by Shayla Black
“I’m not trying to hurt her,” he insisted. “I’m trying to protect her.”
Everly clutched the laptop to her chest. “See that you do or you’ll answer to the rest of us. I hate leaving her out of this. You think she could be a weak link, but I think she would be an amazing asset. She’s smart. She thinks outside the box. She’s good at damage control. Consider it at least. Lara’s right—compromise is important.”
Once the door closed behind her, all the women had gone. Roman found himself with three of the five men he’d considered his brothers for the majority of his life. Dax was missing, but for the best of reasons. No doubt, he was enjoying his honeymoon at that little bed and breakfast in Maui.
But Mad would always be a hollow space in their lives—and their hearts.
“When did the women get so scary?” Connor asked.
Gabe held his hands up. “Mine has always been scary. Let’s face facts—we have a type. Even Lara’s got claws. Oh, I’m sure they’re organic, cruelty-free claws, but they are claws all the same.”
Zack sank down to one of the ornate chairs, weariness plain on his face. “Can we all agree this is likely the shit we’ve been waiting to hit the fan?”
“I think that’s clear.” Gabe nodded.
“But it’s not the tactic I expected,” Roman mused. “If this Sergei person is out there and he’s been pulling the strings the entire time, why come at the president’s friends? Why not the president himself? Certainly he didn’t think Zack would betray his country to spare us some embarrassment.”
“Whoever is behind this plot has been working for a long time to ensure Zack got into office. Now that they’re clearly demanding that we stay out of the European energy market, we have some specific ideas why they might have gone to so much trouble. We’re talking billions of dollars,” Connor explained. “But none of the dirt they dug up on us is terribly compelling. This strategy doesn’t make sense.”
“I suspect this is only the beginning.” Zack sat back. “They’re testing my resolve and our defenses. Right now, they’re only making demands about delaying a pipeline that could eventually make America one of the world’s leading energy exporters and deal a major blow to the floundering Russian economy, since they’re Europe’s primary supplier of heating oil. That’s the reason Russia ‘annexed’ Crimea. The line about protecting Russian citizens was BS. They wanted control of that natural gas pipeline to Europe.”
“So now they want to ensure we don’t build one that would connect our resources to their number one customer,” Connor agreed.
That made perfect sense to Roman. The Russians had always been involved. At first he’d thought the threat merely stemmed from the Bratva, the Russian mob. But he’d realized a while back that the conspirators were pushing Russian interests and merely using the Bratva to eliminate anyone who got in their way.
Like Admiral Spencer, Dax and Augustine’s father.
Like Maddox.
Like Joy.
He’d come to England to find out if he should add Constance Hayes to that list. He’d hoped to see if he could pull the string that would unravel the conspiracy so they could finally understand what they were dealing with. And hopefully figure out how to stop it.
“The pipeline is a long-term project,” Zack mused. “It’s at least a decade out. We’re not even certain it can be done.”
“But simply announcing it could undermine some of Russia’s plans and further destabilize their economy,” Gabe observed, sitting opposite Zack.
“I agree. It’s a test to manipulate you,” Connor said quietly. “To see how quickly they push you into a corner. If they can get you to delay the pipeline for a few years, they’ll know they can influence your decision, maybe even force you to change your stance on world issues and eventually make you a puppet for Russian interests.”
“You’re right,” Roman murmured, horror and fury raging through him.
Connor shrugged. “In their shoes, I would slow play every move. Coming at Zack too fast could cause him to quit the game altogether, like the old anecdote about the frog being boiled alive. If you toss the frog in hot water, he’ll jump out quickly. So instead, you put the frog in the pot of nice, cool water. You give him some time to get used to his new environment, get comfortable. And when he’s certain everything’s normal again, that’s when you turn up the heat. You do it slowly, so the frog doesn’t even realize he’s boiling alive until it’s far too late. This is the first adjustment. They’ve come after your friends because they perceive us to be your weak spot. They give you an easy fix to the problem. Don’t talk about the pipeline, simply make it clear to the prime minister and other European leaders that any American policy on this topic is something we’ll deal with down the line. Which is easy because we’re not ready yet.”
Roman could see exactly where this was going. “So Zack figures it’s easy to concentrate on other negotiations. After all, there’s plenty of time. We’re not killing the deal, merely downplaying it, while saving his friends some heartache. But the conspirators have won the round, and the heat soon goes up. They realize Zack is vulnerable, so they aim higher next time, maybe ask Zack to ease up on the sanctions of Russian goods. And if he does, that gives them more dirt on him. Little by little, they chip away at him until, one day, he’s completely in their pocket without any way out. He won’t even be able to quit because they’ll have so much blackmail material on him. And probably us, too.”
“Has anyone considered that they could turn all these mysterious deaths over the years back on us? If I look at this rationally, examine all the evidence and try to figure out who profits the most from their silence, I can only come to one conclusion.” Gabe looked grim.
Roman knew the answer because he’d thought the same thing. “Zack.”
Gabe nodded slowly. “Yes. Mad knew too much, so Zack had him eliminated.”
“Admiral Spencer knew too much so he had to die as well.” Both had perished at a politically expedient time for Zack.
“I was losing the election by three points.” Zack’s voice was hollow. “So I had my wife take a bullet that everyone believes should have been for me. Mourning and sympathy swept me right into the White House. Even the pollsters said the election swung in that one moment.”
They had Zack in check, and none of them had even realized the game swirling around them.
Roman winced. He felt like hell about betraying Augustine’s confidence, but he couldn’t not tell his brothers what he knew. The stakes were far higher than anyone’s feelings. “Augustine believes that one of your Secret Service agents was in on Mad’s murder. She’s got proof he was at the airport the day Mad died.”
Zack sat up straight. “Are you kidding me?”
“I wish I was.”
Zack sent him a steely gaze. “Who? Connor, I want him arrested and questioned.”
This was everything Augustine had feared. Roman held out a hand. “Wait. The man in question is still working. If he’s a sleeper agent and you pull him now, we’ll lose the chance to figure out what he’s doing here in England. We could also lose the opportunity to see who he meets with and if there are any other traitors among the staff.”
Gus was right about that. She simply didn’t know how dangerous the game was.
“Connor can make him talk,” Zack said, his voice tight.
Connor hesitated. “Yes, but I think Roman’s right. I think I should follow him. Tell me it’s not Thomas. We have to have someone we can trust with Zack.”
Zack laughed, but it was a bitter sound. “It’s either Matt or Clint. I should have seen it. Am I right? That’s why Gus and Liz had a sudden desire to flirt with them. Damn Gus and her plots. She cannot bring Liz into her reckless antics.”
Anger sparked through Roman’s system. Zack didn’t get to criticize Gus…even if he’d thought the same thing at one point. “Hey, she’s trying to find out who killed Mad and you’re going to back off her. She loves Liz and wouldn’t put her in dange
r. And don’t confront her about this. She didn’t come to us because we’ve been assholes. We’ve kept secrets and she’s smart enough to know something’s going on. What is she supposed to think? She finds out a Secret Service agent was prowling around the airport before Mad’s plane exploded? We’re hiding something and won’t talk to her? Take the logic leap there, Zack.”
Zack had turned a sufficient shade of pale. “She can’t think I sent him.”
“Oh, I bet she can,” Gabe murmured. “At one point, I even wondered about that, and I’m one of your best friends. I know better now, but Gus has never been one of the inner circle. Without information to disprove her theory, how is she supposed to allay her suspicions?”
“I’m only trying to protect them. Right now, Liz has plausible deniability. She’s got to talk to the press on a daily basis. I do not want her to have to knowingly lie. And Gus is in roughly the same position,” Zack argued. “If I thought for a second they would be safer away from the White House and us, I would send them in a heartbeat.”
“But the conspirators already know how close we are to them,” Roman surmised. “If they didn’t, they wouldn’t have bothered to include either in the blackmail. That letter was also a statement of intent. He knows who we care about, and if we don’t acquiesce to whatever they demand, they will come after Gus and Liz. Pushing those two away won’t fool him. I understand you’re trying to ensure Liz’s job and integrity, but you need to rethink. I’m not pushing Gus away. I made a deal with her and I’m going to honor it. Well, after I’ve totally broken it by telling you all about Kemp.”
“Your secret is safe with me,” Zack promised. “And the truth is, if Gus has it in her head to investigate, she’ll do it one way or another and she’ll bring Liz in, too.” He slapped at the table and stood up straight. “All right, then. You have a job to do, Roman.”
Keep Gus contained…somehow.
“Yes, I’m scheduled to go out to the sanatorium tomorrow while you’re meeting with the prime minister. Kemp has time off the day after, and Gus wants to follow him.”
“I’ll stay on top of the esteemed agent,” Connor offered, voice acidic. “And I’ll keep you in the loop. I will sit Gus down in the morning and let her know she’s important to this operation. Then you can sneak away, and she’ll think you’re in meetings with Zack and the PM. If you run late, that’s how it goes.”
But he must be back by bedtime or Gus would know he’d lied. The hospital was two hours outside London. He had a room at a local bed and breakfast, but if he had to he could drive back and be in bed with Augustine that night. She didn’t have to know a thing. He could keep the spirit of his promise and protect her at the same time. She would understand that Connor was the better bet to follow Kemp, especially now that the agent knew she wasn’t currently single. As long as they kept her updated, she should accept that. He would even let her research the man from the safety of Everly’s suite. Since Gabe’s wife was a hacker and had long ties to law enforcement, she would be an excellent resource for Gus.
It also didn’t hurt that Everly was a badass who knew Krav Maga—and her way around a gun.
Yes, this could work. “Excellent. I’ll get what we need from the hospital in the morning and return tomorrow night.”
“Liz will keep Gus busy and out of danger,” Zack said. “I’ll make sure they’ve got a lot to do over the next few days. She won’t have time to notice you’re gone.”
“All right. That gives us time to see what other stones we can upturn before we have to deal with any announcement about a potential pipeline. No one will expect anything on that before the end of the week. Tomorrow, all you’re scheduled to discuss is European relations and the reaffirmation of NATO ties.”
“I’ll look into the FAA problem and see if there’s anything we’re unaware of that could bite us in the ass,” Connor promised. “And I’ll enlist Thomas’s help to keep an eye on Kemp. I don’t have to tell him why. He won’t ask and he won’t confront the guy.” He turned to Zack. “We’ll get through this week. Once we get back to DC, we’ll sit down and decide how to move forward.”
They would decide if they could move forward. He could see it in Zack’s eyes. He was already wondering if his smartest move was to simply step down before these bastards had too much on him and he no longer could.
“Connor’s right. Stop overthinking this, Zack. Concentrate on the next few days and leave the rest to us. The water’s not boiling yet. We have time,” Roman promised. “But for tonight, I need to go and make sure Gus isn’t enlisting Liz in some plot against us.”
Zack huffed out a laugh. “Yes, you should do that. She could incite a rebellion.” Then he frowned. “Does she still suspect I killed Mad?”
“No. She knows better now. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of her,” Roman swore.
Zack nodded his way. “It’s about damn time.”
He turned and walked out, hoping he could untangle this situation and keep all his promises.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Gus closed the door to the room she previously occupied and glanced back at Liz. “Did something else happen? Did you see anything odd before you got that envelope? Or after I left you?”
Liz sat on the bed with a sigh. “No. I had an incredibly awkward meeting with the president. I kept it as unemotional as I could. When we finished, he walked me back to my room and I slammed the door in his face. I definitely locked it, too. As for the secret tunnels, I had no idea. This is my first trip here.”
“Do you think the Secret Service knows?” The Secret Service didn’t change with the presidency. As far as she knew, Matthew Kemp had been working on a presidential detail for four years. Zack had only been the president for three. “Did the prior administration come here in the last two years of his presidency?”
Liz took a deep breath. “I doubt it, but I can find out for sure. Do you think Kemp left that folder on my bed?”
“It makes sense. I really think he’s involved in this mess. I want to know in what way and how deep. Now that you and I are away from prying male stares, let’s find out what he jotted on the notepad on his nightstand. Do you have a pencil?” When she’d gotten dressed, Gus had shoved the sticky notes she’d taken from the stack in Kemp’s room into the pocket of her jeans.
Liz crossed the room and dug through her purse. “What happened earlier? When you didn’t come back, I was terrified. Then a few minutes later Kemp got up and said he was going to the bathroom. I texted you like crazy.”
Gus rolled her eyes. “Roman happened. He and Zack returned while I was sneaking down. He spotted me, got suspicious, and followed. We were stuck in the closet while Kemp made a phone call. We were damn lucky he didn’t catch us hiding under his suits.”
“I knew something had gone wrong when Zack showed up and acted like a caveman. He doesn’t want me but no one else can even look my way. Asshole.” She approached, a slender pencil in her hand.
“I don’t think it’s a case of Zack not wanting you. My emotional radar isn’t faulty. He’s always been interested. I’m telling you, something is going on with these men. We got a taste of it tonight, but I guarantee there’s more. I’ve been around that group long enough to know when they’re plotting or covering up something.” Gus gripped the pencil. “Now I have to wonder if it isn’t related to Mad’s murder. It would be so like Mad to have stumbled into a situation he shouldn’t have just before it exploded. Is your computer up?”
Gus pulled the sticky notes from her pocket and lightly traced the indentations with the soft side of the pencil. What Kemp had written with a somewhat heavy hand slowly became clear as she jimmied the pencil back and forth.
“No, but I’ve got my phone and I’ve got a browser open, if you’re trying to look something up.” Liz tapped to unlock the device. “What is it?”
“An address. Kemp wrote this down in his room. Can you look this place up for me?” She handed Liz the note. “I’m starting to think everything going on is connec
ted, and I don’t like the intersecting lines.”
“You think the blackmail is only part of the story? That Zack and the others are hiding the rest?” Her face was illuminated by the glow of the phone’s screen as she typed with her thumbs.
“Yeah, there’s more. Something bigger. I suspect someone is trying to manipulate Zack. Why else do you blackmail the president? And did you notice that no one else in the room seemed terribly surprised by the fact that someone sneaked into your room?” At Liz’s nod, Gus charged on. “But whatever’s happening is deep, insidious. When Kemp was on the phone, he muttered something about getting information and eliminating a target. I think his destination is that address, and if I follow him I might get some answers.”
Liz frowned. “It’s a mental hospital two hours north of London.”
Gus nearly groaned. “Homewood Sanatorium, right?”
“Yeah. Why does that sound so familiar?”
Gus tried not to shiver at the implications. “Because it was in our oppo research.”
During Zack’s campaign, one of the first things she’d been in charge of was finding any and all dirt the opposition would likely dig up on Zack and use against him. She’d compiled a file on Constance Hayes.
All their problems pointed to Zack. That meant trouble. Serious trouble. What kind of dangerous game were the boys playing?
Liz set the phone down. “That’s right. Frank Hayes stashed his wife there when she had her breakdown. They registered her under an assumed name, Jane Downing. The information never came out during the campaign, but I remember everyone worrying that someone would question Zack’s fitness for office, given his mother’s history of mental illness.” She frowned. “But why bring this up now? The next election is over a year away, and why wouldn’t the opposition save this for an October surprise just before voters hit the polls?”
“They’re looking for more fodder for blackmail? Because they want Zack to do something now? I don’t know. But you’re right. Why now? Dirt like this doesn’t matter as much in a reelection campaign. Zack’s already proven he can handle the job.” Gus’s mind was whirling. “If Kemp is planning a visit to the sanatorium during his leave day after tomorrow, I need to get there first. I need to figure out who he’s talking to and why.”
