by Ali Vali
“Listen to me, okay,” Cain said when they were alone. “You need to watch your ass with these people. I’m the devil incarnate to your employer, but I have my limits. The people running this have none, but they do have plenty of people on their payroll. How much progress have you made?”
“Not much before tonight.”
Cain squeezed the back of her neck. “Assume with absolute certainty that someone you work with doesn’t have your back. You’re my family, so if you need something, call me. Promise me that, or I’ll kick your ass if something happens to you. Or I will if I’m still standing after Aunt Siobhan gets through with me.”
“Thanks, and I probably will need to call you. I don’t want anything to happen to this family. Abigail and her children deserve better.”
“Then keep me in the loop. I don’t know these people well, but they need to be wiped from the planet.” Cain made a slashing motion with her hand. “It sounds cruel, but if they’ve got Abigail in their sights, she’ll never be safe again until you eliminate the threat.”
“I don’t think the FBI will sanction anything like that,” she said and laughed. “Really, Cain, maybe I should call for backup since I don’t think this is a one-person job.”
“Finley, I can’t tell you what to do, but you tip off the wrong person and you’ll lose more than Abigail. Can you live with that? Be completely honest since you’ll carry that load a long time.”
“I’ll call. I promise.”
“I’m your family, not your judge. You call for whatever reason, and I’ll never think any differently about you no matter what you ask.”
“If I do ask something like that, it’s because I have no other way out.”
“There’s always a way out, Cousin. You just have to find a way you can live with.”
“Is that the secret to your happiness?” Finley asked, relaxing somewhat with the knowledge she wasn’t alone in the world.
“One of them, but the main thing is a woman who loves you, children, and family.”
*
Finley came home and poured herself a glass of chocolate milk, something she’d always enjoyed. All the stuff Cain had shared with her was enlightening, but it came with a downside. In her soul she knew Cain was right: Abigail wouldn’t be completely okay until these people were gone forever.
“Hey, Finley,” Victoria said when she pulled on her pant leg. “Can I have some, please?”
“Me,” Liam said from her other side.
“Did you two come down the stairs alone?” She poured two cups and lifted them up to sit on the counter.
“We was waiting for you with Mama, but she sleeping.” Victoria was the most talkative of the three, and for some reason she searched her out no matter what she was doing, always with her buddy Liam. He was quiet but consumed everything you gave him with gusto. “Wanna watch TV?”
She carried them both to the den and turned on the History Channel after learning it didn’t matter what was on, as long as you sat with them. It didn’t take long for the two to fall asleep and another visitor to come down. “You know if they’re bothering you—” Abigail said. Liam rolled over, opened his eyes, and put his arms around Finley as much as he could.
“They’re no trouble.” She ran her fingers through Liam’s hair and liked the innocent scent of him. “Cain gave me some information.”
Abigail lifted Liam off her, leaving Victoria to her. “Let’s get comfortable so we can talk.” They put the kids back on the couch, and Abigail pointed to the master bedroom. She’d put Finley’s pajamas at the foot of the bed. “I know you’re probably exhausted, but I can’t wait until morning to know.”
Finley told her the entire story while they both sat on the bed, leaning back against the headboard. The best way to have this conversation was equivalent to removing duct tape from any part of your body that had hair—fast. Abigail didn’t say anything or make a sound, but tears tracked down her cheeks.
“They knew where the club was and that Nicola was in charge, but they didn’t think Nicola or Frederick owned the clubs here or in Miami. They believe it’s Russian-mob connected.” She moved over and put her arm around Abigail.
“I gave her all those years, her two daughters, and this is what she does? How could she use those women like that?” Abigail wiped her face with fast, impatient swipes. “God damn it. I’m tired of crying, especially for someone I didn’t know at all.”
She couldn’t sit on her hands any longer, so she put both arms around Abigail and pulled her close. She couldn’t think of anything to say, so she decided to be something solid for Abigail to anchor to. “You can’t blame yourself, and you have to understand the mindset of these people.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Finley tightened her hold when Abigail edged closer.
She moved so she could see Abigail’s face but didn’t let her go. “Some of the cases I’ve worked on made me question the existence of any kind of higher power because of the depravity some people perpetrate against the most innocent of our victims. They do it, I guess, for the power, so it’s my responsibility to ensnare them on the Web, something that’s not that hard, but someone else picks them up and prosecutes them.”
“There’s a higher power as far as I’m concerned, because you exist, and my children see the goodness in you,” Abigail said as she brought her hand up and pressed it to her cheek. “Do you have any idea how that makes me look at you?”
“Don’t let the situation color your emotions so that you make decisions you might regret.”
The despair disappeared from Abigail’s face, and the new expression was something Finley recognized. “Do you remember that I actually graduated from medical school?”
“Yes, and if I had kids we would’ve met by now.”
“I believe I’m smart enough to know what my feelings are and how they developed.”
Finley nodded and smiled, but only briefly, since Abigail moved to straddle her legs and kissed her. The smart thing was to let her down gently, but she couldn’t push Abigail away. If she did what Cain said and was totally honest with herself, she’d admit she’d found Abigail hard to turn away from the second she saw her. That instant attraction had only intensified once she got to know her.
“Jesus. I’ve wanted to do that for a while,” Abigail said as she leaned back to look at her. “Do you really want to stop?” she asked when Finley moved her and got up.
She walked to the door and locked it. “As long as you know I’m not a—”
“I know. You’re married to your job.”
She shook her head and laughed. “I’m not a one-night-stand kind of person, so I don’t want you to accuse me of stalkerish behavior later on.”
Abigail took her nightgown off and moved to lie down. The sight brought Finley’s entire body to life and she fell into bed. Neither of them needed much buildup, and it was good to know Abigail was as ready and wet as she was.
“Take this off?” Abigail said as she tugged on her gun strap. She undressed like her clothes were on fire and liked the way Abigail laughed. “Come here.”
She lay down, covering Abigail’s body with her own, and the contact ratcheted up her desire. The knock on the door came as she lowered her head and kissed Abigail. “Mama…Finley, we’re scared,” they heard Victoria say, so Finley guessed she had her sidekick Liam with her.
“I’m sorry, but don’t think this won’t happen again. You’re not getting off that easily, Agent,” Abigail said as she threw her pajamas at her head after putting her nightgown back on.
“They won’t go back to sleep, huh?”
“They sure will, but unfortunately for us it’ll be here,” Abigail said, kissing her again.
Twenty minutes later they were all on the bed, since Sadie had also joined the party. Finley couldn’t help but recall Cain’s words again. A woman who loved you, children, and family did sound like the key to happiness. When Liam rolled on top of her, she swore to herself that she definitely would get rid of
anyone who tried to hurt these special people and would have no remorse.
None at all.
Chapter Twelve
Linda waited until the next morning to call Yury. “Boris just called you?” Yury screamed, making her pull the phone away from her ear.
“I guess he waited so he had time to run. I tried to warn you about him,” she said, glad he couldn’t see the size of her smile. “What do you think about the note Boris found? At least he called about that.”
“Forget about it and make sure everything runs smoothly. I’ll be out for a couple of weeks to take care of this, since everyone has a case of the stupids.” The line went dead, and she laughed as she reviewed the email she’d composed that morning. She’d taken a shot the night before and found the clue the note writer put in. The I know the truth part of the letter Boris had found had led her to a website and then to an email address.
Her job might’ve been to manage tons of paper, but she’d become somewhat computer savvy with all her free time. Finally she’d found the perfect opportunity to check off every goal she’d only fantasized about.
The send button felt like a detonator when she pressed it, since she wouldn’t be able to explain or take this back if it didn’t work. She jumped when the phone rang again, then laughed.
“In case I didn’t make it clear before, don’t do anything stupid,” Yury said.
“You’re my family, Uncle Yury,” she said in Russian, “and you know how I feel about family. It’s everything.”
Yury took the phone from his ear and stared at it. He’d never truly trusted Linda, but he owed it to his brother to take care of her and his nephews. “Remember that,” he said and slammed the phone down again. His next call wouldn’t be so easy.
“I see,” Crista said after his explanation.
“Stay inside, and I’ll call you when I’m done,” he said as he rubbed the back of his neck, tired of all this turmoil. He’d been vicious in his climb to the top and earned himself the right and the respect to relax and enjoy his life.
“Don’t expose yourself like that,” Crista said, her tone softening.
“I’m an old man now, but I haven’t forgotten how to survive. But I worry about you, so stay safe.” He closed his eyes and wished he had time to see her before he left for New Orleans. “Don’t ever forget what I feel for you, Nicola.” He hung up after that declaration but replaced the phone gently this time. It was good to say her name one more time. The day was coming that she’d once again take her rightful place at his side, but the accident had given his child the gift of anonymity from the law. Just like him, Nicola was hiding in plain sight, with a life no one of importance knew about.
“Abigail, New Orleans isn’t big enough to hide from me.” He made another call and smiled at how quickly he was put through.
“Whatever you need is yours.”
He laughed, loving the attitude. This job would be a lot easier than people like Boris had made it so far. “Excellent. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
*
Abigail woke alone and a bit cranky from the lingering desire that concentrated in her nipples and clitoris. It’d been so long since she’d needed to have anyone touch her, including Nicola, if she was honest. Something had been so off about their relationship, and it’d made her want to keep her distance even when they had the opportunity to be intimate.
“Thank God for my intuition,” she said as she hunted for her robe. “I doubt she refrained from sampling the merchandise available in a big den of iniquity. I’d probably still be on antibiotics.”
She heard the loud laughter in the kitchen and smiled when she saw her mom at the stove and her girls next to Finley at the table. Liam appeared content and happy on Finley’s lap as they shared a plate of French toast smothered in syrup. It hadn’t really hit her how much she wanted this picture—the normal life with a partner, content children, and happiness. Up to now she’d thought she’d had that, but Nicola and what they’d had was a farce, except for the children. It was time to take a chance, so she didn’t play it safe and kissed everyone good morning, including Finley.
“Thanks for letting me sleep in,” she said, her eyes on Finley.
“You need to be well rested after we’ve sugared these little monsters up,” Finley said, her shirt full of small syrupy handprints. “I have to go out for a while, so you and your parents are on your own.”
“Can I talk to you before you go?”
“Sure. I need a shower, if I’m not glued to this chair.” Finley kissed Liam’s temple before repeating the action with the girls, and Abigail wanted to melt.
Liam hugged Finley with a piece of toast in each hand, adding some more syrup to her outfit, and Abigail laughed. Finley showed her usual patience and opened her mouth when he shared a piece with her. “Be good, you guys, and I’ll see you later.”
“Are you leaving because of work?” she asked when they were alone upstairs.
“Cain called. The elusive Yury Antakov is making an appearance tonight. He wants her help finding you.” Finley stripped her T-shirt off and pointed to the bathroom.
“Let’s finish this before you take anything else off. Who’s this Antakov guy?” The sight of Finley half-naked made her move closer. Her control had snapped. “Wanting you this much is crazy, especially with all this crap happening, and if you give me some psychological reason why my feelings aren’t real, I’m going to hurt you,” she said with a smile.
“I would, but I don’t lie that well.” Finley locked the door again. “When this is done we might not feel so pressed for time, but I want to see if I still want to touch you this much.”
She raised her arms when Finley removed her robe, then her nightgown. “It won’t be rushed or quiet, so finish telling me what’s up,” she said, putting her arms around Finley’s waist after pulling the drawstring on her pants.
“I got up early this morning, since I was too hard to sleep. And to answer your question, even the feds don’t know anything about this guy except that he’s high up in the mob that runs almost all the illegal activities the Russians have in New York.” Finley kissed the tip of her nose. “I have got a hunch, and Cain’s going to help me prove it tonight. If I’m right I’ll hopefully close my case and stop whoever’s trying to kill you.”
“Maybe we should get dressed again so I can concentrate, because that was hard to follow.”
Finley laughed but held Abigail closer. The next part wouldn’t be easy. “Maybe naked is better. Then you’ll know I’ve got nothing to hide.”
“What’s your hunch?” Abigail asked, and she shivered in Finley’s arms as if she knew the words would chill her.
“From what I read, Yury Antakov carved a business out of nothing with the help of his father-in-law, and it was put together one unsuspecting woman at a time. Considering our investigation, his network is vast and so much more than the upscale places like the Hell Fire Club Nicola was involved with.” She leaned back to see Abigail’s face. “Think of it like he’s got numerous stables, but instead of work horses he exploits vulnerable people in search of a better life. That’s easy since they’re usually traveling illegally and alone.”
“So this is who’s coming? Can you arrest him if all you have is a hunch?”
“My hunch isn’t that he’s coming, which he is, but that I know who this guy really is.”
“Tell me already,” Abigail said, seeming at the end of her patience.
“He made more money than he could spend in a hundred lifetimes, but he wanted more than Yury Antakov could achieve with all that wealth. So a few years back David Eaton was born, and so were Valerie, Nicola, and Frederick. The Eatons have the prestige and position the Antakovs never would.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Did you figure out Nicola ran what’s basically a brothel?” she asked, not really wanting to be cruel. “I might be wrong.”
“But you’re not, are you?” Abigail gazed at her as she shook her head. “I have no ri
ght to ask, but would you help me explain this to my kids? Please know you don’t owe me anything, but don’t disappear, okay?”
“My other hunch is you haven’t dated because of the cute trio out there, which makes you a wonderful mother. When the time comes, I’ll be here. Don’t worry about that.” She kissed Abigail but tried to keep herself under control. “Maybe we might even fit in a date alone or at a family-friendly place, so don’t think it’s all about taking your clothes off.”
“Just as long as it has a little to do with that.”
“Trust me. You’re a woman no sane person would ever forget.”
*
Finley spent the rest of the morning and all afternoon in front of three computers, mostly studying the email someone was smart enough to send after reading the note she’d included with the package she’d had delivered to the Langoises. She’d read it over ten times before she’d decided it wasn’t a joke and included it with the rest of the information she’d compiled.
“Do you have time to eat before you go?” Abigail asked.
“Not tonight, but I’ll be okay. I need to call my boss, but I’m not doing it from here.”
Abigail put her hands on her shoulders from behind her, and she enjoyed the scent of Abigail’s perfume. “Doesn’t he know anything about you except you’re from here and work for him?”
“He’s met my mother and immediate family, but he doesn’t need to know everything about me. What he does need is in here,” she held up the flash drive, “so let me get going.”
Abigail tightened her hold and didn’t let her up. “I don’t have any experience with any of this, so please be careful.”
“My backup tonight happens to care about me more than anyone on the government’s payroll, but I need you to promise me something.” She swiveled her chair around and stood, then leaned against the desk so they’d be at eye level. “My brother Neil’s the only person who’ll come here if something goes wrong, and he’ll give you this sequence of words and numbers,” she said, handing over a small index card. “Let him do that through the intercom before you let him in.”