Targeted Risk (R.I.S.C. Book 7)

by Anna Blakely

  Storming across the room to the front door, Mike pulled his coat from the peg and got the shotgun and pistol from the small gun safe positioned in the far corner.

  Ben had left those for him, too. For protection from any predators they may encounter. The arrogant son of a bitch left him armed because he didn’t think he’d figure this shit out.

  You were wrong, asshole.

  Slamming the cabin door behind him, Mike jogged down the porch steps and made his way to the truck. Placing the two weapons onto the passenger seat, he fired up the truck and put it into gear.

  “What are you going to do?” Jake asked.

  Mike pushed the pedal to the floor and gravel spewed as he spun the truck around. “I’m going hunting.”

  Chapter 14

  Juliet stared out her window feeling...hell, she didn’t know what she felt, anymore.

  Lost. Betrayed. Heartbroken.

  Okay, so maybe she did know. She felt all those things and more. She just didn’t know what to do about it.

  Not much you can do.

  She glanced at the man driving the car. FBI Special Agent Thomas Fuller. Tall and broad, he looked more like a linebacker than a government agent.

  And if he thought she was going to do anything for him after the way he’d treated her and Mike, he was even dumber than he looked.

  “I won’t help you,” she stated clearly. “So, if you want my father back in prison, you’re going to have to find another way to do it.”

  “I didn’t take you so you could testify, sweetheart.”

  Wait. What? “Then why...”

  Keeping his left hand on the wheel, Agent Fuller reached into his jacket and pulled out his gun. The barrel was pointed directly at her ribs.

  “Get the picture now, or do I need to spell it out for you?”

  Juliet’s veins turned cold, fear leaving her momentarily frozen. “Why?”

  “Why does anyone do anything?”

  She was struck with a strange case of déjà vu, and it didn’t take but a few seconds to figure out the cause.

  Why does anyone do anything? Money, sweetheart. And your father has a helluva lot to spare.

  Aaron Schreiber, the man who’d broken into her townhouse, had said those words to her. Right before he died.

  “You sent Schreiber to kill me, didn’t you?”

  “I did.”

  There was one mystery solved, but she still needed to know who this asshole worked for. If he was getting paid to do this, that meant there was someone else involved. Someone bigger than Fuller who was willing to pay a shit ton of money to make her disappear forever.

  “Is it my father?”

  “Is what your father?”

  Talk about spelling shit out. “Is he the one who’s paying you to do this?”

  “Right.” Fuller snorted. “Daddy’s little princess? Please. Your father wouldn’t hurt a fucking hair on your clueless head.”

  Mike’s gut had been right. And yeah, it also occurred to her that somewhere along the way, she’d begun to think of him as Mike instead of Jay.

  Her chest physically hurt from the aching in her heart. From his lies, yes. But also because she knew he’d blame himself for her death.

  I love you.

  Hearing him shout that at her from outside the car had crushed her. Seeing the pain and regret and fear pouring off of him as Fuller drove them away? That had damn near broken her.

  I love you, too.

  She’d mouthed those words back to him. Had he seen them? Did he know that, despite his deception, at her core she still loved him?

  Holy shit. I still love him.

  The shocking revelation left Juliet blinking. It was crazy. Certifiable, even. Hell, she had no idea if they could still make things work after the stunt he pulled.

  One thing she did know, was that if she gave up and let this bastard kill her without at least putting up a fight, she’d never know what might have been.

  Screw that.

  Right then and there, Juliet decided she would not give up. That she would fight this bastard with everything she had. But she needed a plan.

  Her only chance at survival was to get out of this car and away from Fuller. Her mind raced and swirled with possible scenarios and outcomes, and soon, a plan started to form.

  Distract him. Keep him talking.

  “If my father didn’t hire you, then who did?”

  “Does it matter? You’ll be dead soon, either way. And I’ll be on a plane to the Marshall Islands.” He glanced over at her and grinned. “It’s a stretch of islands between Hawaii and Indonesia. Beautiful weather...sandy beaches. But the best part? No extradition treaty with the U.S.” He chuckled to himself. “See? You shouldn’t think of your death as a meaningless waste. Think of it as my retirement plan. I’ll make it quick and painless for you. The money I get for taking you out pays for a life filled with suntans and babes in bikinis. It’s a win-win, really.”

  Jesus, this guy was a piece of work. “What?”

  “Are you deaf?” He glowered over at her. “I just told you the whole plan. I kill you, I retire in the Marshall Isla—”

  “No, I mean what makes you think I care?”

  Yeah, the comment was snarky and immature, but damn it felt good. It was also part of the plan she’d just derived...

  Get him worked up, take the gun, and voila. Problem solved.

  A muscle in his large jaw bulged. “Fuck you.”

  “Thanks.” Juliet smiled. “But you’re not really my type.”

  “Keep it up, and I’ll shoot your smart mouth right now.”

  “See, I don’t think you will.” At least she hoped and prayed he wouldn’t. “You shoot me now, my blood and brains will be all over this car. A car that has your fingerprints all over it.” She tipped her head toward the steering wheel. “Not to mention all the nooks and crannies blood splatter can slip into.”

  Guess all those times spent eavesdropping on her dad and his friends when she was little were good for something, after all.

  “That shit won’t matter.” Fuller shook his head. “Not where I’m going.”

  He sounded sure of himself, but the wavering gun said otherwise.

  “That’s the thing,” Juliet continued on with her little speech. “As we were driving away, Mike mouthed something to me.”

  Fuller smirked. “He told you he loved you. Fucking pussy.”

  “I’m talking about after that.”

  “Fine, I’ll play along. Not like there’s anything better to do...until it comes time to kill you, that is. So tell me, what did your little boyfriend have to say?”

  “He mouthed the words ‘it’s him’ and pointed to you.”

  “I didn’t see him do that.”

  Because he hadn’t. It just popped into her head, and she thought it sounded like a good thing to say. She had no idea what she was doing, other than trying to distract him long enough to get the gun.

  “You were focused on the road. That’s why you didn’t see him, but I’m telling you the truth. He must’ve realized it at the same time we were leaving. Either way, he knows you’re not the upstanding Federal agent you claim to be.”

  “What do you know?” Fuller grinned. “The tattooed fucker finally got something right.”

  “He did,” Juliet agreed. “Something else you should know is Mike’s boss owns a private security company. Now, I haven’t had a chance to learn all the ins and outs of it, yet, but I’ve been on his private jet, and let me tell you...it was nice.”

  “What the hell does that have to do with anything?”

  Despite the fact that she was shaking like a leaf inside, she held it together and gave the man a casual shrug. “A jet like that costs big bucks, right? Big bucks means there’s a slew of money coming in. You do the math, Fuller. A security company with that much income has to have some pretty good connections.”

  He slid her a sideways glance. “So?”

  “So, more than likely, Mike’s already c
alled his boss to tell him about you. If I were his boss, and I’m sure the guy’s much smarter than I am, I’d report your ass to every airport in the country. Use those contacts to get you on a no-fly list. Which means, you kill me and dump my body in a ditch somewhere, you’re still not getting to those islands you’ve been dreaming about.”

  “Good thing Mike’s boss isn’t the only one with a private jet.”

  Shit. “Let me guess. Your boss has one, too?”

  “Technically it’s my boss’s boss. Pretty sure you’ve been on that one a time or two, as well.”

  She had? Juliet thought for a moment before it clicked. “You said my father didn’t hire you.”

  Her dad used to have a small jet...before the government seized it and the rest of his assets he hadn’t had time to hide. Apparently, no one bothered sharing that with Fuller.

  Because he’s a pawn. They’re using him to do the dirty work, then they’re going to kill him, too.

  “He didn’t.” Fuller looked over at her. “Ben Lopez hired me. And Ivan hired him.”

  Ivan?

  No amount of effort could hide her reaction to that particular surprise. It wasn’t as if she and Ivan had ever been close. Definitely not as close as she and Mikhail had been. Still...

  “My brother has a CIA agent and an FBI agent trying to kill me?” Juliet turned her stunned expression onto Fuller. “Why, to protect my father?”

  “Fuck no.” The unattractive sound escaped the back of the man’s throat. “Your father’s the next one on my list.”

  “He wants us both dead? Why would Ivan—”

  “Jesus, you really are dense.” Fuller huffed out a breath. “Why do you think? Ivan wants to be in control. He’s taking over, and your father’s in the way. It’s already in motion, he just needs the both of you gone to seal the deal.”

  Juliet’s brain felt like it was going to explode, and her emotions were running on serious overload. Between Mike’s big reveal, and then thinking she was going back into protective custody, only to learn that Fuller had been hired to kill her by her own brother...

  If I survive this, I’m going to need a serious vacation. And counseling. Lots and lots of counseling.

  With a mental shake of her head, she got herself back on track. “If Ivan’s wanting to take over, then I guess getting Dad out of the way makes sense. But why me? I made it clear a long time ago that I wanted nothing to do with any of it.”

  “Fuck me, I guess I do need to spell it out for you.” Fuller sighed. “It all starts with you, sweetheart. Apparently, the high-dollar attorney Daddy hired is the same one representing Ivan. He got your dad a new trial based on a technicality, and since the cases were intertwined, he thinks Ivan will be granted one, too. But if you’re around to testify...”

  The final piece of the twisted Volkov family puzzle fell into place. “They’ll both be sent back to prison for good.”

  “Now you’re gettin’ it.” He rolled his eyes. “If Ivan gets sent down the river again, he’s screwed. You disappear, your old man kicks the bucket, and Ivan goes free. He’s sittin’ pretty, and so, am I.”

  While Fuller started rambling on again about the grand plans he had for the rest of his miserable existence, Juliet’s mind wandered to the insanity of the whole situation.

  She’d always known she was born into a messed-up family, but this had to be some kind of record. The blood running through her veins was tainted in ways most people could never even fathom.

  Her thoughts turned to Mike, and she began to question his sanity. Why would a guy like him want to give her the time of day, much less try to have an actual relationship with her?

  Maybe he was just as crazy as the rest of them. Maybe he was the one in need of counseling. Maybe he...

  Loves you.

  The voice in her head was right. Mike may have lied about a lot of things, but that wasn’t one of them. She could see it in his eyes when they’d made love. In the way he’d gone at Fuller in her honor.

  For months, the man had lived every day surrounded by the darkness her family had bestowed upon this world, but despite it all, he still loved her. And right or wrong, she loved him, too.

  Which meant she couldn’t let him live the rest of his life blaming himself for whatever this asshole had planned for her. She needed to act. Now.

  Juliet glanced down at the gun, which was pointing down at her leg rather than her ribs. Getting shot there would still hurt like a bitch, and there was always a chance the bullet could hit her femoral artery, but it was less risky than one to the heart.

  Checking to make sure his eyes were still on the road, Juliet held her breath and said a quick prayer. Then, before she could talk herself out of it, she went for the gun.

  “What the hell?” The car swerved when he tried pulling the weapon out of her hands. “Are you fucking crazy?”

  Not crazy. Determined.

  Using all of her strength, she pushed the barrel away from her. If she could twist it in his hands enough, she could—

  The gun went off, filling the car with a deafening boom. Juliet’s ears began to ring, but she could still hear Fuller’s roaring scream as the car made a sudden jerk to the left.

  She was thrown against the howling man’s side, and the gun fell to the floorboard, sliding beneath Fuller’s seat.

  “You shot me, you fucking bitch!” His hand flew in her direction.

  A sharp, thundering pain exploded in her left cheek and eye. Juliet cried out but blinked against the white dots filling her vision. She couldn’t pass out, now. If she did, she was a dead woman.

  With his right leg bleeding like a stuck pig, Fuller reached beneath his seat in search of the gun. Knowing she couldn’t let him get to it, Juliet did the only thing she could think of.

  She grabbed the wheel and jerked it hard in her direction.

  Fuller’s large body flung to the right, and he tried to regain control of the vehicle. It was too late.

  Hoping her seatbelt and airbags would be enough, she held onto the oh, shit handle and waited. The car ran off the road and down into a ditch, taking air before its tires found the ground again.

  Juliet and Fuller bounced around like rag dolls, and at one point, she felt her head smack against the passenger window. She barely had time to register the pain before a large tree came into view, stopping the car on impact and sending her into a dark and peaceful oblivion.

  ****

  “I don’t see them, Jake. I don’t fucking see them.”

  Mike sped down the two-lane highway in search of Fuller’s car. Of all the shit he’d done, all the fucked-up messes his undercover time had forced him into...he’d never experience true terror until now.

  “Keep looking,” Jake spoke calmly. “You said they didn’t get that big of a head start, right?”

  “They didn’t, but shit. What if I’m going in the wrong direction?”

  What if I can’t find her in time?

  “You’re going the right way.”

  “How the hell can you possibly know that?” Mike pushed the gas pedal as far down as it could go.

  “Because I know you, and I trust your gut. You need to do the same.”

  “I’m trying but...fuck. I can’t lose her, man. I can’t.” But that was exactly what was going to happen if he didn’t catch up to them soon.

  Mike’s stomach revolted at the thought. He’d always known he would die for Juliet. What he didn’t know was how he was supposed to live without her.

  “Listen to me, Mike. I know it’s hard, but you’ve got to pull your head out of your ass and stop thinking that negative shit.”

  The road in front of him blurred with a well of unshed tears. “I can’t help it.”

  “Yes, you can. And before you ask, I know you can because I’ve had to do it.” Jake sighed. “Thinking I was going to lose Liv was the hardest fucking thing I’ve ever gone through. But I got through it, and so did she.”

  His sister’s smiling face flashed behind his eye
s. “I know, man. I know, but this is—”

  “Different?” Jake cut him off. “The only difference between then and now are the players. I’m telling you, Mike...the best piece of advice I got then is the same thing I’m telling you, now. Treat this like an op. Stay focused, know your goal, and do what it takes to reach it.”

  Mike knew his brother-in-law was right, but this was Jules. She wasn’t just some nameless hostage on an op. She was his life. She was...

  “My everything.”

  “I know she is, man. Which is why you’ve got to get your head in the game.”

  Shit. He hadn’t meant to say that out loud, but Jake was right. Goddamn it, he was right. Juliet was on her own with Fuller, and if he didn’t lock down his emotions right the fuck now, he might lose her forever.

  Blinking away the remainder of his tears, Mike sat up straight and cleared his throat. “Okay.”

  “Okay?”

  “Yeah, man. I’m good.”

  He could practically hear Jake’s smile when he said, “Welcome back.”

  As serious as the situation was, Mike found himself grinning. “Smart ass.”

  “Better than being a dumbass.”

  Through the phone, Mike heard someone else talking in the background. “That D?”

  “Yeah. He just got here. I’ll put him on speaker.”

  “Hey, man,” Derek greeted him. “I’m tracking your phone, and I’ve got you pulled up on the GPS.”

  “Good, because I’m looking up ahead, and all I see are trees, trees, and more fucking trees.”

  “I’m sure you can feel it, but you’re on a steady incline. That road goes up into the mountain you’re currently on, but it levels out before long and then starts to go back down.”

  “Anything else that might be good to know?”

  “Just that you’ll want to stay on the paved road. There’s a trail not far from where you are now, but all it leads to is a pretty steep drop-off.”

  A horrifying image of Fuller taking Juliet there tried working its way into Mike’s mind, but he shoved that shit away and remained focused.

  “Copy that.”

  Mike drove a couple of miles farther, and just when he was starting to give up hope, something up ahead caught his eye.