Her Covert Protector (Rogue Protectors Book 4)

by Victoria Paige

  “I still want to take precautions,” John said. “DNI is concerned with what happened with the Automatic Traffic Control System. If that happened to air traffic control, it could be catastrophic.”

  Nadia had been helping Cal Traffic safeguard their systems all day that she didn’t have the luxury of thinking of any other threats. But John once told her the difference between the CIA and the FBI. The FBI was reactive, while the CIA identified future threats, especially those coming from outside the homeland.

  She finished her fried rice, and the carbs didn’t take long to make her sleepy. The caffeine in her system lost its effect as her brain wanted to shut down. Nadia hadn’t slept well in the past few days.

  “You ready for bed?” he glanced up from his phone again, alert to her every movement.

  “You need to stop doing that,” she groused.

  His blue eyes widened in surprise or pretend-surprise. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Declan said you have the ability to think one step ahead, and it’s great when it comes to ensuring the safety of the country. But doing it with me? It’s freaky.”

  His grin turned apologetic. Not really. Nadia was beginning to discern his tells. He was fiddling on his phone because he couldn’t wait to carry her off to bed. She could blame it on her hormones, too, because after satisfying the hunger in her stomach, another type of hunger took over.

  “I’ll try not to act too freaky. I just want to anticipate … your needs.” His gaze turned meaningful.

  Oh, boy. He was determined to turn up the heat. Could she at least hold him off for another day? Show some self-control around this man. Geez, Powell. Nadia hopped off the bar stool, anxious to get away before she ended up jumping him. “The bathroom is all yours. Sorry if I got all my feminine crap all over it. You’re probably not used to sharing.”

  He caught her arm before she could flee to her room, and she glanced at him questioningly.

  “One more thing, babe,” he said. “You be you. I’ll adapt. Got it?”

  She melted a little.

  Nadia woke up to a wall of warmth at her back and a rod of hardness tucked between her ass cheeks. She dared not move. She didn’t remember falling asleep last night. She thought she’d be too nervous about sharing a bed with John for the first time, but she was more exhausted than she realized. After all, yesterday was a lot to pack in.

  John had his arm flung over her torso.

  They were spooning.

  And she was hot … and not in a good way.

  And as much as the idea of spooning with him tickled her heart, the idea of perspiration trickling down her back did not, so she attempted to extricate herself, lifting his arm ever so slowly. But when she tried to scoot away, he tightened his hold and pulled her back to him. He burrowed his nose even deeper into her hair and she felt his chest contract as if inhaling her.

  She huffed. He was awake. He was a spy, and probably slept with one eye open.

  “I’m hot,” she said.

  “Yes, you are,” he rumbled behind her, but there was laughter in his tone.

  “Did you sleep at all?”

  “Some. Sleeping with a hard-on is proving quite difficult.”

  “Are you hoping I’ll put you out of your misery?”

  “Not at all. No pressure. Go back to sleep. You have another two hours before your alarm goes off.”

  Was that another attempt at reverse psychology? He let her go and the mattress shifted beneath his weight. Coolness touched her back and she was suddenly missing his warmth. She also switched her position, turning to face him where she could see the outline of his profile.

  “I can feel you staring at me.” His voice was rough. “Go to sleep, Nadia. You need it.”

  She closed her eyes and must have drifted off to sleep soon afterwards, because next she blinked, it was morning, and John was gone from her side.

  19

  “Dmitry showed up in LA early this morning.”

  With the phone between his ear and shoulder, John tightened the lacings on his boots as he listened to Bristow. He transferred the phone to his hand and stood. Though he spent the night in Nadia’s room, he kept his things in the spare bedroom. “Where?” He walked over to the window and peeked out the blinds, spying Clyde and Arthur returning from their morning walk.

  “Club Sochi.”

  “Russian?” John asked.

  “Yep. Any idea who he met?”

  “No. Levi didn’t go in because it was closing time,” he told the SEAL.

  “Do we know how he got into the country yet?”

  “We suspect private charter.”

  “I need special clearance to tap into NSA Level One,” Bristow said.

  “I’ll get on that,” John clipped and ended the call, searched his contact list for Grandpa Earp and swiped the number.

  Admiral Porter answered on the third ring. “Any updates on the breach of Cal Traffic?”

  “Powell said there were several claims of responsibility. She’s sorting through those today,” he said. “Dmitry showed up early this morning at a Russian club.”

  “How did he get into the country?”

  “No clue.”

  Silence, and then. “You need Level One access and it’s not for a single subject.”

  “I need a broader scope of access for my men to figure this shit out,” he told the Admiral.

  The last Level One access John demanded from Porter was the file on Yehven Skoryk aka Stephen Powell. At the time he met Nadia, he didn’t know she was the daughter of a Russian defector, only that the trail of the bioweapon led to Los Angeles. John had instincts for people hiding in plain sight, and when he did do his own background check on Nadia, the previous DNI slammed down his efforts, but had the opposite effect, raising red flags in his head.

  So, when Porter took over the acting director position, John demanded the file on Nadia Powell and used that information to blackmail her into helping him on that Mexican op to rescue Ariana.

  “You think he came in through one of our Level One assets?” Porter asked.

  “He could’ve. Or we could find an answer if we look for it there.”

  Level One involved highly classified agency assets. Foreign assets like Stephen who were given new identities, and there were also companies that the agency used to shore up cover identities and move operatives. Most of the corporations were in it to facilitate doing business in foreign countries, which meant they were susceptible to a better offer.

  A noise in the apartment told him Nadia was awake. The only thing John had gotten ready was coffee. They’d have to go drive-thru again for breakfast.

  “Okay,” Porter said. “You trust your men, and I trust you. I’ll clear the access.”

  “Appreciate that, sir.”

  After ending the call, he texted Bristow to let him know that the request was granted. John slipped his phone in his pocket and left the room. He’d meet the team after he dropped off Nadia, and probably pull Roarke into the loop. So much for R and R, but clear and present dangers took precedence.

  He found Nadia in the kitchen, dressed and ready for the day, pouring the brew in her travel mug. Was coffee okay for pregnant women? He’d need to research that.

  “Just one for the day,” Nadia said. “Stop glaring at my coffee. I’m sure it’s better than having a grouchy analyst.”

  “That mug is more than eight ounces.”

  “Oh, shut up,” she mumbled.

  “Already short-tempered I see.”

  There was a knock on the back door. John sighed.

  “That’s dad. He texted to come over, so be nice to him.” He headed to the door to let Stephen in.

  “Morning, John.”

  “Stephen.” He stepped aside for the man to enter.

  “I packed you both breakfast.” The older man strode directly to his daughter. “I saw you rushing out yesterday. You couldn’t have eaten.”

  “We woke up late and got drive-thru.” Her eyes went
to the items in her father’s hands.

  Her father glanced at John with displeasure.

  “Dad, stop it,” Nadia snapped. “It wasn’t John’s fault that we woke up late. I made him watch Hodgetown.”

  “Oh,” Stephen replied, still wearing a frown. “How did he like it?”

  “I,” John emphasized, “think it’s interesting, but verdict’s still out. I just finished season one.” He was willing to make a lot of leeway for Nadia’s protective father, but John wasn’t one to let other people answer for him. And he wasn’t about to start now.

  “Good,” Stephen said. “These are breakfast sandwiches from free-range eggs. I hope you eat eggs, John.”

  “I eat anything. Nadia, we need to go.” His gaze locked with Stephen’s. The other man’s mouth tightened, but he nodded, backing away.

  “I’ll catch up with you later, sonyashnik. John.”

  Stephen left the apartment and closed the door quietly behind them.

  “Why are we rushing?” Nadia asked. “I didn’t see any urgent call out.”

  “I need to investigate a lead on Dmitry and drop you off at CTTF.”

  “Oh, all right. I heard you talking in the other bedroom—I wasn’t eavesdropping.”

  John looked at his watch, a little impatient.

  Nadia raised a brow. He controlled his urge to curse.

  “You know the task force can lend me a car, seeing that my own was sidelined in the line of duty.”

  “We’ll talk about that later,” he said shortly. “Come on.”

  “I hate being rushed,” she said. “And I hate keeping you from doing your covert stuff.”

  “Nadia,” he said, transferring his impatience to the act of opening the door. “Let’s go.”

  She gave him a shake of her head and walked out. He followed close behind, making a mental note to get new locks for her. Hell, maybe for her dad’s apartment as well. John thought back to the real estate listings he was looking at a few hours ago when his head was in a domesticated cloud until Bristow’s message yanked him back to earth and reality.

  He was determined to give a life with Nadia a go. He was all in. But having Dmitry show up Stateside was huge and might mean the end to thirteen years of trying to pin the bastard down. For the first fucking time in his life, he was envisioning a future with a woman, and he didn’t want his fixation on Dmitry hanging over it.

  When they bypassed Clyde’s apartment and the man was predictably standing outside, John preempted the questions by muttering, “Rushing…” and firmly grasped Nadia by her bicep, making sure that their path was straight to the Escalade.

  “Glad to see you’re still an asshole,” Nadia commented. “I keep wondering when he’ll show up.”

  Jaw clenched, he let her into the passenger side of the Escalade without answering. It wasn’t until they were on the road— after exhaling a long-suffering breath—that he said, “I’m still getting used to your nosy neighbors.”

  “You said we can’t dodge them forever, right? They’re a part of my life, John. Granted they can be annoying sometimes, but I like them in my life. Is that going to be a problem?”

  “No,” he gritted. “Look, I’m not making excuses. I’ve always been single-minded in pursuit of a case. It’ll sort out, all right?”

  “Fair enough. But don’t be surprised if they’re forming bad impressions of you.”

  “I’m used to bad impressions.” He thought back to Stephen’s expression this morning.

  “And you’re doing nothing to dispel that, and you don’t have to. But I’m just caught in the middle, okay? Change can’t be forced. And I’m not asking you to change, because I know what that feels like, but we’re having a baby together, and I just want to bring him or her into a stable environment as much as possible.”

  That pissed off John. “And I told you not to bring your pregnancy into our disagreements.”

  Nadia went silent and looked out the window.

  When they were about to get on the freeway, he glanced at her. “I don’t want you stressing about how I handle your dad and the other guys. I get that they care about you. I may not live up to their standards yet, but I intend to exceed them, but not on their terms, but mine. Got it?”

  “They have their quirks, and I’m sure you’ve done a background check on them. Clyde—”

  “I know about his daughter,” he cut in. Clyde’s daughter died from a traffic accident which could explain the ambush from the merry men last night when they got home. “But don’t feel like you’re a replacement.”

  “I’m not a replacement. People care, John. You seem to have a problem grasping that.”

  “I’ll cop to my inability to empathize at times, but it’s because it helps me not let emotions rule my decisions. But see my side of it. I’m trying to avoid resentment in the future. I’ve seen this happen many times when someone tries to be everything to everyone and has nothing left for themselves. They start to resent it.”

  She didn’t say anything.

  “I’m just saying we need boundaries, all right?”

  Nadia glanced at him then, and he was surprised at the relief he felt when he saw a dawning understanding in her eyes. Then she fucking smiled.

  Christ, that was all he needed to start his morning on the right beat.

  A genuine Nadia smile.

  I’m sorry about yesterday. I just wanted to help my mom, but older brother tainted the program and inserted the worm.

  Help me,

  Harriet V.

  Nadia stared at the unusual message from the CTTF chatroom. The userid was Anonymous_754, but interestingly enough it was signed. After John dropped her off at her lab, her priority was going through the three hundred messages that had come over their secure boards that served as their tip line.

  Nadia marked the message to double-check later.

  She was in the middle of wrapping up this task when an aha moment about John’s behavior came to her.

  Boundaries.

  With that one word, Nadia understood where he was coming from. It still didn’t mean he was right. It was his CIA training, the instinct to look at future threats. He was preempting the nosiness of the four merry men at her apartment by setting boundaries early with a precision strike—nip it in the bud, so to speak. She shook her head, knowing John needed some help decompressing from what was second nature to him.

  Clyde, Arthur, Dugal, and her dad had a median age of sixty-five—far from terrorists conspiring to do evil in the world.

  A smile touched her lips.

  “Now, who could have brought that smile to your face?”

  She glanced up to see Gabby striding through the doors.

  Nadia felt like she’d been caught daydreaming, but she just shrugged.

  “I knew Garrison was up to no good when he kept on pulling you into his crap.” Gabby made a funny face. “Although some of it was to my benefit.”

  “The first time our team went rogue was for your benefit,” Nadia reminded her.

  “Yeah.” The detective smiled slyly. “So, how is he?”

  Nadia’s mouth gaped open. “I hope you’re not asking me to spill about how he is in … you know. I mean, do you hear me asking personal stuff about Declan of the sexual nature?”

  Gabby laughed. “You have a point there. It’s just that Garrison is this anomaly. I couldn’t imagine any woman putting up with his steamroller personality.”

  She hunched behind her computer screen to hide her smile, but she remarked primly, “Some women may dig that.”

  Her swivel chair went spinning as Gabby whipped it around, the detective’s shocked comical face almost sent Nadia into a fit of laughter.

  “Tell me,” Gabby lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Is he like … one of those Doms?.”

  “What? No! He’s just … a lot…” Nadia faltered, feeling her cheeks flame.

  “Aw, come on. I was hoping you could give the kinky scoop on Garrison.”

  Her brows knitted toget
her, suddenly feeling protective of him. “Why?

  “You know, so we can hold something over his head. He conveniently has dirt on all of us while he remains controlled and detached.”

  “He’s not as controlled as you may think, and that’s all I’m going to say about it.”

  “Who’s not as controlled?” Kelso asked, walking in and joining the two of them.

  “Garrison,” Gabby said.

  “Yeah, that man doesn’t know what hit him.” Her partner winked at Nadia.

  “What am I missing?” Gabby demanded.

  “If you didn’t keep disappearing every time your husband crooked his finger, then maybe you’d know what’s going down between Powell and our favorite spook. John hung around all evening to take Nadia home,” Kelso continued. “And, from what I’ve gathered, he dropped her off this morning.”

  “Don’t you have something better to do?” Nadia snipped.

  “Just looking out for you.” Kelso’s sincere expression warmed her heart.

  “So, this is getting serious?” Gabby asked.

  Is getting pregnant serious enough? Nadia didn’t say. “We’re taking it slow.” She almost choked on those words.

  And she knew better than to fool these two detectives because they were staring at her dubiously. So she tried to distract them. “Aren’t you all going to ask if I have any lead on our cyber actors from yesterday?”

  Gabby snapped out of her I-know-you’re-lying stare. It was funny how she always played the bad-cop when she and Kelso were doing their good-cop-bad-cop routine. “What do you have for us?” she asked, switching to all business.

  “A couple of white hats said a new malware emerged from their pen test on universities and government agencies with weaker security. They sent me a sample of the code and parts of it look like a copycat of the Crown-Key source code.”

  “Are you saying …” Kelso started.

  “That someone might have the device. But, like I said before, it can only contain certain modules of the source code at a time.”

  “Because Huxley was paranoid?”

  “Depends what you mean by paranoid. But if it’s having a device with all the power then yes. He was wise to keep it separate.”