by A. V. Asher
But without support, they had little chance of tracking her.
Adam came up next to him, his jaw set. The evening light had faded enough so that the only thing they could see was the knitted cap she’d worn, floating on the water.
“Would’ve had her if we’d had backup.”
Adam glowered. “Shut the fuck up.”
Chapter Forty-Three
Alec awoke in a different bedroom. In Mercedes’s bed. The events of the night before flashed in his mind, and he smiled, contentment running through him.
She loved him. Holy shit.
As unreal as it all seemed, he’d never been so happy in his life. He wasn’t letting her get away ever again.
Finding his trousers on the floor, he shimmied into them and opened the door. The scent of coffee wafted through the house. He went down the stairs, and his heart stopped.
Mercedes was wearing his shirt again. She poured cream into two mugs and hummed a song only she knew. Her hair was tossed up in a crazy bun. So damn beautiful.
And she was his.
Mercedes turned to him, two coffees in hand. “Oh, you’re up.” A smile lit her face. “I was about to bring you breakfast in bed.” She handed him a steaming drink.
Alec laughed. “Coffee for breakfast?”
“Uh, yeah.” Her eyes sparkled behind her cup. “I don’t like the idea of killing you with my cooking. But I make amazing coffee now. So, bon appétit.”
Alec took a sip and set it on the counter. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Her body molded against him so perfectly, and a soft moan escaped her. Heat rushed through his spine, making him hard.
“Do we have time?” she asked, her chest heaving.
“Aye. I told Declan not to be here before ten.”
Mercedes slid her hand between them, cupping his hardness. Her touch had him in flames.
“Perfect. Why don’t you move your things into my room and meet me in the shower?”
God, she’s going to kill me.
Shower sex was an amazing way to start the day, but reality was about to break through their blissful morning. The closer they got to ten o’clock, the quieter she got. Alec could feel the nerves coming off of her. Her fingers were dancing by the time the knock at the door came.
The exuberant greetings of the team broke the solace. Mercedes offered them coffee and tea while they set up in the living room. Cressida and Shake were arguing over a seat at the table. Mason laughed at something Declan said.
While they set up, Alec wrapped his arm around Mercedes’s waist. “You okay?”
“I’m scared. I’ve never told anyone about this.”
Alec brushed his lips over hers. “I’m right here. Everything will be okay.”
“Aww, you guys.” Shake’s big brown eyes were wide, and his lips pursed, his hand on his chest. “Oh, my heart.”
“Bout bloody time,” Declan grumbled, but he caught Alec’s eye and gave him a little shrug that said, ‘I guess you’re not a moron after all.’ A lovely blush crept up Mercedes’s cheeks as she took a seat on the couch. Alec sat next to her, pulling her hand into his.
Cressida cleared her throat. “Okay, love. Let’s do this. Why did that asshole separate you from Alec and drag you across the pond?”
Mercedes swept her hair back. “They brought me here because there wasn’t one whistle-blower. There were two.”
Ah, shit.
“Her name is Mara Donovan. I’m likely the only person who knows where she is.”
Alec’s heart sank. “How much does she know?”
“Everything.” Mercedes’s fingers tapped on her knee.
“Everything Seth Collins knew?”
“Way more. Seth gave us the data proving Cooper killed the Cannativa trials. Mara gave us evidence not only that Cooper’s cash cow Sutanyl was addictive, but also that they had bribed their way to an FDA approval.”
“Holy shit,” Mason said.
“She told you this verbally?” Alec said.
“No, she has solid evidence. Lists of names, how much each bribe was and who received it, what they gave to Cooper in return for the money. Even the financial records showing the payouts leaving one bank and being deposited in the other.”
“How did she get them?”
“It was her job to keep track of it all. Mara was an insider to Cooper’s empire, a bookkeeper of sorts. Only the books were filled with favors that could be called in.”
“So, what happened to her?” Alec asked.
“I was vetting her evidence when Seth died. She freaked out and ran for it, taking everything with her. She said she wanted to keep it as an insurance policy. I took what I had to the partners at my firm, but my reputation was in tatters. They told me to pack my desk.”
“But why move you to London? Why not keep you in San Francisco?”
“Well . . .” Mercedes took a deep breath. “Because Mara’s here in the UK. She’s a British citizen. I’ve kept in touch since she ran, trying to convince her to come forward. She refuses, but she wanted a contact who would know what to do with the information if something happened to her. Maybe they wanted me to draw her out. But my communications with her are so limited I don’t think they know I talk to her.”
“How do you communicate?”
“Our first meeting after I moved to London was face to face. Since then, it’s been through a monthly junk email. I receive an advertisement from her, and in return, I respond with a newsletter from the shop.” She shrugged. “It was rudimentary, but it worked for us.”
“Is it possible they know of your secret check-ins and are narrowing the whistle-blower’s identity down that way?” Cressida asked.
Mercedes shook her head. “Her identity has to be known. She was Cooper’s executive assistant for ten years and his mistress for at least five of them. He’d be looking for her.”
“So, we find Mara Donovan and offer her protection,” Declan said. “Then we hand the evidence over to the FBI. We have some contacts within the bureau, and they’ll be able to help,”
“I doubt Mara would want to have anything to do with us. She trusts no one. Not even me. And when she finds out I told you about her, she’s going to run for it.” Mercedes shook her head. “Honestly, I’d rather leave her alone. I messed up before, and someone died. I can’t make another mistake.”
“I know you’re scared, and you have a good reason,” Alec murmured in her ear. “But if we’re ever going to have a real life again, we have to do something.”
“How about this?” Cressida said. “Let’s get you a secure internet portal and see if she’s checked in.”
It only took Cressida a few minutes to access a secure network. Alec stood over Mercedes’s shoulder as she waded through the trove of Pottery Barn and Amazon messages. A moment later, her fingers stopped over the keys.
“What is it?” Alec said.
She turned her eyes up to him. “Someone’s been reading my messages.”
Chapter Forty-Four
Mercedes pushed her pasta around her plate. It was delicious, but she wasn’t hungry. The inn’s dining room was bustling with weekend travelers, so the six of them were packed tight around a table.
They had spent most of the day running through scenarios. Cressida and Shake researched the village, the bookshop, the layout of the streets, every piece of information that could be used to find Mara Donovan and offer her protection.
Mercedes could feel Alec’s concerned glances throughout dinner.
“Sadie,” Alec murmured.
“I’m okay, Alec, I swear.”
“That’s good, darling. But David’s on his way to our table.”
Mercedes broke from her reverie to find Alec was right. David was nearly to them, his eyes lit in greeting. She lifted her hand to wave at him.
“Is he going to be a problem?” Alec murmured.
“Not at all.” Mercedes laced her fingers through his. “He already knows about you, my love,” she whispered.
“Hello all and welcome.” David’s eyes swept around the table. “I hope you’re enjoying your meal.”
Various sounds of approval came from their group.
“That’s good, so glad to hear.” David’s eyes landed on Mercedes’s hand, intertwined with Alec’s. He stopped and gave her a questioning look. Mercedes’s smile lit up her face.
“Well, now. That’s damn fine, lass.” The welcoming grin widened, and he turned his gaze to Alec. “I see you’ve finally come to your senses. Well done.”
“Thank you.”
Mercedes leaned toward him. “I told you he was just a friend.”
A quick tug on her arm pulled Mercedes’s attention away. Cressida gave Mercedes a look that screamed for an introduction.
“Oh, David, this is the woman I told you about the other day, Cressida Bennett.”
Cressida extended her hand to him. “David, it’s nice to meet you.” Interest blazed in her eyes.
Mercedes blinked in surprise.
Cressida was a chameleon. Sweet Girl Scout one minute, seductive temptress the next. It was impressive to see.
“I saw you play last night. It was beautiful.” Cressida leaned forward on the table, stroking her neck with the tips of her fingers. “I’d love to hear more.”
David flushed. Cressida’s attention was clearly working. “Aye, we’ll be starting in about an hour. I’d love to see you there.”
“I can’t wait.” Cressida’s dimples were on full display.
David cleared his throat and turned back to Mercedes. “Are you coming tonight as well? We always love having you play.”
“Not tonight, I’m afraid. Alec and I are having a night in.”
“We are?” Alec quirked an eyebrow.
“Yep.” She held his gaze. His expression turned positively sinful.
Mercedes had used the inn’s evening entertainment to avoid being alone with Alec. Now she was eager to get him on his own again.
After David said farewell, Cressida’s eyes followed him, a smile playing at her lips. “Ooh, he’s yummy. I owe you, Sadie. I’m partial to dark-haired Scotsmen.”
A snort came from Alec, which he covered with a cough. Declan’s expression had darkened, his normally laid-back manner tense.
“Now might not be the time for going out on a date.” Declan’s voice was tight.
Cressida shrugged. “Why not? What else is there to do?”
“I don’t know, maybe you could get some work done?”
Cressida scoffed. “Bloody hell, Dec. I’ve worked all day. And you heard Sadie. She and Alec are going to go get theirs. Why shouldn’t I get mine?”
Declan stiffened. “Jesus, Cress . . .”
“You know, last time I checked, I only had one brother sitting around this table.” She turned to her twin. “Lysander, darling, do you care if I get a little action tonight?”
Shake scoffed, amusement sparkling in his eyes. “Nope.”
“Good. We settled then?” Cressida’s eyes clashed with Declan’s hard stare, the muscles in his jaw working.
What the hell’s going on?
Alec sighed and stood, breaking the sudden tension. “Catch the bill on your room, would you Dec? Sadie and I are going home.”
He held his hand out to her as warmth rushed through her.
Home.
It was hard to remember what having a home felt like.
Declan grunted his response, and Alec took her hand.
“What was that all about?” she murmured.
Alec scoffed. “I don’t know. They normally get on well. He’s been acting strange since they arrived.”
“Huh,” Mercedes said, noncommittally. Declan’s problem seemed pretty clear to her, but she didn’t think Alec wanted to talk about that tonight.
Alec pulled the car up to the gate, pausing for it to open. Mercedes’s heart fluttered in anticipation. She had Alec all to herself with nowhere else to be. She planned to take full advantage of every moment until morning.
Somewhere in the distance, a phone was vibrating. Mercedes ignored it. Only one thing mattered.
Alec.
His beautiful mouth found her right nipple and pulled it in, sucking deeply. He licked at her, each stroke making her hotter.
Mercedes thrust her hips, whimpering in need. She hadn’t stopped thinking about the way his tongue felt when he tasted her the night before.
The vibration at the bedside table broke through again.
Damn it.
“Alec,” Mercedes breathed. He didn’t stop his attentions. “Alec.” This time pushing on his shoulders and sitting up.
“No, they’ll go away.” As if on cue, the buzzing stopped. “See,” he said, a smug smile on his face. He launched a new assault on her neck, nipping at her.
Mercedes moaned. “It has to be important. They wouldn’t call so late if it weren’t.”
“It’s fine. They can wait.” Alec pushed her back, his firm body covering hers.
Mercedes lost herself in his touch.
The phone buzzed again.
Alec groaned against her throat. Snatching up the phone, he answered it out of breath. “Christ, Declan, this had better be important.”
There was a tense pause. “You’re sure?”
Mercedes sat up and looked at the clock. It wasn’t as late as she thought.
“We don’t have a computer here yet. Right now? Aye.” Alec sighed and hung up. “Declan and Cress are on their way over.”
“Now?”
“Yeah, we need to get dressed. Something’s happened.”
Ten minutes later, Mercedes was adding water to the kettle when the knock on the door came. Declan and Cressida walked in, each with a computer bag.
“So sorry to bust in on you like this.” Cressida tilted her head in apology. “I know you wanted some alone time.”
Mercedes waved it off. “How did it go with David? He’s sweet, isn’t he?”
“Very, but I didn’t get to talk to him for long. Dec brought this to me, and I had to leave early.”
A tone sounded from the computer. Cressida tossed her head back. “Network’s ready, Dec.”
Declan joined them at the table. “So, this afternoon, we set up news alerts for anything related to Mara Donovan. News broke of an incident in the town square where the shop is located. This happened last night, but the police released this footage tonight. Take a look.”
Mercedes and Alec both leaned in. Mercedes wasn’t sure what she was looking for. When Jason appeared in the frame, she gasped. He wore a ball cap and walked with a limp, but there was no doubt it was him.
When Mara Donovan came on the screen, Mercedes’s gut churned. “Oh, god.”
Alec put his hand on her back. “That’s her?”
Mercedes nodded. She’d failed again. Jason and Adam had found Mara Donovan, and now she was likely dead.
“I feel sick,” Mercedes whispered.
Alec squinted at the screen. “What is she doing? Is she texting?”
Mercedes leaned in just as Mara broke her phone over the stone barrier, then launched herself off the side.
The blood left her face.
“Cress, I need to check my email.”
Cressida brought it up and scooted the computer to Mercedes. Mercedes’s hand trembled as she skimmed through the onslaught of messages. Her eyes landed on the one she hadn’t thought she’d ever see. There it was between ads for kitchen supplies and a furniture store in Berkeley.
“Holy shit,” she whispered. “She sent it to me.”
“Sent what? I see adverts,” Cressida said.
Mercedes clicked on the message from an online hand-crafted jewelry store. Scrolling through various glass pendants, she landed on one called The Mercedes Mirror.
“The other links probably don’t work, but this one will. It looks like a necklace, but it’ll open a PDF file.” Mercedes added the pendant to the shopping cart and clicked to check out. Instead of adding a credit card, she clicked on the d
iscount code and typed in the code Mara gave her.
As soon as she hit enter, the file downloaded and opened. Mercedes let out a breath. Mara would never have sent this file unless she thought she was going to die.
Mercedes,
If you are reading this, they found me. I leave this in your hands. I wasn’t strong enough to take them on. Maybe you will be.
Mara
Knightsbridge Security Boxes
#18759
Code: UvxRG3
Mercedes’s mouth went dry. Everything she needed to take down Marcus Cooper, his company, and every person he’d ever paid off was waiting for her in a safe deposit box in London.
They spent the next hour deciding what to do with this information. Alec and Declan discussed their connections, who might be the best agency to hand the documents to.
“It should be Nick,” Alec said. “This started in America, and it’s where the crimes were committed.”
Special Agent Nick Kessler was a seasoned FBI agent and an old friend. Alec assured her he had full trust Nick would get the information to the right place. Alec left his friend a message to call him.
“Should we go to London tomorrow and get the documents?” Mercedes asked.
“Let me talk to Nick first. I want a secure place to take them before we open that box.”
It was after midnight when Cressida and Declan packed up and left.
“Once we turn this over to the FBI, do you think I’ll be free of this?” Mercedes asked. “I don’t know where Mara is, and the evidence will be out of my hands.”
Alec’s shoulders tensed, but he smiled at her. “I don’t know. Cooper’s men might not need you, but I doubt Jason will be that easy to put off. He has different reasons for searching for you.”
Mercedes wanted Alec to be wrong. It would be easier to sleep at night if he wasn’t trying to track her down.
But somehow, she doubted her life would ever be the same again.