by Rachel Dylan
“Since we’ve got a little time as we drive back. Can you tell me what happened? Lauren told me that the two of you were at Sala for a special dinner. She said she left for a few minutes and when she returned she couldn’t find you.”
“It was so scary at first,” Megan said softly. “One minute I was sitting at our table listening to the band, and the next thing I know some guy had his hands on me. He had a gun to my side and told me I had to go with him or he would shoot. Then once we were outside, I turned around, and he put something on my mouth. I woke up later. I was in the back of a big truck with the other girls. We’d all been kidnapped. Many of the girls were taken from a group foster home outside El Paso. I thought Lauren might have been captured, too, but once I looked at everyone I realized that she wasn’t there.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“We weren’t stupid. We knew what could happen to us. We’d all talked about it and voted on it as a group. If you two hadn’t shown up, we were going to make our move tonight. We all decided it was worth taking the risk. I think that the foster parents had to have been in on this.”
Sadie took note of that tidbit of information. The foster home needed to be investigated for links to Igor’s network. “Did you have an understanding of who those men were?”
“They talked in Spanish the whole time. Of course they didn’t realize that a lot of us knew Spanish. I started learning Spanish in kindergarten. I mean, it’s Texas. Anyway, they kept talking thinking that we were just stupid American girls. Little did they know. We were not going to let those guys put us up for sale.”
“What did you hear?”
“They worked in the drug business. That was their main focus—lots of talk about various shipments and payments. Money, they were always talking about money. What they were going to be able to sell. They also spoke a lot about a Russian guy named Igor. They hated him. We all thought that Igor had paid them to keep us. I think they wanted the money, but I don’t really think they wanted us. They could’ve hurt us, but those guys never did. We heard them talking, though. They were handing us off to someone else. Getting rid of us. That’s why we had to act tonight. Because none of us thought that we would be safe with whoever they were planning to take us to.”
Sadie couldn’t believe how impressive this girl was. After going through all of this, her voice remained calm and she spoke about the facts without emotion.
“Your mom is going to be so happy to see you.”
“I’m going to be grounded forever now. And the worst part is that she’s totally right. I should’ve been more careful. My mom and I do the best we can. She’s gone all the time—working and working. Sometimes I just wish she noticed me a bit more. I know she tries her best. But sometimes it’s just tough.”
“I doubt that you’ll be grounded forever. She has to be proud of how you handled yourself. And I think you gave her quite a scare. I wouldn’t be surprised if the two of you didn’t spend a lot more quality time together after this.”
Sadie looked over at Kip. He’d stayed quiet letting her have the conversation with Megan.
“How far are we from the border?” Megan asked.
“A few hours.”
“Is it okay if I take a nap?”
“Of course,” she said.
“Please wake me up when we’re close to home.”
Sadie and Kip kept quiet to allow Megan to fall asleep easily. After an hour or so, Kip broke the silence when his phone buzzed. “Can you see what that message says?”
She picked up his phone to read the text message. “The FBI was just checking in. They should be at the border before we get there. Everyone is good.”
“That’s a huge relief.”
“So I guess the drug runners’ conscience wasn’t as strong as Jorge had thought. They were still willing to make money from the girls. They just didn’t want to have to be the ones in charge of them.”
The thought of it made her stomach churn. “That helps our story to Igor.”
“Right, you’ve got a point. So we tell him that by the time we reached the area, the girls were gone. We suspect his hired help double crossed him. He’ll be infuriated. And hopefully not direct his anger at us.”
“And what do we do when those guys start talking and tell Igor about us?”
“It’ll be their word against ours,” he said softly.
“And we’ll have to make sure he believes us.”
* * *
There was no better feeling than seeing Megan and her mom tightly embrace. The tears that flowed were happy tears from all involved. Megan and her mom had quite a few things to work out, but seeing them together, Kip had no doubts that their relationship would be stronger now.
Kip hadn’t felt this good in a long time. He’d been concerned about them being able to save all those girls. It was amazing how things played out. He even considered praying again. He’d take it one step at a time.
Sadie had truly impressed him. She was unlike any woman he’d ever met. So tough and independent yet so caring and understanding. He was drawn to her even though he tried to fight it. He knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t help it and invited Sadie to have dinner. And to his relief and surprise she’d said yes.
Unfortunately, even though they’d saved the girls and Megan was back at home safe, Igor still remained a huge threat. One that couldn’t be discounted. There was a lot more to be done if he was to bring down the future leader of the Vladimir network. The FBI was putting the pressure on him to bring them substantial evidence that would hold up in court. Igor needed to be put away for good.
But tonight he didn’t want to think about all of that. He just wanted to spend a nice evening with Sadie where they weren’t focused on threats or guns or nightmares. He knew it was a bit selfish given the bigger picture, but for one night that’s how he wanted to be.
It was far too dangerous to go out when they weren’t sure what Igor knew or who he believed. Sadie had suggested that they grill at her place so she could actually spend a little time at home getting ready in case they had to hit the road again. He had picked up some steaks at the store. When he rang her doorbell, he couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. Was this a date? Did he want it to be?
She opened the door, and he stood there speechless. She wore a blue sweater dress and strappy sandals. Her long dark hair was flowing down around her shoulders instead of pulled back.
“You look beautiful, Sadie.”
“Well, you did say it was a steak dinner. So I figured I could clean up a bit for you.” She laughed.
Her two cats rubbed up against his legs, and he reached down and rubbed the black one’s furry ears. Even the cats were growing on him. He wondered what Colby would think of them.
“They’re really liking you now.” She picked up the orange cat in her arms. “I imagine Colby was glad to see you.”
“Yup. He had fun at my friend’s house. I think he gets fed extra treats, but when I picked him up his tail looked like it was going to propel him into flight. I couldn’t even get upset at his slobbery kisses. I’ll have to make sure we go for a good run tomorrow as he seemed to have a lot of pent-up energy.”
“I’d like to meet him sometime.”
“He’d like you.” He smiled. This felt so natural. Everything about Sadie made him smile right now. He truly wasn’t used to feeling like this.
“I already made the sides, so all you need to do is fire up the grill.”
While he was grilling he wanted to get to know the non-P.I. side of Sadie a bit better. “What was it like growing up in Oregon?”
“Wet and dark.” She laughed. “I liked it. We lived in a small town a couple of hours outside Portland. My parents actually had a small farm. I loved riding horses growing up. But I haven’t ridden in years. I do miss it.”
“Y
ou could ride somewhere around here. Plenty of horses. Probably more horses here than in Oregon.”
“I’m so busy. I don’t have the time. Trying to build my business. It’s a lot of work starting a business from the ground up. And at the moment I’m doing it alone with no staff or help. But I wouldn’t change it for anything. I love my job.”
“You have to have some time for fun.”
“Not a lot, lately. I figure I can have fun once I’m more established.”
“What about your friends? What do you do with them?”
She looked away and her cheeks flushed. “I don’t really have a lot of friends. I tend to not let people get that close. You may have noticed that. Kind of makes it difficult on friendships.”
What had happened in her past to make her so guarded? He wanted to ask but didn’t want her to start pulling away from him.
“What about you? I know you have your friend that watches Colby. Is he FBI too?”
“No. We’re both former military guys. We work out together sometimes.”
“Do you think you’ll stay with the FBI long-term?”
“You know, I’m not sure. I like it right now. I enjoy the pace. But if I don’t stay in the field, I don’t know how I’d do sitting behind a desk all the time. Maybe one day I’ll want something different.”
Satisfied that the steaks were grilled to perfection, he put hers on a plate and then his.
“Go sit at the table, and I’ll bring in the rest,” she said.
His mouth started watering when he saw the potato salad, green beans and corn bread. He could get used to this.
She sat down at the table. “If I ever decide to expand The Lane Group, you’ll be my first call.” She reached over and grabbed his hand. “Would you say grace?”
He wasn’t expecting that one. Could he do this? Her brown eyes were so sweet and full of hope. He couldn’t turn her down. He bowed his head. “Dear Lord. Thank You for this wonderful dinner. And for the amazing company. Thank You for keeping us safe and please continue to watch over us as we work together. Amen.”
“Amen,” she said. She picked up her fork and knife and started to dig in.
* * *
Guilt started to eat away at Sadie. Kip was slowly opening up to her, and yet she couldn’t reveal who she really was to him. She knew she wasn’t supposed to disclose her true identity to anyone. Doing so would have huge consequences, and she wasn’t sure how Kip would react. But she also realized that going after Igor had ramifications too. Life-changing ones.
They’d done a good job not talking about work tonight, but she knew that was only temporary because Igor called as they were finishing dinner. He wanted another meeting. He wasn’t happy about Mexico. He was also pushing for any additional intelligence on Artur. They’d opened that door about his brother, and there was no going back. She worried that Igor may become obsessed over a threat that didn’t even exist, and she didn’t know whether that would help or hurt her overall mission.
“I should let you get some rest,” he said. “I don’t have to tell you to lock up and keep your gun within reach.”
He took a step closer to her, and she looked into his eyes—his amazingly blue eyes. He reached out and touched her cheek. Just that simple touch melted her heart. He leaned down, and for a moment, she thought he might kiss her. Her heart raced in anticipation. But he whispered in her ear, “I should go.”
Disappointed, she just nodded. She was being foolish to think that he’d even want to kiss her. And they had too many other problems to deal with right now.
“One more thing,” he said. And then his lips gently brushed hers before he broke away. “Good night, Sadie.”
She stood there, dumbfounded. A simple kiss had never been less simple. She reached up and touched her lips. She didn’t know how to process this. Her emotions which she normally kept on lockdown now blossomed through her. How could she feel so much from just one kiss? Did he feel it too? Regardless of the kiss there was still a large gulf between them preventing her from truly enjoying the moment. She had to remember she was still on a mission, a very important mission, to stop Igor Vladimir once and for all. Now that Megan was safe, that was exactly what she was going to do. She couldn’t let her growing affection for Kip derail her plans.
* * *
The next day, Kip was still reeling from kissing Sadie. He knew that he shouldn’t have done it. But when he looked down into her perfect brown eyes, he hadn’t been able to resist. He’d started to form an attachment to this woman. And that was a very bad idea for a whole host of reasons. Now they were about to go into their meeting with Igor, and he had to keep his head in the game. There was no room for mistakes.
Sadie looked perfectly calm as usual. Today her long hair was pulled back in a low ponytail. She’d acted like the kiss never happened. So far it was business as usual. He wondered how long that would last. In his mind, things had changed, but he didn’t know how she felt. He didn’t know if he could ever go back to the world he knew before he kissed her.
“You ready for this?” he asked before he pushed the elevator button for the penthouse.
“Yes, I am,” she said with a tight smile.
He didn’t like her spending more time with Igor. He needed to act like a professional right now. Sadie was capable of taking care of herself. Even though he wanted to be the one protecting her. They needed to have this meeting and push things forward with Igor.
After getting through security, they were shown to Igor’s office. The penthouse was everything Sadie had described and more. Lavish was the first word that came to his mind. He’d never be able to live like this. At the end of the day, he was a pretty simple man.
He’d given up his gun to the hired muscle, something he didn’t like one bit.
Igor sat at his desk with a frown on his face. “I hear you two had quite a trip to Mexico.”
They’d agreed that Sadie would take the lead as she’d have the best shot at managing the situation. “Yes. It wasn’t what we were expecting. And it definitely wasn’t what I was anticipating based on the conversation we had here before I left. You have serious issues down there, Igor. They need to be addressed.” She crossed her arms.
“I’m hearing a lot of different things from many sources across the border.” He leaned forward in his chair and looked directly at Sadie—not even giving Kip a glance. “My trusted friend Jorge tells me that the locals have turned against me.”
“Based on what we saw, I wholeheartedly agree with his assessment.”
She was playing him like a professional. It was almost scary how she didn’t flinch under the circumstances. Could she be playing him just like Igor? With that innocent look in her eyes before he kissed her?
Igor nodded and then cocked his head to the side. “The problem is that I’m also hearing that the two of you are the ones who actually disrupted my business down there.”
She laughed. A full throated, all out laugh. “That’s a good one, Igor. Surely you’re not wasting my time with that nonsense.” She stood up and straightened her shoulders.
“Sit down, Ms. Lane.”
She slowly took her seat but never broke eye contact with Igor.
“I just wanted assurances that we are on the same team here.”
“Igor, let’s get one thing straight. I’m first and foremost a businesswoman. I came to you wanting to do business. That is still my desire. But I will not have you second-guessing my actions because you’re paranoid.” She looked over at him. “I want to make things work between us. And I’d like to be fairly compensated for what I’m bringing to the table. That’s it.”
Igor turned his attention to Kip. “FBI guy, you ought to be glad you have such a strong partner.”
“Thank you for the vote of confidence, Igor,” she said. “I suggest we move forward w
ith business.”
“Perfect,” he replied. Then he grinned. “I noticed the FBI tailing me last night. I was a bit disappointed that I spotted them so easily. Did you put the rookie team on me, Kip? Don’t I get a little more respect than that?”
“The FBI’s incompetence amazes even me. But don’t get too lackadaisical. There are still some guys on the team that will not rest until you’re put away.”
Igor scoffed and leaned back in his chair clasping his arms above his head. “I feel confident that I can deal with FBI surveillance. And for now, I’m going to put a pause on my Mexico operations until I can get a handle on what’s going on down there. I don’t have the patience to get into the middle of a turf war with the locals, and I can always find other places in Mexico to do business or move on to another more lucrative opportunity.”
“That’s probably a smart move,” Sadie said.
“Which is why I have another proposition for you two.”
“Which is?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I want you to spy on my brother.”
“What?” she asked.
“You’re the one that planted this seed in my mind, Ms. Lane. So now I want you to do something about it. Bring me actionable information. I want to know if he’s really after me—or if he’s just trying to get control of the business. I can take some friendly brotherly rivalry. What I cannot stomach is the thought of him selling me out.” Igor’s eyes darkened.
“Do you know where Artur is now?” Sadie asked.
“He travels a lot. But he lives in New York. I called him just this morning and had a nice talk. I don’t want to believe that my only brother is a traitor.” He paused. “But I need to know. Do whatever you need to do to get me the answers I seek.” He picked up a pen from his desk and scribbled something. Then he handed the piece of paper to Sadie. “That will be your payment if you succeed.”
She took the piece of paper from him and looked down at it. “Do we have any restrictions? For example, do you want us to deal directly with him, or only do our work from the distance?”
