Circle of Deception

by Carla Swafford

  “She has a strange way of showing it.” Did his brother even know how to tell the truth?

  “What about you and Nic? What do you think she makes of that? Everyone at the OS knows that you two had hooked up.” Jack scratched his chest and waited for a comment.

  What could Rex say to that? He hadn’t been open with Abby about his relationship with Nic.

  “You understand?” His brother held out his hand and waited.

  The cawing of a crow nearby broke the silence.

  Rex wanted to argue and hang on to the old wounds, but what good would come of it?

  He grabbed the offered hand and pulled his brother close. “If you ever touch her again or betray me again, brother or not, I’ll kill you and spit on your cold, lifeless body.”

  Jack returned his solemn stare. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  * * *

  ABBY TAPPED HER foot and stared out the living room window as she waited for Rex to return from his run. Yeah, run his ass. Most likely meeting with Jack and leaving her out of the plans. If he thought she would stand idly by while they decided how to bring Brody down, he was kidding himself.

  “What’s got you wound up tighter than a five-dollar watch?” Edward walked in wearing his dark brown uniform shirt and tan pants. With a badge on his chest and holstered gun at his side, he looked ready for business. Seeing him in his uniform reminded her how she needed to be careful with what she said and did or their cover would be blown. The job The Circle did wasn’t sanctioned by the government and leaned heavily toward vigilantism.

  “Rurik went for a run and he’s unfamiliar with the area. Hate for him to be lying in a ditch somewhere.”

  “He appears to be smart enough to watch for erratic drivers.” He stopped next to her and lightly touched her shoulder. “I know we’ve never been close, but something has been bothering me that I want to ask.”

  Her eyes met his. The compassion in his eyes helped her relax. She needed a distraction.

  “Do you love him?”

  She hadn’t expected that.

  Before she could answer, he continued. “I know it’s not really my business. You’re a grown woman who’s lived on her own for years, but something has come up and I’m concerned about you.”

  That wasn’t good.

  “The other night at dinner, Rurik mentioned some of the countries he’d been to with his company. Some are very volatile areas, and from what I can tell, there are no direct flights into their cities.”

  “You had him checked out.” She’d been afraid he’d do that.

  “What had you expected? You never mentioned dating anyone when you came to visit last year and suddenly you show up with a husband. Then within hours of arriving in town, he’s thick with Brody.”

  “Mom’s thick with Brody too. Does that mean she’s up to no good?”

  “I didn’t say he was up to no good.” A glint in his eyes warned she had taken his bait.

  “Quit beating around the bush and tell me what you want to know.”

  “Is he DEA?”

  “What?” She never expected that. If he’d dug deep enough, he would find information about Rurik being a suspect in several illegal weapon sales. That couldn’t be helped, considering it was the same information they wanted Brody to find. But she never expected her brother to think Rurik might be involved in anything to do with law enforcement.

  “CIA? NSA?”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “He didn’t tell you that we had a heated discussion about the shooters last night?” Edward moved to a chair and sat back. When she remained quiet, he said, “Two fellows were found tied up and left at a substation’s steps.”

  “What makes you think he had anything to do with it?”

  He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and with his hands clasped. “Abby, I’m not stupid. I have eyes in my head and you two don’t act like newlyweds. Suzie and I never could keep our hands off each other, especially the first few months, and you two have been married only a couple days. And what newlywed with money would be interested in spending the night with her brother’s family so soon?”

  “Maybe not everyone is like you and Suzie. We’re older and have been around the block a few times. We don’t need wine and roses to realize how we feel about each other.” Well, crap. A by-product of abstaining from sex during their stay, they avoided touching each other too. She wished she could say her mind stayed on the job, but she’d be lying.

  He nodded, looking down at the floor. “Okay. Just understand I might be able to help you. Brody has been a concern of my department’s since he bought that farm and placed armed guards on it. We haven’t caught anyone hauling drugs out of or onto his land, but we feel certain something is going on.”

  “Don’t be that way. He’s just a good ol’ boy who likes to party. Like what Mom said, he made all his money before the market dropped and he came back home to enjoy life as a young retiree.”

  Until now she never understood how much she loved her brother. He tried to be a good man, and she didn’t want him involved. From the moment she met Brody, she had a creepy feeling that he would be bad news. A nagging in the back of her mind had warned her not to involve her family in the undercover operation, and for some reason she’d ignored it and she knew better than to do that.

  He slapped his hands on his knees and stood. “Suzie’s waiting for me and tomorrow will be another long day. Some of us have to work for a living.”

  There. That was her brother. Poking at her, trying to get her riled up and admitting more than she should.

  She stopped him as he reached the door. “Edward.”

  “Yeah.”

  “I love you, big brother.”

  He smiled, like he used to for the camera while playing ball as a teenager. “Love you too, little sis.”

  She knew that she would do everything she could to protect him and his family. With certainty, he would dig deeper and that placed them in danger. What did a small county sheriff know about international arms dealers?

  A COUPLE HOURS later, Abby listened to Rex’s footsteps coming up the stairs. The house was built solid and normally Rex was pretty light on his feet, but tonight he either didn’t care or was too tired to worry.

  The lights were off, but the full moon brightened up the room. She watched his solid shadow as he crossed the floor and entered the bathroom, closing the door behind him before turning on the light. Lying there waiting for him was more intimate than having sex. Strange, but she always associated waiting for someone to come to bed as what lovers and wives did. When he returned, she watched his silhouette pull his shirt over his head and kick off his sweatpants.

  The bed shook as he crawled in behind her. “Abby.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Nic and I are no longer lovers.”

  “No? What brought that up?” Did their time together during the last few days have something to do with it?

  “I saw Jack while I was out.”

  “And?” Her whole body ached from tension. Thoughts of circling Jack’s throat with her hands zipped through her mind. The dirty SOB better not have told him about what happened with the baby so many years ago.

  “We talked about you.”

  Jesus H. Christ! Was he trying to drive her crazy? She wanted to yell, Spit it out! But pure fear held her back.

  “I know about you and Jack.”

  “And?” Hadn’t he already known? They hadn’t lied or hid it. They had a one-night stand. Nothing more. Besides, her marriage to Rex wasn’t real. So no need for confessions.

  “It was the same for me and Nic. When you get bad news, it can make you do things you regret later.”

  “Yeah.” She waited for him to touch her. He didn’t move. “Listen, that was a long time ago.”

  “You don’t have feelings for him, do ya?”

  She never remembered him acting so tender and uncertain, wanting to talk—that was
, besides giving orders.

  “No more than as a friend.”

  He sighed. He actually sighed. Then it hit her. He’d been drinking. Another first, in a line of firsts with him.

  When she heard snoring, she relaxed. Jack had kept his promise. He hadn’t told Rex her secret. How much longer could she go without telling him about their child?

  Chapter Sixteen

  * * *

  “I THOUGHT YOU said the security was low-key.” Abby looked around as they pulled in front of the large ranch-style house.

  Though an average four-foot fence lined the property near the main road, a decorative ten-foot gate stood at the entrance of the half-mile-long driveway. Once they’d given their names to the man standing next to a parked ATV, the guards patted them down for weapons and searched the Cadillac.

  Expecting the search, Abby and Rex went along without protest. They’d hidden a few weapons in the car, hoping some would go undetected, and they would later sneak one or two into the house. The guards found two out of five. The guards had glared but said nothing as they were thrown in the back of the ATV, and they renewed their search for more until they were satisfied they’d found them all.

  When the guards waved them on, a large Titan pickup truck and black SUV had appeared out of nowhere and surrounded them as Rex drove onto Brody’s property.

  In front of the house, every man she spotted carried an AR-15 or AR-47 semiautomatic rifle. Scary crazy to say the least.

  “Think of where Collin and Olivia live. They have ten-foot-high walls with broken glass on top. If Olivia had her way, they’d have a moat, but Collin was afraid it would scare the kids.” He snorted.

  She laughed, covering her mouth. What normal person, finding herself surrounded by armed guards, would be making jokes and laughing? No need to make the guards nervous.

  “Well, yeah, you got me there.”

  The front door swung open and Brody jogged toward them. Faded jeans molded to his slim hips and runner thighs. With his pale yellow polo shirt showing off his tan, he stood out among his guards who dressed in black and looked ready to burglarize the house. Keeping an eye on Brody, she said, “We better get out before they think we’re about to run over their boss.”

  Rex turned off the engine and the locks clicked. Before Abby could pull on the lever, Brody lifted the handle and held the door for her to get out.

  “Welcome to Eagles Landing.” The magazine-quality smile stretched across his face.

  “Eagles Landing? Are there eagles around here?” She had noticed the design in the gate of two birds with wings spread.

  “A couple nests. Most are found in northern Alabama.”

  “Interesting.” She really was interested—she’d always thought the magnificent birds lived only out west. Avoiding Brody as he reached for her hand, she stood. She’d never been a touchy-feely type of person and never would be with him. A strong arm came around her waist and pressed her to a tall, hard body. She looked up into Rex’s grim face. Scratch that—she’d never been a touchy-feely type until she met Rex.

  “I’m so glad you’re here and just in time. The other guests are waiting. Usually I have around ten couples, but I thought you might appreciate a more exclusive gathering. Four couples. Should make everything more fascinating.” He waved them through into the foyer. “Your bags will be taken to your room. Don’t worry.”

  Make everything more fascinating? What did he mean by that? The man made her nervous enough, but he continued to creep her out.

  “Here” Brody indicated a servant holding a tray with several glasses of white and red wines. “Take one. I requested several bottles from the winery I own in Napa Valley.”

  Abby picked up a red and Rex chose white. The taste was bittersweet. Not bad, but she needed to keep her senses clear. Being an easy drunk wouldn’t be a good thing in this situation. The glass shook a little as she raised it to her lips, pretending to sip.

  Trying to shake off her uncharacteristic nerves, she concentrated on the beautiful house. So different than what she’d thought outside. Despite being one level, it was open and airy inside. The stained glass surrounding the front door brightened the large, elevated living area.

  Two leather sectional sofas faced each other across a massive coffee table. The dark wood floor was broken up by thick white shag rugs. In the far right corner was a kitchen with a marble-topped bar overlooking the living room. The large table on the right as they stepped off the foyer could easily seat twelve without elbowing each other.

  An archway to the left appeared to lead to a corridor, probably the bedrooms. When she looked beyond the sofas and a few conversational groupings of overstuffed chairs with small accent tables, she caught her breath. A long glass wall revealed a scene of what she could only call Eden. Palm trees, bamboo, ferns, and every color in the rainbow of orchids and lilies provided the perfect backdrop for boulders of different sizes with water flowing into a small pool. Everything looked natural and soothing.

  “You like the courtyard?” Brody whispered in her ear.

  She lowered her glass. “Oh yes. It’s beautiful.” She wanted to take off her shoes and dip her toes in the coolness.

  “Later. You can try it out.” He stepped away from her as Rex moved between them. “For now, I would like to introduce you to the others.”

  The glass pane slid open, allowing people to enter the room from the courtyard. The servant stood to the side to let each person pick out their glass of wine.

  The first person to enter was the tall blonde with manufactured boobs Brody had brought to the cocktail party.

  “You remember Greta. She was kind enough to play hostess for me tonight.” Brody pulled her into his arms and kissed her. No light peck on the lips for them; instead tongues thrust and parried into each other’s mouths, visible in flashes while Brody’s hand covered and squeezed a full breast.

  Feeling a little uncomfortable with the reenactment from the other night, Abby glanced up at Rex. With a smirk on his face, he watched with interest. She jabbed him in the side. His grunt brought his attention to her. She jerked her head at the display and lifted her shoulders.

  “Such a sweet candy cane. Always in season.” Brody chuckled as he pulled away. He then slapped her butt as she walked by, barely acknowledging them with a nod as she lifted a glass of white and slunk over to the sectional.

  Next, a beautiful man and woman glided in. They looked so much alike they could’ve been related. Their long blond, almost white hair ended at the small of their backs. Abby had never seen a man with hair that long and silky and smooth. The desire to touch it had her clutching her glass a little tighter. Their eyes were the lightest gray and like the color of snow at night with a full moon. The only difference between the two was what they wore. His pale blue jeans were topped with a regular white button-up shirt, while the woman dressed in an ankle-length white cotton dress that was so thin, Abby could see her small dark nipples underneath.

  Okay. Talk about getting creepier by the minute.

  “I would like to introduce the supreme artists of photography, Leif and Spring Erickson. Their pictures have been shown in the renowned Museum of Modern Art in New York City and in so many galleries, they’re too numerous to count.” Brody leaned over and air-kissed their cheeks. “These are my dear friends, Rurik Volkov and his wife, Abby.”

  “So nice to meet you.” The man had a slight lisp and the woman stared at Rex as if she wanted to eat him where he stood. What surprised Abby was how the man looked at Rex the same way. Uh-oh. The couple finally moved away with glasses of white wine—figured—over to the sofa to sit across from Greta.

  The last couple to walk in looked like the average redneck and his barely clothed wife. His Dale Earnhardt Junior ball cap had sweat stains around the brim, and his wife’s visible stomach sported a red eighty-eight dangling from a loop in her belly button.

  “So you two are Brody’s new friends.” He reached out his hand to Rex and started pumping. “I’m Bubb
a Hagley and this here is my wife, Kristy.”

  Abby tilted her head as the men shook hands. The dark-headed man looked familiar to her for some reason. She’d never met a Bubba before and certainly not the one standing in front of her, but his dark eyes and the way he held himself reminded her of someone.

  “So nice to meet you, sweet thang, and I hope to get to know you much better over the weekend.” Bubba’s grin warned he meant exactly what he was saying. Though he was handsome and a little thinner than she liked, his sable-brown eyes pulled her in, encouraging her to trust him.

  “Now, sugar, don’t let him frighten you. He’s a teddy bear and loves all women. He gets carried away at times.” His wife slapped his hand. That was when she realized he’d grabbed hers and held it tight.

  “He doesn’t frighten me.” She tugged at her hand, and he continued to grin at her.

  “Bubba, I’m Rurik. Her husband.” Rex pulled on her wrist.

  Were they going to have a tug-of-war, with her as the rope? Thankfully Bubba had the sense to let go.

  With a crooked grin that Abby found interesting, Bubba chuckled as he released her and placed his arm over his wife’s bare shoulders and joined the others. They had passed up the wine.

  “Come over here and have a seat,” Brody said as he moved onto the sofa with Greta. “We’re about to be served dinner. We’ll relax tonight, and tomorrow we’ll go on a tour of my farm.”

  Abby looked over at Rex and grinned. Though she doubted Brody would point at a building and say, “And that’s where we make the world’s deadliest bullets,” at least they would have a better idea of where it could be located.

  “Who’s he?” She watched the redneck lean over and whisper something into his wife’s ear. The woman’s eyes widened as she giggled. When she took a furtive glance over at her and Rex, Abby wondered what she thought was so funny.

  “I have no idea.” He downed the last of the wine and then leaned over to answer without the others hearing. “The photographers are actually the twentieth richest couple in the world, so they must be his backers. No matter how much money he made in real estate, he doesn’t have the funds needed.”