Act of Surveillance: Paranormal Security and Intelligence® an Immortal Ops® World Novel (PSI-Ops/Immortal Ops Book 7)

by Mandy M. Roth

  He bowed his head slightly, his lips nearly skimming hers. “You do.”

  “I think everything is okay here now,” said Daisy. “We can probably head back. Libs, you coming?”

  “Yes,” she responded but she didn’t budge. The likelihood of throwing herself at the man was way higher than the possibility of retreat. At least for the time being.

  “Doesn’t look like you are,” stated Daisy.

  “Daisy, give her a minute. She’ll come home when she’s ready,” said Isobel, sounding slightly less out of it than she had been. Either the coffee was finally kicking in or she was hoping for a show. With Isobel, both options were viable.

  “We’re not leaving her standing out here with…him, like that,” said Daisy, her voice getting higher.

  Isobel grumbled. “Everything is fine. And we’re only across the street.”

  “Fine?” asked Daisy, somehow managing to get her voice even higher. “Libs is acting really weird. So is the Russian.”

  “Someone needs to relax,” said Isobel. “That someone would be you, Daisy.”

  “Across the street?” asked Rurik, his eyes widening slightly. “You are who lives in the house directly across from this one?”

  Liberty stared at his lips, watching them move, wanting to kiss them.

  “Um, Libs?” asked Isobel. “Answer the man before Daisy reaches a decibel level only dogs can hear.”

  “Butthead,” interjected Daisy with a grunt, helping Liberty to gather something close to concentration.

  “I don’t remember the question.” Liberty swallowed loudly.

  Rurik squeezed her fingers ever so slightly. “You live across the street from here?”

  Focus on his voice, not his… Wow. He has really great eyes and a super-sexy voice.

  “Yes, we live there, why?” demanded Daisy.

  Liberty nodded. “What she said.”

  His nostrils flared a moment and he managed to get even closer. He pointed to their house, his stance restless. “There?”

  “It’s the one directly across from this one,” she returned, unsure what the issue was. But if he dared get any closer, she was going to lose what little restraint she’d been able to muster and kiss the man. “Is everything okay?”

  “It’s all good, Liberty Bell,” said Bill. “Sunflower and Is-it-a-belt are going to head on home now. Gus says they got somewhere to be. Gus and me are going inside right now. Stay here. Talk to Russia. Gus says it’s important.”

  Liberty focused on Rurik’s lips again and then thought about what Bill had just said. “Sunflower and Is-it-a-belt?”

  Rurik’s lips twitched as if he was suppressing a laugh. “Daisy and Isobel.”

  “Oh thanks. I wasn’t sure what he was saying,” she said, her voice low.

  Rurik locked gazes with her. “You get used to him.”

  “He has some interesting nicknames for you,” she added.

  He nodded. “Like I said, you get used to him.”

  “Come on, Daisy,” said Isobel.

  “Yes, but are we sure about leaving Liberty out here?” questioned Daisy, her worry both heartwarming and borderline annoying.

  “Yes,” said a deep voice that cut through the area.

  It took Liberty a second to realize the owner of the voice was Gus.

  “You can trust him with her,” said Gus to Daisy. “He would do anything to keep her safe, even if it meant his life.”

  His life?

  A small squeak came from Liberty.

  “Lincoln has spoken. It’s kind of freaking me out, but whatever,” said Isobel, heading back toward the house. She paused a second before looking at Liberty. “You good?”

  A nod was all she managed.

  Isobel’s attention went to Rurik. A slight grin slid over her face. “Welcome to the neighborhood, Russia. I’m curious to hear all about why it was you were hosing off your father and why your dad is dressed as Uncle Sam, all while his bestie is dressed as Lincoln, as soon as I get back from dropping Daisy at the airport. I’ll bring some clothes over for your dad then too.”

  Liberty’s eyes widened. “Daisy! She’s going to miss her flight. I got sidetracked when I saw Jackass…” Tensing, she glanced at Rurik. “Sorry. Kind of. You were being mean to your father.”

  “Libs,” said Isobel.

  “What?”

  “Something tells me there is more to this story than we know about and that maybe he’s not quite the jackass you think he is. Cut him a little slack,” said Isobel before heading across the street with Daisy in tow.

  Gus came rushing by, making a series of tiny steps along the way. He neared Liberty and lifted the helmet with the mannequin head in a way that left the thing appearing to be looking at her. He, however, didn’t glance at her on his way by.

  Bill strutted up next to his friend and grinned at Liberty. “Mona says hi.”

  Liberty stared at the head in the helmet. “Um, hi, Mona.”

  “Gus says you should,” said Bill.

  “Should what?” asked Liberty, finding it difficult to follow the man’s logic—or lack thereof.

  “You should trust your bones,” replied Bill. “He says they’re right about the Russian.”

  “I’m sorry, but what?” she asked.

  Bill laughed. “He says your bones are telling you to trust the commie bastard. Gus says you should listen to them.”

  The strangest part of the conversation wasn’t the actual conversation; it was the fact that she already did trust Rurik on a base level.

  Unnerved by Gus, despite him saying nothing about trusting Rurik that she could hear, she watched as Bill led the man up the back stairs to a small porch. He opened the back door to the house and held it as Gus continued his odd tiptoe walk inside. Bill followed behind him.

  Liberty was left standing face-to-face with Rurik. The overwhelming urge to kiss the man struck her so fast, she nearly gasped. Somehow, she managed to speak and not sound like a total moron. “Your father is a colorful character.”

  She stared up at him, waiting for him to say something, anything to cut the awkward pause between them.

  He didn’t. He just kept looking into her eyes.

  One second she was standing there, keeping her hands mostly to herself, and the next she was going to her tiptoes, doing the unthinkable. Something so out of character that had she not been living the moment to witness it herself, she’d have never believed it.

  She pressed her lips to his and fire ignited inside her.

  He growled and slipped an arm around her waist, jerking her closer, causing her to gasp. Then his tongue was darting into her mouth, plundering it, making her body heat more.

  A needy moan came from deep within her as she gripped the stuffed animal, pulling it from his hand into hers, just as sanity began to work its way back into her mind. Of course the moment of lucidity was timed perfectly with Rurik tipping her head back and taking the kiss to an entirely new level.

  Shock at her behavior left her jerking back from him, pulling the stuffed animal close to her chest, and staring up at him with wide eyes. Unable to believe herself, she seized the moment and made her escape, turning and mumbling something that may or may not have sounded like goodbye before sprinting back to her house, bare feet and all.

  She bolted into the house like a crazed maniac and slammed the door shut behind her. She leaned against it as if her weight might be needed to keep someone out.

  Isobel came walking out from the kitchen minus the coffeepot. She tipped her head. “You’re super pale. You okay?”

  Liberty merely stood there, leaning against the door.

  “What’s with the bear?” asked Isobel.

  The bear?

  It was then Liberty realized she was clutching Rurik’s stuffed bear. The one he’d gotten from someone named Duke for his birthday.

  She groaned and closed her eyes. “Excuse me. I need to die from mortification.”

  “Okay but why?”

  She peeke
d out of one eye at her friend. “I kissed him.”

  A huge smile spread over Isobel’s face. “Right on.”

  Liberty shook her head. “No. Not right on. I can never look him in the face again.”

  Daisy came partway down the stairs with her suitcase. “Can’t face who again?”

  Isobel glanced at her. “Liberty kissed the hot Russian.”

  Daisy dropped her rolling bag and it bounced down the remaining steps, landing on its side on the floor in front of Liberty. Somehow, it managed to stay shut and looked unharmed.

  Isobel snorted. “Guess that’s no worse than what baggage claim people do to it.”

  Daisy hurried down the stairs and ignored her suitcase as she stepped over it. “You kissed him? Like on the lips?”

  “No, on another special area,” said Isobel with a wicked grin. “Hold up, tell me you kissed him there and not the lips.”

  “Where?” asked Liberty, still worked up over what she’d done.

  Isobel glanced downward. “You know. There.”

  Liberty gasped. “No! I didn’t do that. Why would you think that?”

  “Because I’m pretty sure most men would prefer lips to be there,” said Isobel.

  Daisy laughed. “She’s not wrong.”

  Liberty grunted. “It was a mouth kiss.”

  “Well, you were almost exciting for a minute there,” said Isobel with a shrug as she went to the small side table near the door. “Hey, chickenshit, have you seen my keys?”

  It took Liberty a moment to realize Isobel was talking to her. “Chickenshit? Really?”

  “You do realize you’re pressed against that door like a zombie horde might try to break through it at any moment, all while you clutch a stuffed bear,” said Isobel.

  Liberty cringed. “I might have sort of stolen this from him and ran home after kissing him.”

  Isobel laughed loudly. “Total chickenshit.”

  Daisy simply stood before her shaking her head. “I can’t believe you kissed him.”

  “Me either,” stressed Liberty. “His lips were just so…tempting.”

  “I’ll admit, he’s very attractive,” said Daisy.

  Isobel rolled her eyes as she began lifting couch cushions. “The description you’re looking for is hot as hell.”

  Daisy grunted. “Fine. He’s that.”

  Reaching up, Liberty touched her lower lip with one hand while she clutched the bear in the other. “Yes. He is.”

  “You planning to return his bear?” asked Isobel, moving to the chair and lifting its cushion as well.

  “What are you doing?” Daisy stared at her.

  “Trying to find my keys,” responded Isobel. “When I got in last night, I put them in the bowl on the server. At least I think I did.”

  “Are they hanging on the back hook?” questioned Daisy.

  “No clue. I thought they were on the server. Shows what I know.” Isobel shook her head as she headed toward the kitchen. After a minute, she yelled, “Found them!”

  Daisy bent and lifted her suitcase to the upright position. “Are you okay?”

  Liberty lowered her hand from her lip. “I’m embarrassed. I can’t believe I did that. How am I going to give him back his bear since I can’t ever look at him again?”

  Daisy’s lips twitched. “Libs, take a deep breath. I’ve never seen you this way before.”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way before.”

  Isobel entered the room once more, this time with her keys in hand. “I’m taking Daisy to the airport and then I’m going to campus for a bit.”

  “Can you swing by the house and give me a ride to the campus when you’re done at the airport?” asked Liberty. “I have papers to drop off to Dr. Pasternak.”

  Isobel nodded. “Sure thing. Try not to get pregnant while I’m gone.”

  Liberty felt faint. “Isobel!”

  “Hey, girl, I’ve seen him. I’m not going to lie. If the Russian suggested I have his babies, I’d consider it,” said Isobel with a laugh.

  Daisy grunted. “I’m scared to leave you two alone for any length of time. Maybe I should stay home and not go to this conference.”

  Isobel snickered. “We’ll be fine. I’ve got a crap ton of things to get done and Libs will be baking nonstop after all this.”

  Daisy’s eyes widened. “For sure. I’m tempted to cancel and stay home just for the treats. There are going to be mounds of them.”

  A slight laugh came from Liberty. “I’m not that bad.”

  The girls shared a look before Isobel grinned. “How about I stop at the store when I’m out and grab you more baking supplies. I’m sure you’ll deplete the ones you have here when you get to overthinking the fact you kissed someone who lives across the street from us and have to see him every day until the demon scares him away.”

  Liberty thumped her head against the door, making Daisy laugh.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Pavel sat at his desk, scrolling through the surveillance photos on the phone. A blonde bombshell leaned against the edge of his desk, watching quietly as he looked through the photos. His thumb hovered over the male figure depicted in them. His mission was under way.

  Break Rurik Romanov’s will to live and bring him back into the fold in Russia.

  Victory was nearly at hand. Pavel could almost taste it. Soon, the bear-shifter would regret ever having turned his back on his countrymen and the cause. He’d beg for the chance to go back in time and do it all over again. For so many years Rurik had been one of them—one of the elite, hand-selected soldiers from their country. Like Pavel, Rurik had started in the Tsarist secret police. Unlike Rurik, Pavel had seen being selected as an honor and part of his duty to serve.

  Serving had come with perks and respect that had not been part of Pavel’s life prior to selection. He knew he’d only been chosen because of what he was—a polar-bear-shifter. And he understood that back then, he wasn’t the soldier he was now. That he’d been lucky the people in charge had seen past his faults to the asset he would grow to be.

  It would have been all too easy for them to see him as nothing more than a scientist, as that was what he’d been when they’d discovered his truth—that he’d been born more than human. His deep love of science that had never left him, giving him and Rurik yet another thread in common beyond being called upon to serve in the secret police.

  He’d seen Rurik as a friend. As a brother of sorts.

  Now Rurik thought himself above the fold—beyond the horrors and atrocities he himself had helped commit while following orders. Did his new comrades know the truth of it? Did they understand what their beloved Rurik had done in the name of his country?

  He highly doubted as much.

  They would soon enough.

  They’d see their friend broken beyond repair. They’d see he was no do-gooder. No saint. His hands were as bloody as Pavel’s, if not more so.

  The last time he and Rurik Romanov had spoken had been shortly after the now-famed nuclear reactor meltdown in the Ukraine. Back then, Rurik had decided to share his thoughts on Pavel’s mishandling of information during the months leading up to the disaster. Rurik had gone so far as to point fingers, blaming Pavel for the outcome because he’d been a driving force behind the power plant.

  Rurik had abandoned the cause, forgotten who it was he served—Mother Russia. He’d gone soft and then had the nerve to take up arms for the other side.

  Bastard.

  When Rurik had done his version of defecting, it had felt like a slap in the face. When he’d tried to push Pavel to join him, it had just been too much. Every bit of jealousy that Pavel had been harboring over Rurik had bubbled up and out of him. It had left him challenging Rurik openly in front of their peers.

  I should have won.

  They’d gone through so much together, each being a shifter and a scientist to start with. At some point Rurik had moved over fully to the military side of things in Russia before outright leaving for PSI.
He’d not been subject to the heavy push for scientific advancements like Pavel had. He’d not been sent to a reeducation Gulag, which was really nothing more than a sanctioned torture facility.

  No.

  Rurik had been spared that humiliation. He’d always managed to do just enough to keep himself in good standing with those in control, all while being able to walk away with a clean break.

  Rurik’s family connection had played a large part in him being spared some of the worst treatments. He came from a literal dynasty. His family tree could be traced back generations to some of the most powerful people in Russian history.

  The bastard had felt he’d had the right to open his mouth and condemn Pavel for Chernobyl, as if Pavel alone could have stopped the tragic chain of events from occurring.

  He’d not even been present the day everything went to hell. Pavel had not been onsite, in Pripyat, for the testing at the atomic energy station that ultimately resulted in the tragedy.

  Pavel had been in Moscow, dealing with another issue. When the news of what had happened reached him, he’d been as devastated as everyone else. After all, he’d lost so much research that he’d never again be able to get back because of human error.

  His lip curled in disgust. “Damn fucking humans.”

  The blonde woman snorted, nodding in agreement.

  Everything would be better if they weren’t around. All they did was complicate things. And Mr. Perfect, also known as Rurik, had sided with them in the end. He’d taken up arms against his own kind to protect them.

  “You’re scheming again, aren’t you?” asked the woman.

  Pavel grinned.

  Soon enough, Rurik would regret ever having questioned Pavel’s beliefs, loyalties, and actions. He’d rue the day he’d openly stood against Pavel.

  When Pavel had challenged Rurik, forcing the man’s hand and making him fight back, Pavel had thought he’d come out the victor. Rurik had been raised with a silver spoon in his mouth. Rurik was a Kamchatka brown bear. While large, they weren’t the size of a polar bear. They didn’t have the same notorious disposition as the polar bears either.

  On paper, Pavel should have come out the clear winner of the battle.

  That hadn’t been the case.