by Lexi Blake
She hated the answer but had to be truthful. “No. Eli Nelson had my sister by then.”
“Your sister, Chelsea Dennis. She was taken from her elementary school in North Carolina by her father, Vladimir Denisovitch, and brought to Moscow. He kidnapped her right off the playground. You were older. Did he use your sister to get you to go with him? Or were you afraid because he’d murdered your mother by then?” Adam asked, proving just how smart he was.
Charlie felt her jaw drop. She thought Chelsea had buried that information. “How do you know that?”
“Is your sister the hacker?” Adam’s eyes flared as though he’d found a challenge.
Charlie nodded. “She’s the best in the world.”
Adam sat back. “Second best. Tell her she didn’t go far enough. No information is ever really lost. You just have to know which threads to follow and which lead to nowhere. I have amazing instincts. It’s not just about talent. I’d met you. I didn’t know if it was you or someone else who had covered the tracks. I made an educated guess. Can she walk? Her medical records were inconclusive.”
Charlie took a deep breath. God, he’d found out far more than she’d expected. “She has a pronounced limp.”
Adam’s voice had a gravely tone, as though he was deeply sympathetic. “From the compound fractures of both the tibia and the fibula in each leg. I can’t imagine the pain of that. She was left like that for a long period of time? I found the X-rays online. They showed a healing process. The doctors had to refracture the legs to set them. She was ten?”
The truth could only help her here. She needed these people on her side. But it was so hard to talk about. Especially with Ian’s accusations running through her head. “She was ten years old. The only reason my father took her to the hospital is that I agreed to comply with his training. My father was the head of the Denisovitch syndicate. My mother ran when she was pregnant with Chelsea. She realized she didn’t want her daughters being raised by a monster. She paid a man to smuggle the two of us out of the country. We lived in North Carolina for ten years. She thought he’d forgotten about us. He hadn’t. He killed my mother and took my sister and me back to Russia. I was a bit rebellious, to say the least. He realized that Chelsea was his best method of controlling me so he broke her legs one day. I did what he asked after that.”
“How terrible,” Serena said, her eyes tearing up.
Terrible didn’t begin to cover it. One day she’d been a happy junior high kid whose mom adored her. She’d had a future. She’d wanted to go to college. The next her mother was dead and her only future was with the Thieves-in-Law. “My father ran drugs and women, and Eli Nelson tried to make him out to be an arms dealer. Nelson used my love for my sister to get me to run an operation for him. He told me he would off my father if I would just spend a couple of weeks distracting a CIA operative for him.”
“Ian.” Eve sat forward, an encouraging look on her face. “You were trying to save your sister.”
Well, at least they were giving her more room than Ian had. “Yes. I didn’t know Ian then. My mission was to spend a little time with him. I didn’t expect to marry him. I didn’t expect to love him. He would have done the same for Sean.”
“Yes,” Jake said. “He would have. So why are you back?”
Grace brought in a tray of coffee and donuts. “The donut shop delivered. Why did you order ten lemon filled?”
“It’s Ian’s favorite.”
Jake sat back. “So you love the big guy. Damn, good luck to you.”
Grace looked down at the four dozen donuts Charlie had ordered. “Ian doesn’t eat donuts.”
Charlie waved her off. “He thinks he can’t handle carbs. He loves them, trust me. Now can we get to the point of this meeting? Is anyone interested in Eli Nelson, aka Mr. Black?”
Serena sat up, a notebook in her hand. “I am.”
Great. The novelist was interested in what she had to say. So all her hard-won data only meant something to the chick who would combine it with double penetration and lubricant in a literary extravaganza. “Look, this is serious. I want everyone except members of the team out of this conference room. This is not playtime, people. Eli Nelson isn’t a joke.”
Grace frowned her way. “Yes, I know that. I have a metal plate in my head to prove it. You’re not telling me anything we don’t already know. Except that you’re here without Ian. I know Serena. Serena is here because she’s a member of our little family. No matter what Sean says, you haven’t proven anything to me so far. So I would tread carefully or we’ll call security and have you taken out.”
Damn it. She’d lost Grace the minute she’d questioned Serena. So there was a “girl power” thing going. She didn’t need to piss them off, but she did need to make herself clear. “I’ll make my marriage license available to you.”
Simon smiled, but it was a predatory thing. “We won’t need to call security, love. I’ll escort you out myself.”
Yeah, she was sure he would escort her out in the nastiest way possible. “I’m here because I love Ian. I’ve already bled for this team.”
“Grace, she saved Alex,” Eve explained.
“She’s the reason Evans’s whole terrorist plot was brought down,” Serena added. “I was there. I might not have been right there, but I know she was helping. They wouldn’t have taken him down without her.” She turned to Charlie. “I’m only here because I’ve been spotting lately and Jake and Adam are twelve kinds of freaked out about me losing the baby. I can wait in Adam’s office if you prefer.”
Yep, she was a bitch. God, life was easier when she hadn’t cared about her conscience. “No. Please stay, Serena. I’m sorry. I’m trying to do something I’ve never done before—be professional. I want Ian to be proud of me.”
“He’s likely going to be mad pissed off at you,” Liam pointed out, but even he was studying her with something other than complete rage.
She perked up a little, thinking of just how well Ian had spanked her in the past. He had a very strict set of rules.
“Yes, I’m totally counting on that.” She sobered up. “I understand that the majority of you have zero reason to trust me. Adam, what else have you discovered about me in the last twelve hours, because I’m betting you haven’t slept a wink since Alex figured out who I am.”
Adam sat up straighter, his eyes lighting with enthusiasm. “I’ve figured it all out, honey. You’re deeply interesting. Your name is Charlotte Dennis, born Charlotte Denisovitch, though I think maybe that name change wasn’t completely legal.”
It hadn’t been, but her mother had been desperate. “Mom thought an American name would help.”
“Your father was a son of a bitch. He was a brutal, violent man, and he didn’t limit it to his business.” His eyes softened slightly. “He didn’t break you the way he did Chelsea.”
She didn’t like to think about those times now. “My torture was more mental than Chelsea’s, but I assure you I was put through his rigorous tests. My father believed his children should be strong or they should be dead. We’re lucky, Chelsea and I.”
“Is the syndicate still looking for you?” Adam asked. “Is that why you’ve had thirty-four residences in the last five years?”
Had it been so few? It felt like a hundred. “Yes. My uncle took over after my father was killed. Uncle Mikhail took Dad’s death personally. He blames me. He should. I traded my work for Eli Nelson for his assassination services. At the time, I didn’t feel like I had a choice. I could work for my father and hope he didn’t kill my sister or I could hope Nelson upheld his end of our bargain. He did, in the end, though he tried to take more than we’d originally bargained for.”
“He wanted you to continue to work for him?” Adam asked.
Jake huffed, sitting back in his chair. “Shit. He’s looking for you, too.”
Charlie shrugged a little. They weren’t telling her anything she didn’t know. “Not personally, but he’s sent plenty of assassins after me. I might have stolen
a whole bunch of his money.”
“I knew there was a reason I liked her,” Eve said. “You know, besides the whole saving my husband’s life thing.”
At least she had one person on her side. “Chelsea and I have been on the run ever since. I’ve had one goal in life. I’m going to get my husband back. I’m going to make everything up to him and spend the rest of my life making him happy. I’ve done some terrible things, but I’m trying to do good now. I’m trying to make things better, and the best way I can do that is by helping you bring down Eli Nelson. Chelsea and I managed to damage him financially about a year and a half ago.”
Adam’s eyes went wide. “Shit. You’re the reason he was dealing with the Chinese. You stole his backup money.”
And just like that, she was back in the doghouse.
“Most agents keep a stash in case they get burned. Normally it’s like a hundred grand or something, but not Eli. No. He was dirty as hell and it had paid well. He also liked to make certain business investments. When I took his two million, he owed a nice chunk of it to some South American gentlemen. Yeah, he had to think fast to make that up. It’s probably why he went with the bearer bonds finally. I know he’d planned on keeping them for his retirement, but I forced him into the open. I’m sure you blame me for that, O’Donnell.”
“I got a nice girl out of it, so we can call that one even.” The Irishman was still studying her, but he’d relaxed a bit. She didn’t think he had his hand on the trigger anymore.
“Where’s this sister you’ve talked about?” Simon asked.
“I didn’t know you had a sister, Kris. I mean, Charlotte.” Jesse looked like someone had taken him shopping, possibly the Brit. He was in a suit and tie that he only looked slightly uncomfortable in. She had to admit, he cleaned up nicely.
“Yeah, again with the undercover thing,” she replied. “I thought I would come in and see if someone shot me before I brought my sister in.” That wasn’t the only reason. Chelsea didn’t get out much. She preferred to live her life in front of her monitor. “But I have the information she’s uncovered. I thought we could talk it through before Adam does his thing.”
“You know where Nelson is?” Jake asked.
“I know what he’s interested in. I can’t get a good line on him, but I have some ears to the ground. He’s been spending a lot of time in India the last couple of months.”
“India?” Simon asked. “Mumbai?”
“No, he’s been seen in Goa. Southern Goa to be exact, though the reports have him running all along the western coast of India.”
“Goa?” Adam asked. He had his laptop out, his fingers already flying across the keyboard.
“It’s the smallest state in India, but it’s right on the coast so it’s known for its tourism. Europeans flock there for holiday. I thought we could send Simon in to take a look, maybe ask a few questions. He could easily be mistaken for a tourist if someone pulled the stick out of his ass and stuffed him into some board shorts.” She ignored his huff and opened the packet she’d sat up all night making for her new crew. “If you’ll look at page three, you can see I have a list of businesses he’s frequented in the area using one of his known aliases. Unfortunately, unlike London, these seaside towns aren’t outfitted with CCTV cameras on every corner, so I’m having to rely on informants and his paper trail. You’ll see that he’s used several guide shops. I can’t tell if he’s buying products or services because he’s been using cash there. He might be on to me because my informant in the area has gone silent.”
“So he’s dead,” Jake surmised.
“Probably.”
“And you want to send me in next,” Simon said with a droll little grin. “How very flattering.”
“Well, I expect you won’t allow Nelson to catch you,” she shot back.
“What’s in Goa that Nelson would want?” Jake leaned forward, grabbing a donut.
She bit back a smile. She’d felt vulnerable. It was so stupid, childish, but she’d been hurt no one would eat the donuts she’d brought. She hadn’t poisoned them or anything. They were just chock full of sugar and artery-hardening goodness. The fact that they had been sitting there untouched had made her feel deeply unwanted.
Once Jake reached for one, Jesse grabbed a couple and the men all started eating. Even Simon sniffed around a couple before selecting a jelly.
“I’m not sure yet, but there are a couple of scientific teams in the area, one energy project, and several billionaires. He would likely be interested in the billionaires, and I’m curious about the energy project. Mostly because I can find very little on it. It’s being run by a small consortium of scientists hosted by the royalty of a small island country named Loa Mali. The island is one of the smallest countries in the world. I have no idea how it’s managed to stay sovereign, but it’s actually quite flush with cash. It’s been a country for the last two hundred years, and the same family has been at the head of government. The king’s name is Kashmir Kamdar.”
“The high-tech guru?” Adam asked around his chocolate éclair. “I’ve heard of him. He’s like a billionaire playboy.”
“Or he’s a terrorist working with Eli Nelson. I’m a little worried that Nelson is trying to get back into the arms market by selling to the factions in Kashmir, the region of India Kash is named for. His family has close ties with India. He’s a big proponent of keeping Kashmir in Indian hands.”
“And the Pakistani government wants it for its own,” Simon said, neatly summing up hundreds of years of conflict. “It’s perfect for a man like Nelson. So I get to go and get some sun and figure out if Nelson is trying to get that part of the world to go nuclear. Well, I’m going to need a per diem. If I’m going in as a tourist, I should definitely be a wealthy one.”
“You’re not going anywhere.” Ian was standing in the doorframe, his big body in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. His hair was still a little wet as though he’d run from his shower to the office. He looked big and dangerous and completely sexy. He made her mouth water just looking at him.
He even looked good with a black eye. Maybe she shouldn’t have hit him so hard. Well, there was only one way to get through this and that was to be brazen.
“Hello, Ian. I brought your favorite donuts. Lemon cream. Would you like some coffee? Did Sean give you ibuprofen? I told him he should get you some.”
He simply walked in, reached down, and hauled her up. Without a word from him, he slung her over his broad shoulder and started carrying her out.
“All right, then, Adam, you know what to do,” Charlie said, trying to hold her head up. Unlike her husband, she wasn’t willing to have it out in front of his employees and friends.
“God, I wish I had a video camera. Someone make sure security doesn’t erase these tapes,” Adam said.
“Adam!” He could be so damn obnoxious. She had to keep him in line.
He straightened up immediately. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll check into it.”
A hard hand slapped at her ass, making her skin tingle. “He’s not going to check into anything except getting new locks for our fucking doors.”
“Mommy and Daddy are fighting, Jake. What should I do?” Adam asked.
From what she could see, they were all following her and Ian out of the conference room, snacks in hand.
Jake was watching the scene with an amused expression. “I think we figure out who’s scarier.”
“I’m writing this into a book,” Serena said, taking notes on a small pad of paper.
“Is the meeting over?” Grace asked. “Should I clean up?”
Charlie knew exactly what was going to happen. “He’s going to say he doesn’t want a donut, but he totally does. Save him three. He’ll eat them before lunch and then pretend he didn’t. Oh, and he likes his coffee really black, like almost espresso like.”
Grace stopped. “Seriously? I’ve been making it medium.”
“He likes really dark roast.”
Another swat hit her ass. “I hate
everything.”
He was so annoying. “You can toss me out on my ass. I’ll be back in ten minutes.”
He walked out the glass doors, allowing them to slam shut behind them. “Not if I kill you you won’t.”
Like that was a real threat. “Sure, Superman, slay me hard, buddy.”
He talked such a good game. He talked like he was the biggest badass to ever walk the face of the earth and, in some ways, he was. He could eviscerate a man who did evil and never think twice about it. He was perfectly capable of taking someone’s head off.
But only if they deserved it.
She’d figured him out long ago. He would take apart the bad guys—and no one else. He would have a hard time taking out a woman, even if she did deserve it. He had his code, and he stuck to it rigidly.
Ian Taggart would undoubtedly tell her it made him vomit, but he was a hero. A real live walking and talking American hero.
He was her hero. And damn, his ass looked fine in a pair of jeans. She thought seriously about cupping those strong muscles with her palms, but decided against it. She could only push him so far before he did something he would regret.
“Or I could just send you to the street, where you belong.” The elevator dinged open and he strode inside.
She took a breath, steeling herself against the close quarters. “Ian, come on.”
Ian ignored her, looking toward his crew. “You guys stay the fuck in the office or you’re fired.”
“I won’t fire anyone,” she shot back. The elevator was large and elegantly appointed and empty. She’d handled it on her way up. She could take a trip down. “Except Jesse. He nearly killed me.”
She heard a sad little sigh. “But I just got an apartment.”
“You’re not fucking fired, Jesse,” Ian said, frustration evident in his tone. “This is still my company. I wanted to fire you but now I won’t because I know she doesn’t want you here. But if you try to follow us down, I’ll kill you.”
He turned so she couldn’t see anything except the back of the elevator and how fine his ass was. She concentrated on that and not the fact that they were in a small, enclosed space. “He’s a drama queen. He’s not going to kill anyone. He’s definitely not going to kill Eli Nelson because he won’t find the fucker without me.”