by Sydney Lea
“It’s about the mole.”
“What about the mole?” he asked hesitantly. Fuck, was his cover blown?
The other man grimaced. “Look, man, I’m sorry, alright. But it looks like she went straight to the feds. The family found out and intercepted their transport. Ended up grabbing her and some guy we suspect might be FBI. Seems like she’s the mole they’ve been looking for all this time. Right under our damned fucking noses. They were tricky, I’ll give them that. Normally they just send women in undercover as a working girls, but this? Oh it’s good.”
Right then, he felt like the ground beneath him opened up and swallowed him. “Who? What the fuck are you talking about?”
God, why was he even asking? He already knew. This couldn’t be happening.
“That Harper chick you’re so fond of.” Travis said casually, as though he hadn’t just pulled the rug out from under Nikolai. “Instead of a working girl, they sent her in to befriend the granddaughter. Fucking brilliant really, but still not good enough. They screwed up. She seems pretty fresh. Guess going younger meant less experience. Pity for them.”
“Harper,” he said numbly.
“Yeah” Travis eyed him warily. “Thought you said you’d take care of her. If you weren’t then where the hell have you been for the last twenty-four hours?”
“I thought I had taken care of it,” he snapped, trying to hide the fear and agitation racing through him. He fumbled for some kind of excuse. They’d worked well together, but Nikolai had never been under any illusion that Travis would be dependable or loyal. “I had her stashed somewhere, thought she was coming around. You know how women can be. Easy to maneuver if you know what buttons to press. She must have gotten away when I left to come and check in. I would have made sure she was more secure, but your message sounded urgent.”
Travis whistled, even as he turned and continued through the home. “Dude, you are so fucked. When the family finds out you could have contained this but chose to get your rocks off instead…”
“Yeah, yeah,” he grunted. He was going to be sick. “Then I guess I better offer to take care of the issue once and for all.”
That had Travis spinning around to face him again, gaze narrowed. “Did you just offer to bump off a fed and a chick you’ve been doing for the last few months?”
Nikolai forced himself to appear nonchalant. “Family comes first, right?”
Travis studied him, trying to get a read or something. “You are one cold bastard, Bianchi.”
Unable to stand the conversation any longer, and knowing he needed to act quickly, Nikolai pushed past Travis.
Even knowing what he would find, nothing prepared him for the sight of Harper tied to a chair, and gagged with a piece of cloth. Fear and desperation welled in her eyes, and he saw the moment she recognized him. He only hoped none of the others noticedhis relief when he saw she was relatively unharmed.
“Ah, Nikolai. Nice of you to join us. Care to tell me how this happened?” Lorenzo asked the moment he saw him. Lorenzo indicated to the two bound figures and it was all Nikolai could do to stop himself from racing to Harper.
He was a Goddamn motherfucking professional. He could do this and save the girl...right?
While Lorenzo used the cover of the head of security for the family, everyone knew he was the one they turned to when they needed the larger messes taken care of. His presence set Nikolai on edge.
“I thought I had it contained. I didn’t.” Quick, short answers. Owning up to the screw up. It’s all Lorenzo wanted to hear. Anything else would have ended with a bullet between Nikolai’s eyes. “I’ll take care of it now.”
Lorenzo studied him for a moment. Sizing him up or just plain suspicious, Nik had no idea.
“Fine. But take Travis. Maybe between the two of you, you might actually be able to get the job done.” Lorenzo grinned at Wilks. He looked excited and a little crazed. “Nothing like a little family reunion before you die, right Agent Wilks?”
Nik blinked. “What?”
Beside him, Travis chuckled. “You missed the big show, man. Seems our little Harper is Agent Wilks’ long lost niece.”
He peered at Wilks and saw the truth. Harper appeared more furious by the minute, though the target of the fury seemed to jump from Lorenzo to Travis, to Wilks. Finally, her eyes settled on him, and Nik’s heart stopped beating.
Her eyes held nothing but betrayal, thick and heavy.
“I didn’t know,” he whispered helplessly.
Travis snorted, clapping him on the shoulder, obviously having assumed the comment was meant for him. “None of us did until Lorenzo did some digging.”
Lorenzo interrupted them and began issuing orders. “Right, Nikolai, Travis, take care of this mess. As for the rest of you, we need to pick up where these puttana left off.”
“Hey, we managed to save Annabella,” Travis called out as Lorenzo and the others left.
Over his shoulder, Lorenzo glared. “Non me ne frega un cazzo. Fix this now.”
Twenty minutes later they were in the van, with Travis in the driver’s seat and Nikolai positioned in the back with their two hostages. They had taken the pair at gun point to the vehicle and forced them into the van. Nikolai had to use all of his willpower not to turn his gun on Travis when in the driveway he gripped Harper a little too tightly.
For the most part, Harper actually seemed to be keeping it together even though she refused to make eye contact with either him or Wilks.
Tapping his foot against Wilks’, Nikolai leaned closer and tugged the piece of cloth that had been used as a gag out of the older agent’s mouth. “What’s the plan?”
Wilks glared at him. “I assumed you had one. Didn’t you come up with a viable escape plan in case you were caught?”
Nikolai ground his teeth. “Obviously. But none of them involved another agent or my fucking girlfriend being tied up in the back of a van while my partner drove us to their fucking deaths. Can you see where I may be working on the fly here?”
Harper made some sort of muffled sound and Nikolai reached over to remove her gag as well. She narrowed her gaze at the pair of them, fury burning in her eyes. “Can you two grow the hell up for five seconds? I swear to God if you’re the best this country has we’re all screwed.”
Biting his tongue, Nikolai reigned in his warring emotions. He had been trained for situations similar to this, but having Harper in harm’s way was distracting as hell, and he couldn’t focus enough to come up with a decent plan.
“The only option I can think of is to rush him as soon as he opens the door. He won’t be expecting it. He’s got the keys but if I take him down, grab them, an–”
“Wait a minute,” Harper cut him off, staring incredulously. “So your bright idea, after all your fancy training, is to tackle him and hope for the best? Oh God.”
“What are the chances you can talk Travis into helping us instead?” Wilks said, interrupting them.
He thought about it and grimaced. “Slim to none, I’d say. He isn’t hardcore, but he follows orders.”
“How close have you gotten to him?” Wilks asked abruptly. “Can you do your job?”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” he snapped in a harsh whisper.
Wilks barely acknowledged the quiet outburst. “I mean, in this line of work sometimes the lines get blurred.” Wilks was less than subtle when his gaze darted to Harper and back. “Putting a bullet in a friend isn’t as easy as it sounds. If you have to, can you do it?”
He hesitated. Could he? Travis could be a pain in the ass, but they had sort of become friends over the last few years. Even as he tried to rationalize that Travis was Nikolai Bianchi’s friend and not Nikolai Holter’s, he realized Wilks had a point.
However, one look at Harper’s dirty, tear streaked but determined face told him he would do whatever it took to keep her safe and with him.
“Yes.”
He saw it in her eyes, the slight widening, and look of wonder. She kn
ew he’d do it for her. He’d do anything for her.
“And when this is over...I’m out.”
Wilks stiffened. “You ca–”
“I can and I will.” Nikolai reached out and covered her hand with his, turning to face Wilks. “I get it. You didn’t want her near any of this. It’s why you didn’t take her in after her parents died. Why you kept her so far away, she didn’t even recognize you when you walked through my door. But Wilks. I’m not you. I don’t want to be. I choose her.”
“Nik?” Harper whispered, and he squeezed her hand tight.
He didn’t have a chance to answer because the van jerked to a stop.
“Here we go,” he muttered, letting go of her hand and bracing himself to take a dive.
The moment Travis was in view Nikolai threw himself towards the other man, and they tumbled to the ground.
“What the fuck?” Travis shouted as they grappled with each other in an attempt to get the upper hand.
He couldn’t see or hear Harper or Wilks, and hoped the other agent had at least gotten Harper out of harm’s way.
Travis clocked him a good one on the temple and Nikolai saw stars. Grunting with the impact, he got Travis in a choke hold and wrapped his legs around the lower half of Travis’ body.
“Fucngh...Nigh...stomph…”
He had no idea what Travis was saying, but after the other man went lax and stopped struggling, Nikolai eased up enough for the other man to speak.
“Jesus fucking Christ. Enough already. I’m not going to fucking hurt her, you stupid piece of shit.”
“What about Agent Wilks?” he asked suspiciously, not ready to believe Travis.
“Yeah, yeah. Not your handler either.”
At his words Nikolai tossed Travis away as though he had burned him, and he reached for his gun. The barrel was aimed at Travis’ head before he even registered his own movements. “How?”
Travis didn’t play dumb. “How do I know your handler? Well, I wasn’t one hundred percent sure at first, but when you sucker punched me in the jaw and tackled me, it kinda gave me the heads up that something wasn’t quite right.”
“So what now?”
“Now, you can stop pointing that thing at me. It could give a guy a complex, you know?” Travis chuckled, rubbing at his already swelling jaw as though he hadn’t a care in the world.
What the hell was going on here?
“Who do you work for?” The question came from Wilks who stood calmly beside Nikolai.
Grinning, Travis replied, “Need to know, pal. And you don’t need to know. I will tell you that we were aware the FBI had placed someone undercover, but I hadn’t been entirely sure I’d gotten it right. I’ll give you that, Nik. You tripped me up a few times. Gave me pause to think I had it wrong that you were the one. You played it well.”
“You too,” he said begrudgingly.
“Well, as lovely as this is, could we come to some kind of agreement where we aren’t handcuffed,” Harper snapped from his other side.
Travis blinked, then threw his head back in a howl of laughter. “Oh, you have yourself a firecracker there, Nik.”
Neither man said anything as Travis uncuffed first Harper, then Wilks, all while Nikolai kept his gun trained on him.
When it was done, they stood in silence until Nikolai finally had enough and lowered his weapon. “So you’ll help us get out of this?”
Travis shrugged. “Gets you out of my way and wraps up the ‘who is the mole’ issue nicely.”
Wilks narrowed his gaze. “Of course, we’ll expect you to share any and all information you get.”
“And why the hell would I do that?” Travis asked incredulously. “It’s not my cover that was blown wide open.”
“You owe me for keeping my mouth shut and not having it slipped to the family that there’s still a mole.
Nik looked at Wilks. “Jesus, Wilks. You’re not serious?”
Wilks’ expression said he meant every word. “If I’m giving up one informant, I’m getting another.
Travis all but spat at him. “Fuck you, jerk off. I’m not a fed, I don’t answer to you, and you’re the one who’ll have to explain why you had a DEA agent killed.”
Well, at least they knew who he worked for now.
The two men faced off against one another, and Nikolai growled. “Listen, you two fuck heads. This isn’t a pissing contest. We need to get out of here. Since neither of you can pull your head out of your ass, I’m in charge, and I say we come up with a plan that involves very little prep and a whole lot of hauling ass.”
“Fine,” Travis bit out, still glaring at Wilks. “We’ll get your mess sorted. And if I come across anything vital to your investigation I’ll pass it over if and when I feel it is necessary but I have other priorities.”
Wilks snorted. “And I’m called a heartless bastard. Drugs over girls. Good to see the DEA has their priorities in order.”
Travis grimaced but ignored the verbal jab.
Nikolai wrapped Harper in him arms as both men relented. Together they worked on a plan to cover their tracks. Each motivated for their own reasons. Nikolai knew he should probably help more, but he was loath to let go of Harper.
Honestly, Nikolai was impressed and slightly disturbed at what the pair were able to come up with by themselves once they pushed past their obvious mistrust of each other.
“Damn terrifying,” he whispered.
Beside him, Harper burrowed closer in his arms and nodded. “Yep. And to think I’m related to him.
Nikolai winced. “Yeah...I’d rather not.”
After what felt like days and but had only been hours, Harper sighed in relief as they entered the safe house on the other side of the state border. Far enough away to stop and gather themselves before they moved on, yet close enough that she still felt a little wired from everything that had happened.
A part of her realized she was probably in shock, and that she hadn’t fully acknowledged what she’d just been through. And maybe, for now, it was a good thing. Dirty and sticky from the paint and other stuff they’d to used to fake their own deaths, all Harper wanted was a hot shower.
And Nik.
She could still hardly believe the man was right by her side. He had chosen her. Harper knew the only reason he had been allowed to leave with her was because her uncle had let his guilt make the decision. She was under no illusion that given normal circumstances Nik wouldn’t have been given a choice. But he was. And it was her.
Holy shit.
Harper turned to him the moment he stepped through the door. They were clumsy at first, which made him chuckle.
Harper pulled back, an eyebrow raised. “Something funny, hotshot?”
“Just our movements. All hands and mouths.” He gave a one-shoulder shrug. “I’m fairly certain we are usually more graceful.”
“You were. I have a tendency to trip over myself when you distract me,” she groaned, her fingers twining behind his neck to bring him forward. “Besides, aren’t you the one who said you were in charge?”
Her words, though somewhat in jest because of his outburst earlier, struck a chord in him. Possession. Raw and gritty. This woman had the ability to render him completely senseless. To turn him into nothing more than an animal with a need to take her and make her his. The very idea would concern him more if he weren’t so fucking turned on all the time because of her.
“God, woman. You twist me up in knots,” he admitted, staring her straight in the eyes.
Harper barely hid her smile. “That makes two of us.”
Nikolai cleared his throat. “You know things are never going to be the same, right? New name, and a new identity for you. Can you live with that?”
“I don’t really have a choice.” He winced at her honesty, but she continued. “But I think what you really want to ask me is, can I live with you and not resent you for all of this. Right?”
Nikolai shrugged. Right now, he’d give her that.
“I can’t
expect you to stay with me, Harper.” No matter how much he wanted her to.
“That’s what you don’t get, Nik. You’ve lied, you’ve done some pretty bad things,” She shook her head when he started to object. “No, I’m not done. You need to listen for once. I get it. All of it. It couldn’t have been easy, and I won’t pretend to understand it all. And there is a hell of a lot I still don’t know about you. What I do know is that when it counted you risked everything for me. You didn’t even hesitate. No second guessing. It was me, and that’s all that mattered. There aren’t a lot of women out there who can say the same about their other halves. I had nothing before I met you, Nik. No family, barely any friends and they turned out to be fake anyway.”
His gut clenched at the obvious pain in her words. Her hurt slicing him deep. “Harp–”
“Nope, still not done,” she said, silencing him with a fingertip pressed to his lips. “Now you’re giving me everything I could have asked for, and sure it sounds as sappy as hell, and I’m saying words that make part of me want to gag, but they’re the facts. Take it or leave it. You’re stuck with me.”
He smirked behind her finger. “I think I can live with that.”
“You sure?” Doubt warred with hope in her expression. “Because I’m asking for a lot.”
“And I’m asking you to forgive me.” He peered at her, shaking his head sadly. “And I think that’s asking more than anything you could come up with.”
“I know the real you, Nik. I see you, who you really are. Behind the lies, the cover. You are stubborn, pigheaded, and opinionated.” Harper took a calming breath. “You are also kind and selfless.”
He raised a brow, and she snorted. “Yeah, yeah. You’re also a big tough lug who can take out a dozen guys single handedly. Go you.”
Slightly affronted by her blasé attitude, he scoffed. “You know, most women would find that impressive.”
“I’m not most women,” she said softly, closing the few inches that remained between them.
“Thank God for that,” he whispered.
“You always try to do the right thing…but sometimes…sometimes you’re wrong.” Harper stood on her tippy toes and planted a kiss on his lips, skipping the formalities. Nikolai had never known her to be so demanding, but neither he nor the bulge in his pants seemed to mind the newfound trait in the little spitfire. With one hand laced behind his neck to give her leverage, Harper deepened it, seeking out his tongue and not giving up until she had it entwined with hers. She tugged on the band that held his hair pinned back. This kiss was rough, raw, and passionate. Nikolai met her match for match, upping the ante with each lick and nip. When his hands roamed under the hem of her shirt and wandered north, Harper stopped. “Wait.”
