“Connor.” She snapped on her matching pink bra and came at me. “I have to go. I can’t raise any red flags by not meeting him.”
“Let me handle this.”
Her head lowered, and she stared down at my hand, which was now holding hers. “You can help me Connor, but I’m involved.”
Of course. I knew I’d never change her mind. “Fine.” At least she was willing to let me help.
“There’s more we should talk about. Where will you be after I meet with Declan?” Stress and worry pulled at her smooth skin, and her mouth went tight.
I groaned, wishing I could lift her worries away. “Chasing some leads. Call me when you’re done, and we can get together.” My knuckles grazed her cheek, and she leaned into my touch. “We’ll get through this.”
Her body shuddered against me. “When this is over, things might be rough for a while. I’m not sure if we’ll be able to—” She silenced herself.
I knew what she wanted to say, and I didn’t want to hear it. “One day at a time, Liv.” A lung full of air. Another deep breath. “One day at a time,” I repeated.
25
Connor
“A text would’ve been nice, man. I had to track your phone to make sure you weren’t in the bottom of the river.” Jake waved his hand in the air in front of me.
“You tracked my phone?” Shock popped through my words. “For real?”
“Of course.” A devious grin spread across his face. “While you were doing . . . whatever it was you were doing . . . I managed to get some results.”
I fought back a smile and joined him in my kitchen.
“You want to change your clothes first?” His brow arched as he put on his glasses.
I glanced down at my wrinkled clothes, which still smelled of flowers and vanilla. I probably should’ve changed, because if I continued to inhale Olivia’s sweet scent, I’d get distracted by thoughts of her.
“Dude.”
“What?” I poured a mug of coffee and crossed the room to the bar top, which doubled as my kitchen table. “What is this?”
Jake handed me his iPad. “Andrei and Oleg in the lobby of your father’s home on May sixteenth. An hour after your father left the bank.”
“Where was my dad?”
“He was there. I caught him and Tyson on the cameras just outside the building ten minutes before Andrei and Oleg showed up. They were arguing, and he handed Tyson something. Probably the envelopes.”
“Shit.” He probably knew he was about to die.
“How did Andrei and Oleg get up to my dad’s place?”
Jake grimaced. “That grandfather security guard.” Jake paused the video footage and expanded the image with his fingers, zooming in on the men as they talked to the security guard.
I rubbed a hand through my hair and set my black coffee down. “Shit.”
“We should have a word with him.”
I nodded. “So these guys killed my father, not Lauren. I’m assuming they didn’t switch his pills, then.”
“Most likely injected him with something to induce the heart attack.” Jake reached for the iPad and steadied his eyes on mine. “I’m sorry. Since no one found him until the next day, he didn’t have a chance.”
“But there was obviously no sign of struggle. The medics would have noticed if the place was wrecked.” I sank on a barstool and scratched my head, thinking.
“Which means he knew them. Maybe even opened the door and let them in.”
Wow. “I’m still not sure if Lauren’s off the hook. She’s hiding something.”
“I don’t know, Connor. I did some more digging on her.” He tapped at his iPad again and set it before me.
“After I saw that video footage, it made me curious about Lauren’s involvement. I tried something I didn’t try before.”
“Which was?”
“Google and social media.”
I almost laughed, but none of this was funny. “What’d you find out?” I glanced down at the screen. Images of Lauren on the arms of various men. A widowed Congressman, a rich oil tycoon, and a wall street millionaire. All with two things in common: they were old and rich.
“I tapped into her Instagram and Facebook accounts and discovered pictures with these guys. Looks like she has a thing for older men with deep pockets. She’s been dating powerful men since she was nineteen.”
“So my dad hired her for her looks, and they hooked up? I find that hard to believe.” I pressed my hands to my face and released what sounded like a growl. Frustration tore at me, making my skin itch.
“She’s not innocent by any means. I think she’s a career opportunist. She landed internships with all three men she dated before your father—well, I should say she worked as an intern before she dated those men. I’m sure she was more than eager for the deal with Reid Enterprises—it would make your father even richer and give her better job security, at the least.”
I pushed back to my feet as nervous energy spiraled around the cords of my muscles. “What about the accent?” I shook my head. “No, she has to be involved with Declan.”
“Hell, I’m sure she was sleeping with him, but there’s an explanation for that, too.”
I stopped wearing out the kitchen floor and leaned my back against the counter. “Enlighten me.”
“Lauren was adopted.”
My forehead scrunched as surprise billowed inside me.
“She was born in the Ukraine. She lost both of her parents when she was six. She lived in an orphanage for a year before she was adopted by a family in New York. I missed it before, because the records were sealed. I had to call in a favor.”
I leaned forward, angling my head. “Who?”
“Ava.”
Jesus. Ava was the girlfriend of my Irish-American friend, Aiden. She was brilliant, almost putting our intelligence genius friend, Michael Maddox to shame. “You had Ava hack into Lauren’s records? She didn’t mind?” My hands crossed over my chest.
Jake removed his glasses. “You didn’t want me dragging Michael into this, but you didn’t say anything about Aiden. And we both know Ava would do anything to help you. You were there for her not too long ago.”
I exhaled a breath out of my nose and shut my eyes. I needed to think. “Lauren’s embarrassed of her origins? So she hid her adoption and accent?” I could see that, I guess. “She’s still not off the hook, in my mind.” I opened my eyes and rubbed a hand over my jaw. “The deal’s happening with Declan tonight. I should be meeting Konstantin.”
“You’re just now telling me that?” He flashed me his white teeth. “Guess he took the bait.”
“And he wants me to bring the EMF gun, of course. I’m still waiting for him to let me know the location of the meet.”
“We have a lot to do, then. I also want to swing by the security guard’s home. And I’m still working on your father’s personal laptop and files.”
I’d brought my father’s laptop home from the office yesterday, although I hadn’t expected he’d find anything of help. It was worth a shot. “All right. Well, let me shower and we’ll get going. We need to stop at my office first, though.”
As I hopped into the shower, a slow pull of dread buried deep inside me. I needed to call Olivia. Was she okay? I couldn’t stand the idea that she was with Declan right now.
Olivia
“Is Sean back yet?” I was sitting in my Audi in the parking garage near the boxing gym.
“Still in D.C.,” Blake answered, a pinch of annoyance in his voice.
“The deal is going to happen tonight. You should alert Homeland.”
“Connor made the deal?” I could almost picture Blake’s lips curving into a grin with glee.
I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to tell him. I knew how he felt about me telling Connor the truth, but he needed to know that Connor was on our side. I didn’t want Connor winding up arrested in all of this.
My stomach turned at the thought. “He made the deal, but—”
“I don’t want to hear it, Liv.”
I leaned back against my seat. “We can talk later. Declan wants to see me right now.” I powered off my phone before he could respond. I was tempted to add Blake to my shit list, although he’d rank well below Konstantin and Declan. I wasn’t sure if he was being jealous, or was just out for blood.
I no longer cared if Blake disagreed with my decision, I didn’t want any lies wedged between Connor and I. I wanted to erase the pain of my past, rather than bury it. Something buried could be dug up again.
I massaged my neck, trying to rid myself of the sharp, stabbing pain that greeted my spine. After allowing myself a few moments of silence coupled with delicious images of Connor naked, I exited the Audi.
I rubbed my arms as a chill rocked my body. I wasn’t cold. The sun was finally blasting its warm heat after several days of rain. The fat raindrops that had been splattering across the city on and off all week had served as a reminder to me that I was in the middle of a storm.
With the sun out today, and the sky a canvas of miles of blue—I wondered if it was a sign that the end was near.
I stopped outside the frosted glass doors of the gym and read the sign. “What the hell?” Since when was the gym closed on a Friday?
I blew out a breath and dialed up Declan. “I’m here,” I said when he answered. “But the gym’s closed.”
“Use the side entrance,” he brusquely responded before hanging up.
I stalked down the busy street with slow steps and rounded the corner into the alley. The passageway was narrow, and the smell of tuna and something rotten blasted my senses as I closed the gap between me and the door.
My hand touched the doorknob, but I had to force myself to turn it. My body grew tense as concern flickered through me. Don’t go in.
But I had nothing to worry about, right?
I swung open the door and moved inside the empty boxing gym.
“Glad you could make it.” I heard Declan before I saw him.
I stiffened as his tall, lithe body entered the room. The fluorescent lights above me turned on as he moved closer. I remained still, just inside the door.
It wasn’t too late. I could turn and run.
He was dressed in black sweats and nothing else, his naked chest and rippled flesh serving as a reminder that, no matter how tough I was, it would only take one strong punch from him to take me down.
“What’s up, Declan?” I crossed my arms over my yellow T-shirt, irritation and anxiety spearing me.
He kept walking until he was within arm’s reach. His dark eyes caged me in his gaze, and I took a shaky breath.
The back of his hand brushed against my cheek, and my knuckles whitened at my sides. My jaw clenched, but my eyes grew still under his spell. I couldn’t say anything as he touched the pad of his thumb to his own lips.
He whispered, “I called to collect my raincheck.”
I shook myself free of my daze. “What?”
He took a step back, allowing me room to breathe.
“You promised me a fight.”
“Oh.” Ohh . . . “Now?” I gulped. No one knew I was here. I’d thought we were meeting at The Phoenix, and when he’d texted me to come to the gym, I’d assumed it would be full of people.
“Change.” There was a sharp bite to his word that made it an order, rather than a request. I didn’t appreciate commands, but I also didn’t want to piss off Declan. I was too close to ending this.
I glanced down at my jeans and sandals.
“You keep clothes in the locker room, right?” He sensed my hesitation.
Shit. “Yes.” I gathered my strength to speak again. “Is there a reason you feel like throwing punches at me right now?” I slipped a smile to my face, forcing myself back into the role I’d been playing for so long.
My dark hair whirled around to my back, and I straightened as he turned away from me. I watched the angel wings on his back as he crossed the room, which housed one professional-sized boxing ring and two small, side-fighting rings. “I also wanted to talk to you about business, and I thought we could make it more interesting.”
“Sure. I’ll just change.”
“You can leave your purse here. I don’t want you getting the urge to play around with your phone.” His eyes darted to mine once I glanced over my shoulder at him. “I don’t have much time.”
My heart raced, but I obeyed and dropped my purse on the closest bench.
As I made my way out to the main gym, all of my training screamed: He knows something. Get the hell out!
I couldn’t leave, though. I couldn’t risk everything I’d worked so hard for, just because my inner voice was a coward.
My eyes landed on the main entrance just as I pressed against the locker room door. The main door required a key to enter or exit when it was locked. The only way out was the way in which I had come. Even if I wanted to run, I couldn’t.
A lungful of air, which poisoned my nose with the pungent smell of feet and sweat, did nothing to calm me as I pushed inside.
I peeled the clothes from my body and grabbed the set of extra gym clothes I kept on hand. My hands trembled as I dressed in tight black pants, a white tank top, and pink sneakers.
I’d been wanting to hit Declan in the face since the day we met. I’d never forget the first time I interviewed with him. I attempted to use sex appeal in order to get the notorious playboy to hire me. I would never stoop so low as to use my appearance to get a job, but to maintain my cover was another thing entirely.
With a resume perfected by the FBI, I had carried myself with confidence into Declan’s office. “I’m Olivia Taylor, your next assistant,” were the first words that fell from my mouth. “I throw a killer left hook, work a minimum of ten hours a day, and I do what it takes to get the job done. You need me.”
Declan had looked up from his computer screen to find me standing just inside his office. His eyes traveled from my silk blouse down to the hem of my tight black skirt, and lower. The way his eyes burned my flesh—the devious thoughts I knew lurked beneath the surface—blossomed in me an instant distaste. I had meant what I said about the left hook, but then I wanted to add, “I’d love to use it on you now.”
His lips had twitched, and his smooth, deep voice skated over my skin, giving me the chills. “You’re hired, Miss Taylor.”
I’d been in shock, but when he explained I was the most qualified candidate, I thanked God the FBI had done wonders with my resume.
“You can do this,” I whispered to myself, studying my image in the mirror. I swept my hair into a ponytail, cleared my mind, and moved with slow steps back to the boxing area.
As I opened the door, my heart stopped.
Andrei and Oleg were standing next to Declan, and they were staring right at me. The dynamic murderous duo. I thought about turning around and attempting an escape.
My eyes darted to the side door, through which I had entered. Could I make it in time if I sprinted?
“Olivia, I invited two buddies of mine here, as well.”
“Good to see you again,” Oleg’s deep Russian voice carried heavy across the room and splattered against me like paint.
What did he mean? Good to see me after meeting for the first time this week, or good to see me again as in, “I killed your sister, and I recognize you.”
“Hi.” That was all I could muster. I realized I was standing just in front of the double doors. A statue.
“I mentioned to Oleg and Andrei, here, that you like to spar,” Declan said as I finally started to move.
Oleg and Andrei’s eyes remained on mine as I approached. Oleg was taller and more muscular than Declan. He had bleached blonde, spiky hair and red, gold, and black ink scrawling from his fingers up to his throat and hairline. Religious tattoos, no less. His sharp nose twitched, and his faded blue eyes widened as I stopped in front of him.
Andrei was practically a mirror image of Oleg, but with brown hair.
“Why’s the gym closed?”
I ignored his earlier comment.
“I have business here today.” Declan pulled himself up into the fighting ring.
“What kind of business?” I asked, unable to stop myself.
Declan motioned for Andrei to join him. “Are you two fighting?” I asked.
“No, you two are.”
Andrei crossed his arms and smirked at me.
“Andrei’s never fought a woman before. He doesn’t believe a woman can take him on.” Declan smiled at me. The man had the nerve to smirk! A spark roared to life. I moved past Andrei and ducked under the rope. “You really want at me first?” I tried to make light, despite the anger that barreled inside me.
“I’ll take it easy on you, sweetheart,” Andrei said. He removed his T-shirt to reveal even more tattoos. His chest was a shrine to Catholic holy figures.
I was pretty sure that even such devotion couldn’t save his soul.
Declan grabbed two sets of gloves and tossed a pair at both Andrei and me.
My eyes locked on to Andrei’s, and I raised my gloved fists in the air. Goosebumps traveled across my skin as we squared off. Was this happening? How far would it go?
Andrei lunged at me, and I bobbed out of the way. He was strong, but I was fast. I danced around his punches, tossing a few of my own.
“Enough,” Declan said on approach after only five or so minutes. “Is that really all you have?” He angled his head at me and held out his hand to Andrei, requesting the gloves.
“Andrei might’ve taken it easy on you because you’re a woman, but I’m for equal opportunity.” Declan sneered.
My mind flashed to Jessie and my hand bunched into a fist at my side.
“Time to pay up. I’m ready to cash in on that rain check,” Declan said in a low voice before moving with fast feet right at me.
I didn’t have time to react as his fist connected with my jaw. My head slammed back, and the floor was no longer under my feet.
I struggled to stand, but couldn’t pull myself up. My vision was blurry as Declan hovered over me.
The Hidden Truths Series Box Set Page 67
