by Jasmin Quinn
“Maybe you should go, Finn,” Nika murmured to him, tears threatening her composure.
Finn looked at her sharply. “What are you talking about?”
“If you left now, maybe they would let you alone. You could hide for a while, until it was safe.”
Finn turned on to his stomach and propped himself up on his elbows, so she could see his face. “Nika, I am not afraid to die.”
“I believe you, Finn, but—” Her voice broke.
“You are my reason to live. Your Mr. Jackman and I have a common enemy now. Rusya Savisin is a dead man. I just have to figure out how to make him dead.”
“Finn—”
“Nika, I can’t let you go. I can’t stand the thought of never seeing you again, never holding you. If that happened, I may as well be dead.”
“Finn, does that mean you love me?”
“Nika, I love you. You’re mine. That’ll never change.”
“I knew it, Finn.” Nika smiled broadly. “I knew you loved me back.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Finn had no idea where he was. He’d lost track of time as they flew. The sun was shining high in the sky. It was at least noon. The doctor was right, it was a fucking long flight. He looked at Nika who was standing beside him, leaning on his shoulder, hugging his arm to her. He could sense her nervousness. They were finally dressed for the cold weather. The men who arrived to bring them here, wherever the fuck here was, brought them warm clothing and toiletries. It seemed very strange to have them in the hotel room. Finn thought for a minute of grabbing Nika and running. But the men were armed and unyielding in their approach not only towards him, but also Nika and Michael.
There were no long goodbyes with Michael as they were ushered out of the room and onto the private jet. He was not coming with them, and he seem relieved to see the tail end of them. Finn wasn’t all that sorry to bid him farewell either. Yeah, they worked well together, but Michael was a psychopath. He sighed, maybe they all were.
Finn gazed at his surroundings. The airport was private, Finn counted three jets in hangars. As far as he could see, there was snow and trees – pines mostly. One road that led in and out of the airport. And a heavily guarded control tower. How the fuck did Nika just walk out of here? What lies did she weave to gain her freedom? Maybe she wasn’t as innocent as she presented herself. And he felt a moment of pride; this clever woman was his. An SUV was waiting on the tarmac for them and they were quickly ushered into it. Nika squeezed his hand. He squeezed it back. He was nervous too, he realized.
The compound was a massive complex literally in the middle of no where. It was gated and heavily guarded, and it was apparent everyone was carefully checked when they entered or exited. Inside the building, everything was polished and gleaming, but buzzing with activity. “This is the main part of the complex,” Nika explained. “This is where you eat or get little things if you need them, like pills, or toothpaste, magazines, snacks.” Finn watched as a couple of young men stood talking by a large fig tree, coffee cups in hand. “We’re going toward the work area – the offices, labs, facilities.”
“Is this where you work?”
Nika nodded. “This is where everyone works. They are taking us to Mr. Jackman’s office.”
They both fell silent as they walked for a few more minutes. Then their armed tour guide stopped and rapped on a door. He didn’t wait to be invited in, just opened the door and entered the office. “They’re here,” he said without ceremony.
Nika dropped Finn’s hand and stepped into the office. Finn immediately felt her abandonment but locked an impassive expression onto his face and crossed the threshold. The guard stepped out of the room and closed the door solidly behind them.
The room was expansive and expensively decorated, well-appointed with heavy mahogany furniture, and soft chairs and sofas. A fully stocked bar stood off to the side, and a massive window framed by heavy damask curtains led to a sweeping view of the landscape. The endless snow and forest were both breath-taking and terrifying.
“Nika.” A man stepped out from behind his desk. He was taller and broader than Finn, dark hair and eyes assessing first him then Nika. He was wearing an expensive well-tailored suit and a slight scent of expensive aftershave followed him as he stepped forward. He might have passed as Michael Black’s brother but for his singular dimension. He had a hard, deadly, and unforgiving stance. The hair stood up on the back of Finn’s neck. “It’s good to have you back.” His eyes flicked from Nika to Finn. “And you are Finn McQueen, the man Michael Black has asked me not to kill.”
“Yes,” he replied bluntly, drawing his hands behind his back and widening his stance slightly.
“Mr. Jackman,” Nika said, a little tremor to her voice. She tried again, “Mr. Jackman, I am –” But Jackman cut her off.
“You must be tired, Nika. Michael tells me you’ve been through a lot.” But his words held no trace of empathy. His black eyes held no forgiveness. “Go to your apartment, I wish to speak to Finn McQueen directly.”
“But –”
“Go, Nika!” Jackman’s voice had a hard edge to it. “You and I will talk later.”
Finn bristled at Blackman’s handling of Nika but wanted her out of this room too. He had a few things to say to the son-of-a-bitch standing before him, and he didn’t want Nika to hear. “Nika,” he growled, intentionally heavy-handed. “Go to your apartment. I’ll come to you soon.”
Nika bit at her lip, looking from Jackman to Finn. She took a step back from Finn, eyes slashing him with a cutting scowl, then turned and stormed from the room.
Finn and Jackman stood feet apart. Silence settled over them.
Jackman spoke first. “I can’t decide whether to kill you or thank you.”
Finn heard it then, the almost imperceptible inflection to his speech, like Nika’s. Jackman was Russian. Finn threw him a scornful grin. “You mean try to kill me.”
Jackman drew in a short breath as he turned his back to Finn and strode over to the bar. A clear message – I am in charge, you fucking cop. “What’s your drink of choice?”
“Scotch.”
Jackman waved Finn over to a chair before pouring two generous fingers of scotch into tumblers. He handed one to Finn, before seating himself directly opposite. Finn took a swallow, held it his mouth and then savoured the burn as it slid down his throat. He looked at the amber liquid, finest scotch he’d ever tasted.
“You have something to say to me, Finn,” Jackman said, his deep voice drawing the words out slowly between his lips. He leaned forward, his hands dwarfing the tumbler as he wrapped his fingers around it. “Why don’t we get that discussion over with.”
Finn assessed him. Jackman knew what he was about, no hesitation, no second guessing himself. Very much in charge, used to giving the orders, an arrogance of expectation that every one of his operatives would do as he said. Or there would be consequences. Finn was used to taking orders, having superiors ask him to do asinine bureaucratic bullshit. He didn’t think it worked that way around here – Jackman probably got straight to the point without the asinine bullshit. Finn decided he would too. “You’re a human trafficker.” Finn kept his gaze level and impassive as he threw his accusation at Jackman. And then he turned Jackman’s earlier words on him. “Part of me wants to kill you and part of me wants to thank you.”
Jackman smiled at Finn, a small satisfied smirk. “Ah, the cop with the morals. But you’re right, I bought Nika, took her away from her shithole of a life. Brought her here.”
“That doesn’t make you a boy scout. You’ve exploited her. Kept her locked up, working since she was eleven.”
Jackman leaned back in his chair and drew his index finger down the side of his glass. He met Finn’s hostile eyes with a steady, unflinching gaze. “I have.”
Finn found himself at a loss for words. “Jesus,” he breathed.
“I’ve exploited almost all the people who work for me. If you want to call it that. I’ve saved their
lives and in return, they’ve given me their loyalty. Is it such a bad thing? I’ve ensured their safety from those who wish to see them dead, worked with them to eliminate their threats, looked after them, compensated them well.”
“But they’re not free to come and go as they please.”
Jackman frowned, and Finn took satisfaction that he managed to put a small chink in this arrogant asshole’s armour. “This compound is their safety net. Many of them don’t want to leave, some are traumatized by their experiences. And they can come and go, but not without bodyguards.”
“Do you rescue everyone that’s in danger, or only those you can exploit?”
Jackman laughed, short and mirthless. “There are very few people in this world that have talked to me as you have and are still living.”
Finn chuckled cheerlessly and took a sip of his scotch. “I think you need me more than I need you.”
Jackman’s face flashed fury. “Perhaps. But you had better hope she never tires of you.”
Finn flipped topics, the idea of Nika tiring of him made him too raw. “You don’t have her loyalty, Jackman. That’s not how you own her. She’s terrified of you.”
Jackman sobered, the anger slipping away. “How do you know?”
“She would’ve let those fucking Russian’s torture her to death before she betrayed you. Loyal people think you’ll forgive them and when they can’t take it anymore, they talk. Nika believes you’ll kill her and me.”
“I won’t kill her, McQueen.” Finn noted sourly that Jackman made no promises about his life.
He said, “You need to tell her that, Jackman. And you need to eliminate your fucking vulnerability. You must be insane to hide all your organization’s activities in a human computer.”
Jackman looked at Finn as if he was restraining himself from leaping across the glass coffee table and throttling the man. “I assure you I am not insane. Nika handles my secrets, I hold them.” Then he leaned forward again, toward Finn. “Tell me Finn, how would you eliminate my fucking vulnerability? Kill Nika? Lock her in a cell? Never let her leave the compound?”
Finn went cold. “You know I didn’t mean kill Nika.”
Jackman smiled at Finn, genuinely. “I won’t kill Nika, I won’t kill you. But you have me somewhat at a disadvantage. I owe you – Michael told me you saved both his life and Nika’s at risk of your own and at the expense of your job and your life as you know it.”
Finn sobered as Jackman’s words hit him like little shards of glass. He hadn’t loved his life for a long time. But the alternative made him shiver – he wasn’t sure he could stand being locked away in this compound. And he never was all that good at taking orders. But he would do what he had to, if it meant the safety of those he loved. “My family’s in danger.”
“We’ll solve that,” Jackman replied as if it was an unessential, unimportant detail. He crossed his legs and straightened the crease in his pantleg. “Michael also says that you are a crack shot. That you can hit the middle of a target from 100 feet with a pistol.”
Finn shrugged. “Maybe.”
“Don’t be modest. No one in my organization has that skill. I doubt very much that there are many in the world that can do what you do.”
“You want to put me on your payroll as an assassin?” Finn should have been outraged at Jackman and incredulous at himself for not throttling the man. But he was neither. He felt something akin to relief and hope. And a little admiration for the asshole sitting across from him.
“Not an assassin. Not really, although that may come up from time to time.” Jackman shifted in his chair. “I don’t send my operatives into the field without providing them with the details they need to accomplish their mission. But there’s no morality clause in the non-existent contract I offer. I’m not Robin Hood nor Mother Theresa. My operations are self-serving, but I try hard not to deliberately kill innocent people.”
“Michael Black had no problem taking out the wife of a mob-guy.”
“And you had no problem sanctioning it,” Jackman shot back heatedly. “Don’t pretend you have more integrity than I, Finn. You’re as ruthless as any man when there’s someone between you and what you seek. I know what you’re about. I wouldn’t have let you step foot in my house unless I knew everything there was to know about you.”
“I’m at a disadvantage, Jackman. I don’t know about you.”
“You know we have a common enemy.”
Finn hardened his gaze. “Rusya Savisin.”
“Who wants him dead more than you and me?”
“You’re right, Jackman. So, my first assignment, do I get to shoot the fucker in the head?”
Jackman laughed as he stood up and strode over to the bar. He picked up the bottle of scotch and brought it over, pouring a generous measure into each of their glasses. As he placed the bottle on the table and settled himself back into his chair, he said, “No. Not yet. I don’t want to kill him, I want to destroy him.”
Finn nodded. He liked the sound of that.
“You’ll stay here, with Nika for a month or two, then I’ll send you out into the field. There’s someone I want dead. You’ll do the job for me.”
“A test?”
Jackman nodded coolly. “Not unrelated to Savisin’s operations so you will get some satisfaction from that. But the assignment will wait until Nika is healed, until you spend more time together. I want to know how quickly you tire of each other.”
“I won’t tire of Nika, Jackman.”
“Relationships are a liability, Finn.”
Finn grinned at this. “Nika’s here. Providing she stays safe and unharmed, I’m here too. This relationship isn’t a liability, it’s an asset – as long as she’s here, I have a reason to come back.”
“That’s good enough for me, Finn. The loyalty will grow.”
Finn wondered if this was true. When he had walked into Jackman’s office, he wanted to kill him. And now, after a brief conversation, he almost wanted to thank him. He’d have to stay on his guard. This man was a master manipulator.
Jackman raised his glass. “To our partnership.”
Finn raised his glass and took the last swallow of his scotch. This was no relationship, he thought sourly. Jackman had him over a barrel and it was only a matter of time before the bastard fucked him.
CHAPTER THIRTY
It was the end of June – three months and a bit since Nika walked into Finn’s life. They were in the Caymans in a luxurious suite, married now. Finn’s heart was aching – he thought it would explode, it was so full of love for Nika. He couldn’t believe that he was here, with her, married. Nika was on his lap on the couch, arms around his shoulders, nuzzling his ear and his neck. He had been waiting for this moment all day.
It was a happy ending, but also a treacherous beginning. Jackman did everything possible to win Nika’s trust. He promised her that he would never harm her, that she was important to him and all he wanted to do was make her happy. The work didn’t matter, she could stop if she wanted to. Of course, Nika did not.
The manipulative bastard. He knew exactly what to say to her. Finn blamed himself – he let his guard down the first day he met Jackman when he told him Nika was more afraid than loyal. And the bastard rectified it quickly, by giving her everything she needed – a new luxurious apartment at the compound, an important role for Finn, safe passage for Finn’s family, a promise to let her and Finn come and go as they desired. With guards of course, and only to safe, stable countries. But that was good enough for Nika. She had everything she desired. She was joyous, and Finn could not help but revel in her happiness.
It was hard at first, convincing Finn’s family that they needed to disappear. Doug, surprisingly, was the least opposition, but his relationship with Ted had crumbled after Ted deliberately put Finn’s life in danger. Jackman let Finn contact Doug in the week after his arrival. Just Doug though, to inform him that Finn was alive. Doug cried in relief.
Then Nika meeting them again, which d
idn’t go that well. His mother was not happy with the situation, not happy that she had to give her life up because of this little piece of fluff. Even Finn telling her that Nika saved his life, that he was just steps away from ending it himself when she showed up, didn’t sway Eileen. But his father intervened, told Nika to send them somewhere quiet and warm, where he could watch hockey and Eileen could take salsa dancing lessons.
And then she disappeared them. No one knew where – not Finn and she promised Finn, not Jackman. And Finn felt both grief and overwhelming relief. He’d never see them again. They didn’t know that, Finn didn’t tell them as he hugged them goodbye. At least they still had one son to embattle.
In the meantime, Finn spent eight intense weeks in training. It was torture at first – his fucking leg ached constantly under the strain. But it made him stronger, both physically and mentally. He beefed up more, which Nika loved, and was trained in hand-to-hand combat and knife skills. He practiced his shooting, with different weapons, pistols, revolvers and rifles, with and without scopes. Jackman sometimes came to the range when he trained, watched as he unerringly hit target after target. If Jackman was impressed, he never said so. Finn didn’t need his regard, he knew what he did was impressive enough.
The academic training was the worst. Finn was never lazy in his studies but hated organized education. He came to the realization that it was political bullshit at age 14. After that, he cynically jumped through hoops to get to where he wanted. And he was doing it again, but the lessons were different. His first assignment was in France, a U.S. congressman, in the pocket of the Russians, in a position to set back Jackman’s operations with his push for foreign tax legislation. Finn spoke French fluently, but it was Quebecois, and he had to be trained to lose the ‘slang’ as the linguist discourteously called it.