Lies (Phoenix Undercover #1)

by C. A. Harms

  “What?” I asked, yet all I could focus on was her piercing blue eyes. I had never seen eyes that blue before.

  “The fear of clowns,” she stated. “Coulrophobia.”

  I remained focused on her beauty, taking the time to look at each feature, wondering why in the hell she couldn’t have been the brunette from the coffee shop. My night would have been a whole hell of a lot better if she was in Marissa’s place.

  I knew I was staring, but I couldn’t stop myself. She had mentioned something about clowns, but I was lost. I had no idea what she was talking about. My gaze fell to her plump, full lips, and I smirked. No red lipstick graced them. They held only a sheer film of shiny gloss, and I loved that she preferred the more natural look. When they curved upward in a smile, I didn’t feel even the slightest bit embarrassed that she knew I was checking her out so closely.

  When her eyes met mine, she nudged her head toward Marissa. “I was referring to your date. She kinda resembles a clown.”

  I stared at her and could see she was fighting back her laughter. She lifted her drink to her lips and took a small sip before lowering it.

  I could no longer hold back my own smile. “I fucking hate clowns.”

  Chapter 4

  Gabriella

  “I’m Gabby, or Gabriella, but I prefer Gabby.” I held my hand out, and he wrapped his around mine.

  “Josh,” he offered, still holding my hand.

  “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Josh.”

  “You too,” he replied. “I guess my night isn’t a complete bust.”

  “So, if you don’t mind me asking, how did you get stuck with Lipstick Lizard over there?” I tipped the top of my beer in the direction of the brunette bimbo who was currently giving me the evil eye.

  “Would you believe me if I told you it was my friend’s fault?” he asked, and I shook my head. “Okay, but in my defense, her day and night look are completely different. Earlier when he set this whole thing up, she didn’t have three layers of makeup on.”

  I wanted to laugh, but I did my best to keep a straight face when I broke the news. “The torture isn’t over yet, because your date’s on her way over here.”

  I took a drink and almost spit it back out in a laugh when his eyes grew wide in horror. “Do I have time to run?” he asked, and I covered my mouth with my hand as she stepped up to his side.

  “I guess that’s a no,” he whispered, and I closed my eyes tight as my chest vibrated with laughter.

  “Josh, did you get me a drink?” Even her voice sounded fake. I would never understand why women did that—changed who they were to come off as needy and easy. Where was their confidence? This girl’s lack of self-esteem was so obvious, I almost felt sorry for her.

  “Um, sorry,” he told her. “I got a little distracted.” He looked over at me once more, and I could sense he was struggling to find a way out of this mess. I thought briefly about sitting back and watching, but that just felt cruel. Instead, I removed my hand from my beer bottle and held it out toward the girl.

  “Hi, I’m Gabby. Josh and I are old friends. We got carried away talking and catching up. We go way back, since high school.”

  Marissa narrowed her eyes at me, and I smiled back even wider. She was obviously looking for a way to intimidate me, but I wasn’t impressed. Honestly, it just made me want to take this whole game one step further.

  When I slid off my barstool, I was only inches from Josh. His knees were parted just enough to allow me to slip between them. I locked my eyes on his and placed a palm on both of his thighs.

  His stare held me, almost as if I were in some sort of a trance. I leaned in just a little farther and ran my tongue over my lips. My heart began to race even as I thought how this was completely out of character for me. Closing the distance, I placed my lips gently against his and kissed him softly. The girl gasped.

  When I pulled back, he was staring at me with a smirk. “It was really nice talking to you, Josh,” I whispered as I straightened up and removed my hands from his thighs. “Best night I’ve had in a very long time.”

  I grabbed my handbag from the bar and walked away on wobbly legs. The heat in my cheeks combined with the adrenaline made me feel slightly light-headed.

  I had to find my sister and get a little air.

  ***

  “Um, what the hell, Gabs?” Brooklyn stared back at me, wide-eyed and interested. “Jimmy said you just kissed some guy. You don’t do shit like that.”

  “Maybe I do and you just don’t hear about it.” I picked at the zipper on my handbag to hide the fact my hands were shaking.

  After ten minutes of searching, I found my sister on the dance floor, sandwiched between two other girls. She argued with me about leaving but gave in when I promised to allow her friends to come back to my place. Only then did she willingly get into the cab with me.

  Brooklyn had moved in with me after she dropped out of college. Two years later, she was still living in my spare bedroom and at war with my father about her lack of ambition. She thought working toward shift manager at the deli down the street was a major career goal. Because my dear sister lived with and hounded me daily, I could safely say she knew me better than anyone, so she would know that kissing a complete stranger in the middle of a bar was something I would never do. I think I was just as shocked as she was that I had, yet I didn’t regret doing it. The only thing I did regret was leaving without giving him my number.

  “My sister is a tramp,” Brooklyn said with a smirk. “Was he hot at least?”

  I nodded as I pictured Josh’s strong jaw and sexy smirk.

  “What does he do? Are you gonna see him again?”

  My stomach knotted instantly, and I shook my head.

  “Can I ask why?”

  “Because.” I hung my head. “I didn’t wait around for his number.”

  “What the hell, Gabby? You find some attractive man,” she said, making air quotes around the word attractive. I rolled my eyes at her. “And you don’t get his number or offer your own? What the hell was the point in kissing him, then?”

  I smiled, thinking back to the look on the girl’s face as she glared at me, sizing me up. “He was on the date from hell, and I was trying to give him the out he needed.”

  She stared at me, her mouth hanging open in surprise. “I can’t believe you. You’re such a hooker. He was on a date, and you still kissed him?”

  “Mhmm,” I hummed while turning back to look ahead of us. The taxi was rounding the corner as it approached our apartment building. Just as it slowed to a stop along the curb, I opened the door. I looked back over my shoulder at Brooklyn. “And his date watched the whole thing.”

  Her mouth fell open once more, and I crawled out of the cab, smiling as I walked toward the entrance of our building.

  “You slut,” she gasped as she raced behind me to catch up.

  Chapter 5

  Josh

  It’d been a week since Gabby surprised me with a kiss, and I still couldn’t get it out of my head. No, it wasn’t anything more than a sweet kiss, but it was a memorable one for sure. I was still kicking myself for not getting her number or offering my own. Besides the fifteen minutes I spent talking to her, I had just wanted to forget all about that night.

  Greyson was still giving me shit about it, though. Apparently another girl kissing me put a damper on his plans. Marissa was pissed, and when she told her friend, they both left, leaving Greyson horny and alone. I guess I shouldn’t have laughed or made fun of the fact that he would have to take care of the problem himself. I was only adding fuel to the flame, but I loved getting under his skin.

  I had just entered the bureau when my phone began to vibrate on my hip, and I lifted it to find my father’s name lighting up the screen. This was not something I needed to deal with on a Friday morning. I loved the man, but he could be a handful. After my mother passed away two years ago, he became heavily dependent on me and my sister. That would have been okay if he also allowed us
to have a life of our own too. I told Libby we needed to find him a hobby.

  “Hey, Dad,” I said as I punched the button on the wall and waited for the elevator to arrive.

  “Son,” he replied. “Libby is bringing Jonah for dinner tonight. I thought I’d offer up your sister’s cooking to you as well.”

  I swear Libby brought him dinner at least five times a week. But being married to an attorney who worked long-ass hours meant she found herself with the time to visit for hours.

  “Gotta work, Dad, sorry. Another time, okay?” The elevator dinged and I stepped aside, allowing the car to empty.

  “You work too much, son.” His voice took on a serious tone, and I knew the familiar lecture was coming. “One day you’re gonna wake up and wonder where the hell your life went. Wonder why you spent so much time working and so little time living. I just want you to be happy, Josh.”

  “I know, Dad.” I pinched the bridge of my nose and hung my head. “We’ll get together on Sunday, okay?”

  “Okay, son. You be careful.”

  “Always,” I replied before lowering the phone and tapping End. He was right; I knew he was. But it wasn’t that I was content with how I was living. I just wanted both to work as hard as I did and to have a family.

  I leaned back against the wall of the elevator until it dinged once again, announcing it had arrived at the top floor. I was already ten minutes late for a briefing with my team, and my mood was shit. Rounding the corner in the hallway, I found three of the guys, including Greyson lingering just outside the conference room.

  “Hey, Prince Charming, ever figure out who your Cinderella was?” Connor chuckled as I came to a stop only two feet from them.

  Greyson took it upon himself a few days ago to tell the entire team about my date last Friday. He made it sound like Marissa dumped me and then I got ditched by the rebound girl, which was apparently Gabriella. Yeah, he worked the room, making me look like some sorry sucker who struck out with two women. I didn’t play into his game or let him convince them I was responsible for ruining his night. Then again, I suppose I was in a way, so I guess I owed it to him to put up with a little of his taunting. Greyson’s ego needed a boost, and I was confident enough to sit back and take shit from the guys.

  “Nope,” I said as I pushed past them into the room.

  “Okay, so—” Terrance entered behind me and took a seat at the big round table. “—we’re FBI agents, so how hard can it be for us to work this out? We can find her.”

  “What the hell are we gonna do? Search for all Gabriella’s in the city, door to door?” I looked around the table. All eyes were on me.

  George was the first to speak. “You don’t know her full name?”

  I sat there wondering just how in the hell my life became the topic of our meeting.

  “I must be going to the wrong places to meet women,” he continued. “You got kissed by a sweet thing and you only knew her first name. Meanwhile, I’ve been hitting on a girl in my apartment building for two years, and all she does is offer a quick nod before scurrying down the hallway toward her exit.” George shook his head and stared off like he was in deep thought.

  I was just about to respond when Frank, our commanding agent and superior, entered the room and shut the door behind him. He carried in a stack of files and dropped them on the table in front of us.

  “We got a long day, men. It appears our friend Roman has recruited a few men close to home. They’re moving into our area faster than anticipated, which means our plans are being pushed ahead.” His stare connected with mine, and my stomach tightened. Shit was moving forward, which meant I was going undercover.

  “You ready for this?” he asked.

  I nodded as I reached out and flipped open the first file.

  The name written in bold and highlighted at the top of the document peeking out just beneath his photo was:

  Leo Markovich

  He looked rough. He had been accused of rape and a list of other things yet never convicted. His victims always retracted their statements or worse, never showed up for trial. His boss Roman Socolov, a powerful drug smuggler, who also dabbled in prostitution and human trafficking, had a strong team behind him, which he needed because no one in the FBI had ever had the pleasure of coming face-to-face with him. Whenever we got close, he’d bail, leaving his goons to handle his business. If we wanted to stop him, we would have to start with Leo.

  “Through our connections, we’ve already set up a meeting with Leo. Tomorrow evening, you will be driven by Greyson and Mike to a location in East Harlem. We believe it’s just a meeting place they use and not their central location.”

  Frank flipped open another file from the stack and began handing out enlarged photos of men who I assumed would be involved in the meeting.

  “You already know Leo, Roman’s advisor. He is the one that holds the key to Roman’s location, so he’s our main target.” Frank then pulled out the next set of photos and passed them around. We sat in silence as he introduced each of Leo’s associates and their duties. “Meet Nicolay, the bookmaker. And Pavel, the warrior, which are more like the soldiers, the protectors.” He then tossed a photo of three men who were obviously related on the table. “The Kuznetsov brothers. The enforcers and bodyguards. This forms their brotherhood.”

  Frank locked eyes with me. “They are looking for a connection in this area, and you will be their bitch, so to speak. Their goal is to invite you into their world, allow you to mingle and mix, and then take your streets right out from under you, conquering one more section of our city. To get you started, we’ve set up your headquarters, including your team of dealers.”

  “Wow, man, you’re our very own godfather,” Greyson bellowed, and the men around the table hooted loudly.

  My eyes were still locked on Frank’s. I knew this was a dangerous mission. There was a good chance one of us could get hurt or possibly even killed. But I also knew how important this was to Frank and to myself.

  Frank’s son, Johnny, got wrapped up heavily in drugs straight out of high school, fell in with the wrong people, and in the end, Roman Socolov put a bullet in his head and left him on his parents’ front lawn. Frank knew Roman was responsible, but the proof wasn’t concrete enough to hang his ass. He had too many men that were willing to hide his identity and take the fall for his mistakes. They were loyal, and Roman lived a life of safety knowing they would always keep his identity secure or they too would die a slow and brutal death.

  Not many knew the connections Frank had with Roman and his men, but I did. They were responsible for the loss Frank and his wife, Marie, felt every day of their lives. And I knew I would give everything I had in me to bring Johnny’s killer down. Frank and Marie deserved closure, and Johnny deserved justice.

  “You men go out and enjoy your night, because tomorrow the real work begins,” Frank said as he stood from the table. The glossy look in his eyes as he exited left my stomach in knots.

  Chapter 6

  Gabriella

  “Come on. Please?” Brooklyn begged.

  I had just left the office and was walking toward my car with my Bluetooth in my ear.

  “Brook, I spent the entire day showing condos to a smug bastard that thought every place was beneath him. And when he did find one he would settle for, he didn’t even have the money for it.”

  I clicked the Unlock button on my key fob and opened the back door of my Audi to toss my briefcase in the backseat. “I’m exhausted and irritated, and the last thing I’m in the mood for is a night in some loud-ass club. I promise that would only be a disaster in the making. I would either nut-punch some asshole who thought I was there just to go home with him, or I would claw some skank’s eyes out just for the enjoyment of hearing her squeal. Honestly, you do not want me to go out tonight.”

  “You are such a buzzkill,” she retorted.

  I opened the driver’s-side door and slipped inside. “See, we haven’t even gone out yet and I’m already ruining your n
ight.”

  “God, you are so fucking cranky and uptight. You need to get laid.”

  That comment got a laugh out of me.

  “Maybe that hottie from last week will be there. You know, the one you forgot to give your number to.”

  The idea of seeing him again did make my heart beat just a little faster. “I’m actually going to stop at the liquor store and pick up a bottle of wine. Then head home, find a good movie, and curl up on the couch in my pajamas.” Just talking about my plans had already helped me relax a bit.

  “Stop, stop,” she whined. “I swear I just envisioned you as Nana, sitting on the couch watching reruns.”

  I laughed and put my keys in the ignition.

  “Actually, I think Nana has more of a life than you. She went to the casinos last week with Mom and Dad, and they had to cut her off.”

  My grandmother was hysterical. She weighed no more than ninety pounds and seemed to be so sweet and innocent. But the woman had a mouth like a sailor, and if you turned your back on her for a moment, she would be counting cards and doing shots. At eighty-two she still had a fire burning inside her. I only hoped I had a heart like hers at that age.

  “You are twenty-six years old and single. You aren’t getting any younger, Gabs.” Brook giggled because she knew she hit a nerve.

  “If I wasn’t so damn shot from my day, I would show you I have no trouble meeting men. But I just don’t have it in me tonight. Maybe tomorrow.”

  “Whatever. Don’t forget to knit me a scarf before winter, Grandma.” The smartass gave me no time to fire back before she hung up.

  One day, she would realize the club scene was so overrated.

  ***

  Twenty minutes later, I was standing in the wine aisle of Garner’s Liquor, just around the corner from my apartment. I was scanning the shelf and debating whether I preferred white or red when the eerie feeling I was being watched washed over me. Without lifting my head, I carefully turned it from side to side, looking out of the corner of my eyes.