The Boss

by Melissa Schroeder

  “Just come up with it?” Mac asked.

  “Sure.” Millie shrugged. “I don’t really care if I get the credit for the plan, and truthfully, Tessa was the first one to suggest we figure out a way to get the information.”

  “I didn’t suggest we commit a few felonies to get it, though.”

  “No. And that’s something you can lay at my feet. Might as well, because there are a few of them already.”

  Vic wasn’t sure he liked this Millie. She was kind of scary.

  “Well, first things first. We need a good plan.”

  “My plan is good.”

  “No, we need to figure out logistics. We need a layout of the house we’re breaking into, and we need to know just how this is all going to work. And to do that, I need to eat. Anyone else hungry?”

  Everyone raised their hands.

  “Good, Rock, get to work.”

  “Why me?”

  “The rest of us suck at cooking, and you know it. Plus, I’m old and cranky.”

  Rock nodded, but Vic didn’t miss the smile.

  …

  Rock wasn’t in the best of moods. He didn’t like when one of his plans went to shit, and worse, Tessa had been shot. It was just a graze, and she wouldn’t have any lingering issues, but still, she’d been shot. Add in that he’d just fucked up her career, and there was a good chance she would never speak to him again.

  “I smell bacon.”

  She was there behind him. He took a long second before turning around. The smile she offered him was a little tired around the edges, and the dark smudges beneath her eyes spoke of the experience she had first hand with WD & Associates. In all the years of his work in the military and then in the private sector, he had yet to have an op go so badly—not to mention injuring one of their contacts. They really had not taken good care of her.

  “Rock? Bryan?”

  He blinked. He didn’t know she was even acquainted with his first name.

  “In the oven.” When she looked confused, he realized that his comment hadn’t made much sense out of context. “The bacon is in the oven.”

  She glanced at the oven, then back at him. “The oven? Don’t you fry it up?”

  “No, the best way to cook it is in the oven. Especially for a crowd.”

  “Ah.”

  It was all she said. They stood there in the kitchen, staring at each other.

  “Was there something you needed?”

  “Yeah, I wanted to thank you.”

  For a few moments, he couldn’t formulate a response. He’d been the one to drag her into this entire mess, and now she was thanking him for it.

  “For what, getting you shot?”

  Her smile dimmed. “That had nothing to do with you.”

  “I doubt you would have been shot if you hadn’t been trying to help us.”

  “That’s definitely a fact, but it shouldn’t have ended the way it did. Somewhere down the line, someone took money. It’s the only explanation. I know it wasn’t my supervisor, but it was someone he knows. So I blame them, ultimately.”

  “It was our plan.”

  “I helped with it. I set it up. We were both betrayed.” The conviction in her voice told him she was going to find whoever did this and make them pay.

  “That’s true. We still owe you.”

  “Oh, don’t worry. I plan on collecting that some day.”

  He nodded, and again, they stared at each other.

  “I’m sorry I said you were a son of a crack whore.”

  He couldn’t fight the chuckle. When he had been cleaning her wound, she’d called him some very horrible names. That was at the top of the list.

  “Not far from the truth.”

  She nodded again. “Well, I’ll get back to the living room where they are planning the…”

  “B and E?”

  She laughed. “I guess you could call it that.”

  “Food will be ready in fifteen.”

  She nodded and left him alone in the kitchen. She had apologized, but she didn’t need to. Not really. They owed her. The information she had given them and all of the help with everything else…it had been too much.

  …

  They gathered around the table once more, but this time it was for the amazing breakfast that Rock had cooked for them. Mac was famished. She hadn’t really had a decent meal in over twenty-four hours. She wasn’t a woman who liked to go without food.

  “So, do you want to tell me what this plan will include?” Rock asked.

  “A little B and E, and I’m sure hacking into Liberty is a federal offense,” Vic said.

  One thing about Vic—he could be blunt, but it was important in certain situations. This was one of those situations. They all needed to know what was at stake. Being able to survive the operation was considered a requirement for the job.

  “I know we had information on Denkov.”

  “It didn’t raise any red flags?” Jay asked, suspicion dripping from every word.

  “Hey, I don’t pay attention to the data. In my line of work, it is best not to. I can’t help that some things get stuck in my head. We handled security for a lot of people. Charities, domestic and foreign companies. George has a lot of contacts.”

  “Of the wrong kind.”

  “Of every kind.”

  Jay opened his mouth to argue, but Vic apparently had had enough.

  “Cut it out. What we need is to make sure we have all the equipment we need. Nothing can be left to chance tonight.”

  “We’re going in tonight?” Mac asked. It was the first she’d heard of it. Usually, if they had the time, she liked to have a couple days to prep.

  “Yes. Millie is wanted, and I want this over.”

  Of course he did. He wanted to get the hell out of here.

  “What I want to know is how they thought I would work for them?” Millie wondered out loud.

  “You mean Maatev?” Tessa asked. Millie nodded. “You would be in a foreign country, no ties to the outside world, your life at stake. They tried to buy you out, get you to work for them for money. Russian mob types kind of get pissed when you don’t go along with their plans. So more than likely, he would have kept you somewhere until you worked for them or you were killed. One way or another, he would get the information he wanted from you.”

  There was music from the TV in the living room, the sound of breaking news. Vic rose up to see what was happening, and she followed him.

  “We have breaking news to report in the espionage case in Liberty. It seems that Walter George was found murdered in his home. The details are sketchy, but the police want to talk to this woman, Millicent Bingham.” A picture of Millie flashed on the screen. “She is a person of interest regarding hacking the company, and authorities believe she might be involved.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  A spy should always expect the unexpected—even if it’s the Spanish Inquisition.

  —Mac Donovan

  For a long moment, no one said a word. Vic chalked it up to shock. None of them had expected this, but then, that was how this job had gone from the beginning.

  “What the hell is that?” Millie squawked, as blood drained from her face.

  Vic ground his teeth and held on to his temper. He knew it was a shock for her, but all of them were pretty much working on little sleep and stress. This bit of information did cause some problems, but there was no reason to worry any more.

  “It’s a new report. Apparently, Walter George has been murdered,” he said, trying his best to sound soothing. From the disgusted look she shot him, he got the feeling he didn’t pull it off.

  “They are saying I killed him. They think I killed them. Good lord.”

  She sank down on the couch and bent at the waist to drop her head between her legs. Vic looked at Mac, who shrugged. Great, no help from her. He looked at Millie again and waited. She didn’t rise back up.

  “What are you doing?” Vic asked.

  “Trying not to pass out.”r />
  “What?”

  She raised her head just high enough so she could look at him. “You know, when the blood drains too fast from your head and you feel dizzy.”

  Did she think he was stupid? Apparently, from the expression on her face.

  “There’s no reason to break into Blake’s apartment now,” she said. “I’m screwed.”

  “Yes, there is. We need that information. It might be the only thing to keep you out of prison.”

  “Oh God,” she said as she dropped her head between her legs again. “I doubt very much my parents would approve of this. They are probably spinning in their graves in Normal.”

  “Normal?” Vic asked, feeling as if he had been dropped into an alternate universe.

  “Normal, Illinois. It’s where I grew up. It’s where I buried them. And I’ll never return, because of my prison sentence. I’ll die in Guantanamo for spying and espionage.”

  Okay, that was enough. She was completely losing it. Vic opened his mouth to blast her, but Mac stepped in.

  “Hey,” she said, her voice soothing and almost motherly. “Everything is going to be all right. We’ll get the information and find out who is behind this.”

  Millie raised her head and studied Mac’s face. “Are you sure? Nothing seems to go right, no matter what we do.”

  Normally, he would go off on a client for a comment like that, especially one that wasn’t going to pay them. But her tone wasn’t accusatory.

  “Yes. Think about it this way. What are the odds that things keep going this badly?”

  Great, that was a bad way of putting it. With a client ready to spend the rest of her days rotting away in a prison, it wasn’t an ideal way of calming her nerves. But apparently, it spoke to Millie. Her expression lightened.

  “I guess you’re right.”

  “So we’re still on?” Tessa asked.

  “Yeah, but we definitely need Blake’s house plans. George’s house is going to be crawling with cops, and more than likely, they will put someone on it to watch.”

  She nodded.

  “The house was on the market,” Millie said.

  “What was that?”

  “My boss tried to sell his apartment about a year ago, but the market was so soft.”

  “And what does that have to do with this?”

  “He put it up on one of those sites. You know, where you search for real estate? There are pictures, and I think a floor plan.”

  “Great. That will help a lot.”

  “Anything else?”

  She shook her head.

  “Good. Now we need to make sure we have all the equipment, but first, we need to make sure we’re well rested tonight. I’ll take first shift.”

  “As will I,” Mac said.

  “That’s a surprise,” Jay said.

  “And you get to clean up, wanker,” Mac said.

  …

  It had been a long three hours, and Mac was ready to collapse. They’d had very little sleep the night before last, and none this past night. When she had been in her twenties, she’d had no problem dealing with days like this. Now, she just really wanted to die.

  Jay and Millie came out of the rooms in the back.

  “Tessa is still sleeping,” Millie said. They had a guest room with two twin beds in it. Millie and Tessa had been resting in there.

  “Okay. I think we should let her sleep,” Vic said.

  “Any other news? Have I been accused of anything else?” Millie asked.

  “Nope, but it has only been three hours. Give it some time,” Mac said.

  “Jay, you go downstairs to the panic room. Tell Rock his room is free,” Vic said.

  “Good night, everyone,” Mac said. She headed off down the hall and knew without looking Vic was with her.

  She stripped down to her panties and tank top. She didn’t even brush her teeth. She just collapsed into bed. Vic said nothing. He climbed onto the mattress beside her. She was facing away from him, but just as she started to drift off to sleep, she felt his hand slip over her waist and he crowded in behind her.

  “What happens after this?” she asked.

  “We’ll worry about that after. Right now, we just need sleep so we can make sure we get through this alive.”

  She wanted to demand an answer, and in the past, that would have been her go-to move. She had never been a woman who wanted to settle down. But it was different with Vic, and in the last year, she had a yearning. One that involved insane things like a marriage certificate and maybe even a kid or two. So she had pushed, and he had resisted. Truth, she hadn’t told him what she wanted, but she had needled him nonetheless.

  When he hadn’t figured it out on his own, she’d lashed out. The argument had been about contracting with government agencies, but it could have been about anything. Granted, arguing was nothing new for them, but there was an edge to it that hadn’t been there before. She had been so scared of exposing her vulnerabilities that she’d picked a fight every chance she got. The pain of losing him was worse because she had known a lot of it had been her fault. If she had only given him a chance, maybe they wouldn’t have split up.

  So for now, she would listen to him and just rest.

  …

  Vic woke a little while later, feeling a bit better. He could operate on a few hours of sleep, although not as well as he could a few years ago. Still, the respite had him feeling better.

  He leaned up and rested his weight on his arm to look down at Mac. She lay facing away from him toward the door, and that was probably from instinct. Always best to face the door and deal with an attack head on. He sighed. If there was ever a woman made for him, it was MacKenzie Donovan. She wasn’t perfect, but she was perfect for him. How he hadn’t been able to accept that until now was almost embarrassing.

  He brushed her hair aside so he could kiss her shoulder. Soft skin, hard head. The woman had always been a contradiction in terms. There was never a time where she didn’t amaze, frighten, and frustrate him. But, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

  He continued to kiss her shoulder and then laid small kisses across her back. She stirred finally.

  “Is it time to leave yet?”

  “No. We have a few minutes.”

  “Do we?” she asked, as he shoved her shirt up a bit so he could kiss her back.

  “Hmm.”

  “Oh, Vic,” she muttered. “We don’t have time.”

  He chuckled and rolled her over. He was already hard and ready to thrust into her. But he did have a little bit of time to play.

  “We always have time for this, babe.”

  He saw her flash of teeth in the darkness. “Yeah, we always seem to find time.”

  Vic grabbed the bottom of her shirt and pulled it up over her head. He didn’t hesitate as he bent down and took a nipple into his mouth. Slowly, easily, he loved her. First, teasing her until she made those little moans he loved, drawing out the pleasure for both of them. He used his hands and his mouth to push her over the edge again and again.

  Finally, as she came once more, he thrust inside of her, riding her orgasm. But it wasn’t enough. He wanted her with him this time. He thrust long and deep, again and again, until he felt the first tremors of another orgasm. Then, and only then, did he let pleasure rush over him as he lost himself inside of her.

  Chapter Twenty

  In life, going into a situation blind isn’t ideal. In the spy business, it could be deadly.

  —Vic Walker

  Vic didn’t like their chances for success. As he studied the apartment building, he knew it was going to be an uphill battle. Because it wasn’t a house, there was a good chance they would run into someone. That didn’t bother him that much. When you lived in a large city like D.C., where people were always coming and going, many neighbors didn’t pay attention. Especially down in this area. They didn’t want to talk to their neighbors unless they had to. Add in the fact the residents were always moving out, they could easily get in.

  S
till, it would leave them exposed if they weren’t good enough. The fact they had to get in and out with Millie had him more than a little nervous. Millie didn’t know the first thing about covert ops, but she did know her way around a computer. Well, that, and she knew where the bodies were buried. Without her, the op would be useless.

  “Do you think we’ll have a problem getting into the house?” he asked Millie.

  “No. As I said, I have his passcode. I often had to drop things off at his home when he was out of town.”

  “He was very trusting.”

  She gave him a glance, then looked ahead. “Yes, and I trusted him. I have a feeling this is all my fault in some way.”

  “Why would you say that?” Mac asked.

  “I mentioned a few times there was something odd about a couple of the files. I wanted to make sure there weren’t problems on the other levels of security. So many people get their hands on what is supposed to be highly sensitive information.”

  “So, you’re telling us there is no such thing as classified.”

  With a chuckle, she said, “The person who believes they can keep anything classified these days has lost touch with reality. It is impossible to keep info safe. The best you can do is to safeguard it and make sure you have some kick-ass warnings on it. That way, if someone does access it, you will know. Even with everything we know, people in government don’t seem to understand the situation at all. They keep making mistakes and exposing themselves. How anyone thought it was a good idea to sign up with their real name at a place like Ashley Madison, I will never know.”

  He nodded. It wasn’t anything people in the spy business didn’t know. When the computer age hit the governments, they were woefully unprepared, still were. It had been a spy’s wet dream, at least the ones who could hack into computers. Now, there were warnings, just as Millie said, but there was no such thing as an unhackable system.

  “Okay, so what we’re going to do is pretend to be staying at his apartment. You know the codes, right?”

  “I just said I did.”

  She moved to get out of the SUV, but he stopped her.