“Ken Blake was killed,” Rock said.
“It was on the news that he was killed?” Mac asked.
Rock shook his head. “That he died on the train tracks close to Gainesville.”
“You said he was killed.”
“They don’t kill you and make it look like a real murder,” Millie said, her eyes filled with tears and her face wet from them. “They always make it look like an accident.”
He shared a look with Mac. He could tell from her expression that she was thinking the same thing. They had been in the business long enough to know things like that happened. How many people did they know who had died in a compromising position, or who’d just had a weird accident? Too many to count, but there was also a chance it was just an accident.
“Who are they?” Jay asked.
After a long and very loud nose blowing, she said, “The Russians. Or whoever wanted me abducted. The bad men.”
The bad men. Well, that narrowed it down for them. And while he thought she might just be out of her mind and stressed from the situation, Millie might be right. It bothered him that that one other person at the company who knew what Millie did for them was now dead.
“You really don’t know?” Mac asked.
Millie shrugged and said nothing else. It took all of his control to demand an answer. She might be telling the truth, but he had a feeling she knew—or had her suspicions. Maybe she didn’t know she knew who wanted her, but somewhere back in her memory, there was the key to what was going on. She was putting her own life in danger—not to mention everyone else’s. There was time to honor your contract, and there was a time to save your skin. This was the latter of the two.
“It has something to do with the Liberty Group,” Jay said.
He glanced at his brother and then back at Millie, who rolled her eyes. “Of course it does. Someone wants information we have.”
“I think we need to look outside the box on this one. Or, I should say, inside the company,” Jay explained.
Millie shook her head. “I can’t see that anyone there would have anything to do with it.”
“One thing is for sure. You are the one they want, so keeping you safe is the most important thing,” Vic said. “What about your family? Where are they?”
“My parents died in a car wreck three years ago.”
“Siblings?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Only child.”
That was something. If he had had to hunt down extended family members to keep them safe, they would have to stretch their resources.
“Okay. I think you’re safe here for now, so that’s good.” He looked at Mac. “Who do you think should stay here?”
“I have someone I can tap at the FBI, find out what they have on Liberty, and us, for that matter,” Rock said.
“And we need to look at the Russian angle,” Mac said. “You know we have the contacts for that.”
Vic nodded, and his stomach turned over. If it meant embassies, it meant Simon St. John, one of Mac’s old lovers. They had a mutual dislike for each other. He knew she hadn’t really been involved with the ambassador for years, but St. John represented her life before him. Running to St. John for help was usually Vic’s last option, but in this case, he knew Mac trusted St. John to keep her secrets. And the diplomat always knew what was going on around D.C.
If they were going to D.C. tonight, that left one person. Vic glanced at his brother. For the longest time, they had only had each other, and it was still hard for Vic to accept him as an equal. But he needed to let Jay live his life. Besides, even if he wanted to protect him, there was no chance of it right now. They were short staffed, and the sooner they got this wrapped up the better. Clearing their names of any wrongdoing was their priority right now. In their business, once you got burned, it was damned hard to make it back. He needed to be with Mac when she went into D.C.
“That means you’re in charge of Millie. There’s a panic room in the basement that will keep you both safe just in case, but our names are not on this house. Since we ditched everything electronic before coming here, we should be safe. Rock will need to check with his contacts in D.C., so for now, you have to take charge of her safety.”
“Sounds good,” Jay said, although his expression told Vic he wasn’t happy.
“You need to be ready to run, though. You will be between Millie and her pursuers. Make sure you both have go bags and an easy way out.”
Jay said nothing, but he frowned. Vic knew he had overstepped some imaginary line. Dammit, it was hard not to tell him what to do. Vic’s job had been to raise him, teach him right from wrong. Now, though, Jay acted as if he didn’t want him here. Vic wanted to hash it out, but they didn’t have time for that kind of shit. Not right now.
“Both Mac and I need some sleep, and then we’ll hit D.C. and the international set. I’m sure we can both hunt up old friends who might know what’s going on.”
Rock nodded. “I’m going to head out now. I can do some recon on the company, then get with Tessa at lunch.”
“Tessa Armstrong? That woman never leaves work,” Mac said, as she rose from the table.
“Well, if that isn’t the pot calling the kettle black,” Rock said, before heading out the door. “I’ll report back in.”
“Be careful,” Mac called out.
“I’m going to lie down for a bit. Once you leave, I’m going to be on pins and needles waiting to hear what is going on,” Millie said.
“Good idea,” Mac said. “I need a little more sleep before I dive into the diplomatic corps again.”
She started back to the room, and Vic followed as if it were the most normal thing to do, because…it was.
Jay stepped in front of him.
“The other bedroom is open,” he said.
Vic studied his brother for a long moment. He could tell him to shut the hell up and butt the hell out, but that would only make things worse.
“I don’t see the reason for taking another bedroom. Besides, all we are going to do is sleep.”
He turned before Jay could come up with another way to stop him. He didn’t need to fight about this shit right now. He needed a shower, and he needed some rest. Without some sleep, he would never be able to figure out what to do about their problems.
Vic walked down the hall and found that Mac had left the door slightly ajar. For him? He hesitated for a moment or two. Going into the room could lead to an opening for both of them. As quietly as possible, he slipped through the opening and shut the door behind him. She lay facing away from him, again telling him how much she trusted the people she was with. Mac was always on alert, even when she was sleeping. If she was relaxed enough for this position, she felt safe.
He stared at her for a long time. What the hell was he going to do about her? About them? In his life, he had always had a plan, until Mac. She had blown all his careful designs out of the water, and everything seemed to stay that way around her. A mess. But a delightful mess that kept him on his toes.
Her breathing was deep and even, signaling she was already asleep. She would fall asleep at the drop of a hat and wake up ready to kill. He wanted to slip into bed beside her, wake her up with kisses, and then lose himself in her. It was always his first instinct. This time, though, he couldn’t just pick up where he’d left off. Their last break had done more damage than he thought. Truthfully, he hadn’t known he could hurt her. Not really. He knew better now.
She had fallen apart.
Those four words almost broke him. He had rarely seen her cry, let alone sob. It was a foreign concept to him. Maybe that was the saddest part of this. Their main problem was that they were experts at hiding their feelings. Hell, they’d never professed their love out loud. How was he to know that this time she wouldn’t just go on her merry way like she normally did? And what kind of man was he for not knowing?
He shook his head and decided to grab a shower before joining her in bed.
…
Mac was deeply asleep when she
felt the bed shift beside her. This time, she didn’t have to pounce. She knew it was Vic. She’d learned from her mistake last time and had left her shirt on. Although, now she was sort of regretting it. It would be easy to entice him to sin a little with her. She sighed. She didn’t want to seduce him that way. Not really. She wanted him more than her next breath, but she wanted him to want her, too.
It was more than she had expected from a man. Well, she knew they wanted her, but she never expected a lover to stick around. That is, until Vic. With him, she had fallen fast and hard, and even though both of them had walked away in the past, they always ended up back together. It was why she’d been so sure he would return after their last fight. She knew he wanted to move away from working with the government, but turning down a good six-figure contract was insane. Worse, he had done it without consulting her. In that one instance, she had lost her composure. He’d always valued her opinion. The pain of rejection had been too much. She had told him to get the contract back or leave. And with that, her world had fallen apart.
She knew she could entice him into bed, but he wouldn’t stay. Their problems wouldn’t go away, and in the end, they would be left hurting. She hadn’t asked Rock where Vic’s cabin was—and hadn’t looked for it herself. If she had found him, she would have begged him to come back. Pride was about the only thing she had left. So she said nothing as he jostled the bed to gain a better position. His body heat warmed her back as his arm slipped over her waist. She jolted at the touch.
“Not going to kill you, MacKenzie. Just need to sleep.”
Oh, damn, that voice. It was low and rough. He smelled so damned good, too. Heat flared low in her belly as she fought off the need to turn to face him. She wanted to touch, to taste, to have.
Bloody hell, she needed to get out of there. “I’ll let you have the bed,” she said, attempting to slip out of the bed.
He tightened his arm around her waist and dragged her closer.
“Vic,” she said.
“Go to sleep, Mac.”
She sighed. “I can’t with you in bed.”
He grunted and nuzzled her neck. It was then she realized he was clean-shaven. “Funny. I can’t sleep without you in my bed.”
Her heart softened at the comment. He needed her just as she needed him. She couldn’t deny him the simple request. “Just sleep.”
He said nothing, but she could feel his breath against the back of her neck. Vic was already asleep. It was a tangled mess they were in at the moment, and she didn’t know how to fix it any better than she did when he’d walked out the door. But for the moment, she would take the comfort he offered and sleep.
…
After cooling his heels for a couple of hours, Rock spotted Tessa Armstrong. For an FBI agent, her pattern was very predictable. Wednesdays was sushi and always at the same place.
He followed her down the street, mindful of anyone watching. He didn’t want to expose her as someone who might help them. She walked briskly with the kind of ground-eating stride that said to get out of her way. She didn’t take time to enjoy the fall leaves or the faint scent of autumn that danced in the air. Nope, Ms. Tessa Armstrong had business to do.
Rock had met her five years earlier when he and Vic were still working for the company. Young, brash, and with a saucy little Southern accent, she had captured his attention from the first. She looked sweet, but he knew better. She had a sharp tongue and an even sharper wit. He loved a woman with a wicked sense of humor, and Tessa had it in spades. Add in her penchant for slim little skirts and four-inch heels, and Rock considered her a walking wet dream.
She came from a long line of FBI agents, and it was rumored her great grandfather was one of the first African Americans to serve at the Bureau. It meant she had big shoes to fill—and the chip on her shoulder to prove it.
He stepped into the restaurant. A hostess approached, but he waved her off. Tessa was easy to find. She was sitting by herself at the window, her purse beneath her chair, and a tablet in her hand. The woman was like freaking clockwork. He slipped into the chair opposite her.
“You know, you tail like a bitch,” she said, her tone the same as if she were commenting on the weather. She did not look up from her tablet.
He fought a smile. “Yeah? Not very feminist to use that term.”
She shrugged. “I call it as I see it. Picked you up just as I walked out of the building.” She looked up from her tablet. “Wanna tell me what this is about?”
“Liberty Group.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know anything about that. You know I handle behavioral science.”
Rock smiled as he settled his elbows on the table and leaned forward. “But you could find out.”
“I could…for a friend.”
He frowned. “Aren’t we friends?”
“Ha. We’re more like frenemies.”
“I don’t use feminine crap words like that.”
“Now who is being antifeminist?”
“No self-respecting heterosexual man would use that term.”
She chuckled and looked down at her tablet. “Okay.”
Dammit, she had the upper hand and understood what that meant. She could find out what the FBI knew, but she wanted something in return. That, or she was a sadistic bitch. He was betting a little of both.
“What do you want?”
She glanced up at him with wide eyes. “Excuse me.”
“Cut the crap, Tessa. You aren’t that innocent.”
She smiled. “And I thought I had you fooled.”
“What do you want?” he asked, repeating the question.
“I’ll let you know when the time comes. Just know that you’ll owe me a favor.”
Rock hesitated. Damn if he wanted to owe an FBI agent anything, especially Tessa. Other agents, he could ignore. They were easy to deflect. Tessa would ruin his life if he didn’t give her what she wanted. She was almost as evil as Mac. But with their situation the way it was, Rock had no choice. He nodded.
“Okay. I’ll sniff around and see what I can find. There are quite a few agents in a tizzy over your group, but it isn’t my area, so I didn’t pay attention.”
Tessa worked in behavioral sciences because, as she said, she liked the freaks. She didn’t spend a lot of time hunting them, but she did like to pick their brains apart. Of course, that didn’t tell him whether or not she knew what had happened, but more than likely she did. He could ask, but it was best to leave it unsaid.
“I’ll contact you.”
“I have your number,” she said, and then made a face. “Which you dumped, naturally. Give me this afternoon. It’s slowgoing in my division right now, and those guys who cover the Russian government like to talk.”
The server walked over with a rainbow roll and set it in front of Tessa.
“Would you like to order, sir?” the waitress asked.
He opened his mouth, but Tessa spoke for him. “No. He’s leaving.”
He could make something out of Tessa’s dismissal, but he nodded to the waitress and offered her a smile. Still unsure, the young woman lingered for a moment before she left them alone.
“Not very nice, Tessa,” he said, as he reached across the table to grab a piece of her sushi.
She smacked his hand. “Never said I was. Go away.”
“And I thought we were just starting to have fun.”
“If this is fun, I’ll be interested to know what you think hell is.”
Rock wanted to linger, to banter a little more with her, so he didn’t. He got up and did as she ordered, hoping he hadn’t just made a mistake trusting her. At this point, they really didn’t have a choice. He waited until he was a block away before he made the call. Mac picked up on the first ring.
“This better be bloody important.”
He smiled. The growl had returned about a week ago, and that was a good thing. Being ready for battle was Mac’s forte. For the last few months, she’d barely yelled at any of them. Most people wo
uld prefer to work for someone who didn’t threaten to beat them bloody. He’d missed it. He would rather take a madder-than-hell Mac than a wounded Mac.
“I made contact. She’s going to sniff around.”
“Do you trust her?”
“To a point. I’ll let you know what happens.”
He hung up without saying good-bye, but that was normal for them. He just hoped that this mess would at least help bring Vic back into the company. They could survive without him, but he knew none of them wanted to. And he wanted his friends happy. As insane as they made each other, Mac and Vic were better together than apart.
He just hoped they lived long enough so the two of them could figure that out.
Chapter Six
Every job has its perks. Just remember not to lose your heart, or you might just lose your head.
—Mac Donovan
Mac set her phone back on the bedside table and lay down. She’d dozed a bit before Vic had joined her, but once he had slipped into bed beside her, it had taken her over thirty minutes to truly fall asleep. There had been a time when she could barely sleep without him next to her. His warmth, his scent…everything about him was so tempting.
She was doomed by her bloody hormones. If she still wanted him after all this time, there was a good chance she would never get him out of her system.
Now that they had new information to worry about, she didn’t know if she would ever get back to sleep. She knew Tessa about as well as she knew anyone else in the business, which meant very little. Other than Vic, Rock, and Jay, she didn’t trust anyone. But as the old adage said, beggars couldn’t be choosers, and they were definitely beggars. With a sigh, she pushed those thoughts aside. She would worry about them later. Just as her mind started to settle, Vic rolled over and slipped his arm over her waist.
“Was that Rock?” he asked. His voice was deep. There was something sexy about a sleepy Vic Walker.
“Yes,” she said, her own voice deeper than before—and it had nothing to do with sleep. She cleared her throat. “He made contact with that Armstrong woman at the FBI.”
“Hmm,” was all he said, as he tugged her closer and nuzzled her neck.
The Boss Page 5