by Lea Hart
Picking up her phone from the table, she shook her head. “She’s on the way over, maybe twenty minutes out, depending on traffic.”
“Download…now.”
“Dmitry is a Ukrainian billionaire and Stazi met him the other night at the gala. He asked her to come over and look at one of his paintings and she did. The meeting made her uncomfortable and she thinks she’s being followed.”
“Fucking creeper,” Hank said.
“Unfortunately, that may not be our biggest worry. He keeps company with some Bratva pakhans who are seriously bad news.”
“Go on.”
“When we had drinks last night, she told me what happened at the meeting and asked me to search for his name to see what I found.” Running her hand along the edge of the table, she shook her head. “She’s never asked me to do anything like this in all our years of friendship, so I know this guy must’ve really pinged her creep-o-meter.”
“How long have you two been friends?”
“Since we were five. I saw her the first day of kindergarten and knew we were going to be friends and I was right.” Walking away from the table, she leaned against the wall. “Stazi went to this man’s house on Thursday and some of the henchmen who were guarding the joint were part of the Bratva. She noticed one man in particular with tattoos on his hand that indicated he wasn’t just a street thug. When she overheard Dmitry arguing with the man in Ukrainian, she thought the pakhan had threatened Firtash to cooperate or else. Then, when she left, she heard the pakhan tell one of the thugs to keep an eye on her.”
“So, a Ukrainian oligarch and a Russian pakhan are interested in Stazi?”
“Yeah. Only Firtash is not just some run of the mill oligarch because he’s got a decent-sized file with both the FBI and Interpol. Anyone who has files that size is a man of extreme interest.”
“Did you access the Interpol files?”
“Do you want the real answer or the one that will keep your ass out of hot water?”
“I want the real answer.”
“I’ll have it in another hour. Whoever this Dmitry guy is, it’s not good news for my friend, and whoever crown guy is, he’s not either.”
“Who is crown guy?”
“That’s what Stazi calls the man who had the crowns tattooed on his fingers. That ink identifies him as the man who controls everything, which is a pakhan in the Russian mob. I don’t know how big his cells are, but he’s got to have a ton of power if he’s threatening a billionaire.”
“We need to get Sam Barton on this because he’ll know what’s going on. I’ll give him a call and tell him to come as soon as he can.” Looking at the news articles again, he noticed words like bribery and federal indictment. “Why did he choose Stazi to be the one to look at his painting?”
The sound of a chime filled the room and Lucky moved back to her table. “That’s the Interpol info starting to download.” She checked the files coming in and then looked up at Hank. “It’s going to take a couple of hours. I had to bounce this all over kingdom come so no one knows who accessed it. To answer your question…Stazi told me that she felt like he chose her because she’s Russian.” Flipping a pen over in her hand, she looked at the ceiling. “Something like, fellow countrymen should cooperate.”
“It’s more than that,” Hank responded. “Stazi is a beautiful woman and I know that’s part of his interest.” Running his hand along his neck, he looked at the ceiling. “There is so much that I don’t know that I’m not sure where to start. Like, is it really about the painting or something else? And who the fuck is this crown guy and why does he need to keep an eye on Stazi?”
“All good questions. But the most important thing right now is that we say nothing until we have all our ducks in a row. Stazi will freak out if we don’t have a very specific, rational plan on how to mitigate the threats. She may appear to be a modern American woman, but in her little-girl heart, she’s a Russian Jew who’s one step away from being imprisoned. Apparently, right before her family immigrated, they were threatened by the militsiya almost constantly. Even though she was only three at the time, she remembers everything. So, I’d like to have as much information as I can before I tell her.”
“Okay,” Hank responded as he paced back and forth. The thought of Stazi being frightened and threatened as a small child made him sick to his stomach. And he sure as hell was going to do everything he could to make sure she never felt anything remotely close to that again. This Dmitry asshole would soon learn that, as well as the asshole with the crown tattoos. “Until we know what we’re dealing with, we don’t say anything.”
“Exactly.”
“I’ll just stick close to her until we know what we’re dealing with,” he replied decisively.
Snorting, Lucky shook her head. “This is not the opening that’s going to make all of your romantic dreams come true.”
Hank stopped pacing, stood at his full height, and gave her a look that couldn’t be misunderstood. “I’m going to assume you said that because you’re upset about your friend. I know I’ve never given you a reason to believe that I would not act in the best interests of someone in danger.”
“Sorry,” she said quietly. “This Dmitry guy has me spooked. Truth is, Stazi likes you and is thinking of going out with you.”
Letting the words roll through his brain, he took a second to appreciate the news, as total junior-high excitement filled his body. The woman he was interested in was going to give him a chance, and it was going to make ensuring her safety a hell of a lot easier. “So, what’s the plan when she gets here?”
“Be cool. Let me gather intel and see what’s what. Then we can decide what the best course of action is. I’m going to have someone from my team pull up the CCTV feed around Stazi’s apartment and determine if anyone is keeping tabs on her. After that, I’ll start on the Interpol files.”
“I’m going to call Sam right now and see when he’s available.”
“Really?” Lucky whined. “I can just copy the FBI files and look through them myself.”
“No hacking into a federal database unless it’s completely necessary,” he admonished her. “Don’t worry, Sam’s not going to figure out that you have a crush.” The loud intake of breath she sucked in told him she didn’t care for him bringing it up, which was too damn bad. They had to find out as much as they could as quickly as they could and Sam was going to help them do that.
“I. Do. Not. Have. A. Crush.”
“Whatever you say,” he responded with a smile. “Should make working with him a breeze, then.” Giving her a nod, he walked out of the room and heard her grumble. Whatever…it was something she was just going to have to get over. It wasn’t like the guy was going to figure it out anyway, because any feelings Lucky had for the Fed were going to stay right where they were—deeply buried under layers of indifference and sarcasm.
Which was fine by him. He had no idea how to navigate his own feelings, so he certainly wasn’t going to offer advice to Lucky.
***
Hank hung up the phone, swiveled his chair around, and looked out the window at the busy street. What a clusterfuck. Dmytri Vasylovych Firtash was more than a bit player in the brutal drama of Ukrainian politics. He was also a man of great interest to both the United States and Spanish governments. Sam couldn’t tell him much over the phone, but he did make it clear that Stazi should steer clear because there was a trail of blood that followed the man and his business dealings.
Just because he hadn’t been caught with it on his hands didn’t mean he was innocent. Hank knew a person didn’t become a billionaire by playing by the rules in the former Soviet Union, and clearly, Dmitry had mastered his ability to do whatever was necessary to achieve success.
So, the challenge in front of him was going to be making sure that one, Firtash lost interest in Stazi, and two, he figured out why the crown guy was possibly having her followed.
The sound of a bell chimed on his computer and he pulled up the camera view f
or the front door. When he saw Stazi standing there, he jumped out of his chair and sprinted down the hall. After making it to the entrance in record time, he placed his hand against the pad that would disengage the security system, and pulled open the heavy door. “Hi, honey.” Taking her hand, he gently pulled her inside and let the door close.
Putting her hand to her chest, she let out a little laugh. “I wasn’t expecting to see you today. I came by to pick up Lucky so I can take her to lunch.”
“The team and I just got back from the parade downtown.” Sliding his arm around her shoulder, he filled his lungs with the lemony scent of her hair. “Why don’t I take you two to lunch before I meet the guys at the beach for a swim?”
When her eyes flew up to his and she shivered, he laughed. “It’s the first time all year that the water has gotten above forty degrees. It’s practically a bath.”
“No bath I’ve ever taken,” she replied as she shook her head. “What in the world would make you want to swim in the ocean now?”
“Got to stay combat-ready,” he replied. “I’ve swum in water much colder than that. A part of SEAL training is held up in Kodiak, Alaska. During Qualification Training, we had to learn how to survive anywhere in the world. I spent twenty-eight days learning how to operate effectively no matter what environment I was in.”
“So, now you just do it for fun?”
“It’s important to be ready for anything, and keeping my skills sharp means that I am. We’ve had to swim through the port in winter, so a swim in the ocean in May is easy.”
Stepping away, she smoothed out her shirt. “Is Lucky still in her office?”
Not a man to be deterred, he took her hand and laced their fingers together. “She is, but I don’t think she’s done yet.” He led them in the direction of the kitchen and said, “Let me get you something to drink while she finishes up.”
“You don’t have to keep me company. I can just read while I wait.”
“Are you kidding me?” He let out a laugh as they walked into the room that had a bunch of couches and a table on one side and a full kitchen on the other. “We’re always fully stocked, so I can offer you just about anything.” Holding her hand firmly, he made sure not to give her a chance to get away. Opening the fridge, he pulled out two bottles of water and handed her one. “Fruit, cookies, chips?”
“Nothing, thank you.”
“All right. Where would you like to go to lunch, then?” He led them over to one of the couches and waited for her to sit down. When she did, he sat down next to her and gave her a smile. “Can’t believe I get to see you today. I was thinking that I was going to have to wait until next week.”
“I’m sorry that I haven’t gotten back to you about your invitation. I was planning on calling you today.”
“Really?” He watched her play with the handle of her purse for a while and then decided to take her hand again. “I hope you’re planning on giving me a day and time when we can get together.”
“Actually, I am.” Moving her fingers over his hand, she smiled. “Would you like to get together on Monday?”
“Monday would be perfect. I’ll come and pick you up in the morning and we can start our day with breakfast together.”
“I was thinking late afternoon,” she replied.
“That won’t be enough time.” Leaning over, he kissed the top of her head. “It’s Memorial Day and an important day for retired military. We need to celebrate life and I’d like to do it with you.” When her body softened, he silently congratulated himself. So what if he was using the war veteran card?
“Brunch,” she answered. “I plan on sleeping in.”
“Does ten work for you?”
“Eleven thirty and not a minute sooner,” she replied with a laugh.
When she lifted her face, he noticed the sparkle in her eyes and wondered if she was half as attracted to him as he was to her. Because if she was, he sure would like a chance at another kiss. When her eyes fluttered closed momentarily, he lowered his head so their mouths were a whisper apart. “I’ve been thinking about that kiss we had the other day and…” Her mouth lifted a millimeter, so he decided to go for it by pressing his lips against hers gently. Their mouths fused instantly, and they fit together perfectly.
Lock and key…that’s what they were.
When her soft body melted further, and her hand went to his chest, he fought his desire to scoop her into his lap. The only message his brain was sending him was more, and he knew he couldn’t do anything about it.
No way was he going to be an asshole, so he gently released her mouth and let out a laugh. “You give me any more of those and I won’t be able to let you go.” Her heavy breaths warmed his chest as she rested her forehead against his heart, and he prayed she felt a tenth of what he did.
“Wouldn’t want that to happen,” she replied. “Would we?”
“Going to be pretty hard to stay away from you until Monday. Maybe you’ll have some free time sooner…like tonight? I’m making dinner for my team and I’d love it if you could join us.”
“That sounds like fun, but I have plans with the people from work.”
“Okay.” He felt the tension that had started to crawl up his spine disappear when she said “people” and not a man. Everything he’d been able to get out of Lucky hadn’t indicated there was anyone sniffing around, and he was relieved to discover that it was true.
Except that it wasn’t. A brutal Ukrainian billionaire was, and he had no idea what that was going to eventually mean.
Stazi lifted her head and then moved away. “I should go and see what Lucky is doing.”
Hank stood, held out his hand, and helped her up. “Let me show you my office first and then we can go and check on her.”
They walked out and headed down the hall toward the offices. Lucky’s area was on the opposite end and he didn’t want Stazi going in there until he could let Lucky know because the last thing Stazi needed to see was all the information on Firtash.
By the time they told her anything, they were going to have it tied up into a neat package with a simple solution. Because there was no way that Stazi needed to know what Dmitry was capable of. When and if she figured it out, they would already be tied together and she would know that she was protected.
Always.
CHAPTER SIX
Sunday, May 28
Stazi put the last of her clean clothes away and felt like she had accomplished something momentous. Every week, it was the same struggle to stay ahead of her chores before the work week began and for once she had managed it. Looking around her room, she silently congratulated herself because the apartment was clean, the fridge had a reasonable amount of food, and she had a nice stack of clean underwear. As far as she could tell, world domination would be next.
After smoothing out the comforter, she walked out of her room and thought about what she wanted to do for the rest of the day. She hadn’t had a lot of free time over the last year, so she had no idea what she wanted to do first.
Maybe nothing at all.
Running her hands over the books on her shelf, she decided a trip to the bookstore was in order because all she had were art books. Not one book of fiction was in the whole bunch, which told her that her focus had become far too narrow.
The single-mindedness she had directed toward her career for the last several years had netted her a dream job, but clearly little else. And perhaps now was the time to allow some other things in.
Like…a man.
A big, sexy one named Hank, for example.
The man was irresistible and she should just quit trying to pretend she wasn’t interested and give him a real chance. After all, men like that didn’t come along in every woman’s life and she would be a fool not to see if they had anything.
Her house phone rang and she wondered who in the world it could it be. The only people who called her at home were her family and she had already spoken to several of them earlier in the week. Lifting the handset
, she answered, “Hello.”
“Hi, honey.”
“Hank?”
“Who else has your home number and calls you honey?”
“Well, up until this phone call, just my family.”
“Look out your window.”
Striding over to the window that faced the street, she saw Hank leaning against a black SUV with a bouquet of flowers in his hand. He waved and spoke into the phone. “Come down and have a cup of coffee with me.”
“What are you up to?” she replied with a laugh.
“Come down and find out.”
“Give me five minutes.” She pressed the button to end the call and waved to him. What in the world was that big, handsome man doing here? Moving away from the window, she put the phone on the counter and walked into her bedroom. As she slipped on a pair of sandals, she tried to ignore the buzzing bees in her stomach and her shaking hands.
Hank Coleman was a force to be reckoned with and she didn’t have the first clue about how to manage it. Truth was, she didn’t want to manage anything…and just wanted to smooch his face and run her hands all over his amazing body.
And what an amazing body it was.
She discovered that yesterday when he and the guys from SAI had joined her and Lucky at North Avenue Beach. The memory of seeing Hank strip out of his clothes and jump into the ocean was burned into her brain.
In Technicolor.
And high-def.
As a student of art, she had seen a lot of magnificent bodies in all forms, but nothing compared to seeing Hank in his short swim trunks. He wasn’t wimpy like the statue of David. He was more like the Trojans that adorned Vatican City. Broad and muscled warriors with massive thighs and biceps.
Before yesterday, she never knew she had a type. When she saw Hank peel off his T-shirt, she discovered that perhaps she did. When he slipped off his sweat pants, she knew unequivocally that she absolutely did.
She was no better than any other woman who appreciated a hot guy and that fact bothered her very little. She was going to be thirty in a couple of days and she figured it was about damn time she understood what made her hot and bothered. And Hank the Warrior Coleman seemed to be exactly the man who made her very hot and very bothered.
