a back booth for more quiet and privacy.

  Digging into her chicken sandwich, she closed her eyes as she savored the freshly made salad served on a homemade croissant. Taking a sip of her iced tea, she glanced up and noted a dark SUV now parked across the street from the deli. Wiping her mouth with a napkin, she wished she had checked the license plate before she left her office.

  Giving her head a little shake, she tried to push the paranoid thought that she was being followed from her mind. Good grief, there are lots of black SUVs in the city.

  Finishing her sandwich, chips, and tea, she wiped her hands with the napkin before balling her trash up and throwing it away. Glad for the crowded sidewalk, she hurried back to her office, breathing a sigh of relief that the black SUV was no longer in sight. Chastising herself for her foolish imaginings, she pushed her way back inside. Moving to the small restroom after greeting Todd, she quickly finished her business and walked back out. Stopping at
his door, she said, “Thanks for keeping an eye on things while I was out.”

  He smiled and waved his hand dismissively. “No big deal.” He stood and shoved a few files into his briefcase, and said, “I thought I would go out and make a few visits of our long-time charities, just to see if there’s anything special they need.”

  Nodding, she agreed, “That’s fine. I’m not expecting a lot to happen this afternoon and may leave early myself.” She moved back into the reception area, sitting down at Anna’s desk, and a few minutes later Todd walked out.

  Once outside, he threw his hand up in a wave before moving toward his car. She lifted her hand to return the gesture, but halted as she spied the black SUV parked across the street again. The angle was such that she could not clearly read the license tag no matter how much she maneuvered in her seat. Giving up, she sat, nerves taut, for a few minutes as she tried to think of what to do. She was not going to call Rank and give him a reason to worry over something as silly as an vehicle parked on a busy street.

  Deciding on a plan of action, she moved to the back and opened the back door leading to the alley. Looking left and right, she did not see anything untoward. Turning to the left, she walked down the alley to the street and around two corners, so that she could spy the back of the SUV from a distance. Buried in a sea of pedestrians, she whipped out her cell phone, snapping a quick picture before turning around and hustling back in the direction that she came. Going back through the door from the alley, she locked it and headed straight to Anna’s desk.

  Sitting down, she giggle-snorted at her actions, thinking how clever she had been. Her phone rang and she dug it out of her purse, seeing Rank’s name on the screen.

  “Hi, Rank—”

  “What the fuck are you doing, babe? Your job is not to play detective, sneaking around and taking pictures of suspicious vehicles!”