Secrets Inside Her: Running with the Devil Book Two

by Jasmin Quinn

  Nika shook her head, as if trying to shake off the question. “I don’t know, Finn. Maybe Michael Black.”

  “And what can I expect from him?”

  Nika was quiet for so long Finn thought she fell asleep. As he started to drift off himself, he heard her whisper, “I don’t know, Finn. I don’t know what he’ll do.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Michael Black was not one of Mr. Jackman’s regular run-of-the-mill operatives. He was not a master of disguise or a Jack of all trades. And that’s because he didn’t blend. He was who he was; he had startling good-looks, was tall and muscular, but at the same time lean and with the grace and power of a lion. His smoky, intense blue eyes complemented the rest of his appearance; light brown hair, cut short and well-groomed, strong chiselled features, clean-shaven and always impeccably dressed in an expensive suit, silk tie, and perfectly shined leather shoes. And as if his looks weren’t advantage enough, he was charming in a ferocious masculine manner that had all women and most men fall under his spell. He had a ready smile, a strong bullshit detector, and a gift for knowing exactly what to say to whomever he needed to say it to in exactly the right moment.

  But he was not a man to be trifled with, which is what many of his now deceased enemies mistakenly did. He was Jackman’s most dangerous agent because he was smart, loyal and unscrupulous. He did what Jackman needed of him, whenever and however. He could just as easily insinuate himself into a boardroom as into a woman’s bed. He always got what he wanted through money, seduction or violence. And he killed without impunity. If it needed to be done, it got done.

  At the moment, Michael Black was pissed off enough to kill someone, anyone who looked cross-eyed at him. He was sitting in a black Mercedes SUV rental on the upper deck of a BC ferry heading from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay, following Finn McQueen’s trail. The ferry trip was 95 minutes long, which left him a lot of time to think. And the more he thought, the angrier he got. The fucking ferry ride was taking too long, he wanted to strangle little Nika Petrova, beat the fucking cop senseless, and shoot the motherfucker who was feeding the fucking Russians information to keep them one step ahead of him.

  After Jackman called him about the missing Disappearist, Michael went looking for Nika, easily tracking her to her hotel. But the Russians were there before him – her room was ransacked, and anything that might have given him a clue as to Nika’s whereabouts was gone. Before he talked with hotel staff, he called his private cleaners to pack up the room and remove all traces of Nika. The hotel staff were less than helpful. The clerk that checked Nika in was not on shift and no one noticed Nika – which was utter bullshit. Everyone noticed Nika, she was that perfect. It was obvious that he was being lied to, but he didn’t push it. He thought that the clerks were terrified by the Russians, not holding anything of value back.

  Then Jackman called again, furious at risking Michael’s exposure, telling him that Dean Copeland’s little blond plaything was holding back her own important piece of information. Big mistake – Jackman rarely forgave and never forgot. Lucky for the woman, Dean was in love with her. Michael hoped she realized that she should be doing everything in her power to make that last. Because without Dean to run interference, Kelsie Scott was a dead woman.

  Jackman told Michael that Nika might be with a cop, a Finn McQueen. Michael’s technician tracked down an address for him, but the Russians were in front of him again. McQueen’s house had been torn apart and not in a careful way. The Russians didn’t care how they left things; it was obvious they intended to kill the cop when they tracked him down. And Michael had no doubt they would.

  Part of the problem with some of the operatives he worked with is that they underestimated the Russian mafia. He never understood why – Rusya Savisin was smart, deadly and completely detached. It’s what made him such a worthy adversary. He ruled the Russian mafia with an iron fist. No one ever got a second chance. He had no mercy and he didn’t make or tolerate mistakes. Under different circumstances, Michael might have admired the man.

  He knew that Savisin had turned one of Jackman’s operatives. Someone was providing information on the activities – three agents had been compromised so far. And his biggest fear was that Anto Kharzin’s cover would be blown. If that happened, Anto would be a dead man, and it wouldn’t be an easy death. Besides Jackman and himself, only Dean and Nika knew about Anto. And if the Russian’s got their hands on the Disappearist, then every operative including Anto would be fucked. He tried to get word to Anto to go underground and stay there until Nika was either safe or dead. She was an incredible operative, smart, dispassionate and efficient, but she was not a field agent. And the secrets that she held in her pretty little head made her invaluable to every single one of Jackman’s enemies. He was surprised that only the Russian’s and Randall Scott knew she was out there and unprotected. Except for one fucking cop named Finn McQueen.

  After the ferry docked at Swartz Bay, Michael made his way slowly to Don and Eileen McQueen’s house in the Highlands. Finn’s parents. As he drove into their driveway, he thought about his cover; what he would say to them to convince them to give up Finn. He hoped that he’d gotten there before the Russians. He hoped he’d find a happy intact family instead of a massacre. Mercifully the rain had stopped, Michael groused as he stepped carefully out of his rental into the mud. He assessed the landscape. One-quarter of an acre property, nice recently built two-story log cabin, over 2000 square feet. Two vehicles in the drive besides his – one a GMC pick-up truck; the other a new Nissan Maxima. Upper middle-class.

  He walked up to the door and rang the doorbell, then waited for just a heartbeat before a woman in her late 50s, early 60s opened the door. She was slimly built with an intelligent and friendly face. As he looked at her, Michael decided that he would tell a version of the truth. “Hello?” she said smiling at him.

  He returned her smile with a warm one of his own. “You must be Eileen McQueen.”

  Eileen’s smile broadened, and she opened the door a little wider. “I am!” she exclaimed. “And who might you be?” Finn wanted to tell her not to be so welcoming of well-dressed charming men who came knocking. Not all of them were harmless vacuum salesmen. Another time perhaps.

  “I’m Michael Black.” He reached out and she took his hand, shaking it vigorously. He gave her hand a warm squeeze that said, I am a wonderful charming man and I can either treat you like a mom or a sexual siren. You let me know which you prefer. “I wonder if I could talk to you and your husband for a few minutes. I’m looking for your son, Finn.”

  Eileen frowned as she reluctantly pulled her hand from his grip. “He’s not here. He and his girlfriend got into a fight and they left last night. My son, Doug, said Finn decided to take Nika back to Vancouver because she wanted to go home – I think they broke up.” She looked so desolate that Michael almost laughed out loud. After all, Nika was the cop’s imaginary girlfriend. Poor mom had a broken heart over nothing.

  Then a tall, well-built man stepped up to the door, shifting his body so that he was slightly shielding Mrs. McQueen. “Who’s this mom?” Ah, the other son. He looked like a fighter. Good thing Michael had a gun.

  Eileen turned to him, edging toward the door trying to reclaim her space. “A friend of Finn’s, looking for him. I already told him they aren’t here.”

  Michael looked at Doug whose eyes shuttered. Someone was keeping secrets. “You must be Doug, Finn’s brother. I’m Michael Black.” He didn’t offer his hand. He knew Doug would refuse it. “I’m looking for Finn. It’s a bit urgent, I’m afraid.”

  Doug turned to Eileen. “Mom, go back inside. I’ll handle this.” His voice was deep and serious.

  “Is Finn okay?” Eileen asked Michael, ignoring Doug.

  “Yes,” Both Michael and Doug said. Then Michael added, “It’s work related, Mrs. McQueen. Finn has some information I need regarding a missing persons case.”

  “Oh, I see.” Eileen looked perplexed. Michael didn’t think she saw at all. �
��Well, I think you’ve wasted a trip, Mr. Black. Finn went back to Vancouver.” She pursed her lips. “I don’t know why he bothered to bring a girl if all they were going to do was fight. Doug, you were smart to leave Ted at home.”

  Doug looked down at the carpet and kicked it with his foot to straighten a wrinkle. “Could Mr. Black and I have a moment alone please?” Michael could see a flash of anger in Doug’s eyes, the coolness in his tone, basically telling his mother to fuck off. Fucking family dynamics. But Michael had to give Doug credit for trying to shield his mother. Of course, if Michael wanted to harm this family, they would already be broken and bleeding.

  “I guess that since Doug talked to Finn last, you two should chat. But I doubt Doug has much more to offer.” She glared at Doug as she stalked away.

  “Nice to meet you Mrs. McQueen,” Michael called after her, then shifted his gaze to Doug, who had stepped out on the porch, closing the door firmly behind him. Doug was tall and muscular, his arms crossed, his face suspicious as he guarded the front door daring Michael to try to get by him. Not a man to mess with, Michael thought. Urgency tugged at him – the Russian’s were ahead of him and he was running out of time.

  “I don’t suppose you have a badge?” Doug asked him sceptically.

  “I suppose not,” Michael responded lightly. “Doug, I’m not the enemy here. I don’t know what Finn has told you, but the woman with him is Nika Petrova. She’s a very valuable operative with an organization that fights organized crime. She’s been compromised. Finn has provided his assistance to us in the past and she was aware of this, so she reached out to him for help.”

  “Yeah, I figured not the girlfriend,” Doug interjected, his face impassive.

  “The Russian mafia wants her badly. They’ll kill whoever stands in their way, which we both know means Finn.”

  Doug lost his composure. “Fucking idiot,” he said running a hand through his hair. “Finn won’t hesitate to get in their way.”

  A measure of relief settled on Michael; he needed someone like Finn McQueen looking out for Nika. It might be the one difference in how this ended. “I’m not Russian, you can plainly see.” Michael could see Doug cracking, the fear for his brother’s life clearly palpable. “But the Russian’s will come here if they haven’t already.” He watched Doug’s face, knew they had not. “If I can find you, they can find you. I’m surprised they haven’t dropped by already.”

  “Maybe they went to my house first.” Doug bit his lower lip thoughtfully; his eyes flashed fear.

  “And if they did? What would they find?”

  “Fuck,” Doug swore, pacing away from Michael and back. He was too agitated to stay still. “They’ll find my partner, Ted.”

  “And does Ted know where they went?”

  “Yes, no.” Doug stopped his pacing. “Yes. He’s not an idiot. I had him give me coordinates to a cabin he owns up island. I didn’t tell him they were for Finn, but if the Russian’s show up looking for Finn, he’ll put two and two together.”

  Michael nodded. “Your house was my next stop.”

  Doug fished his phone from his pocket and punched in a number. “Ted,” he said after a few seconds. “Are you okay?”

  He listened for a few minutes, his eyes boring into Michael’s. Finally, he said, “What did you tell them?” and then, angrily “No, fuck Ted, why did you do that?”

  He listened for a minute or two more, then interrupted the angry stream of conversation on the other end of the line. “How long ago?”

  After a few seconds, he abruptly hung up on Ted. “He fucking told them where Finn is,” Doug’s voice was angry and loud. “That fucking prick. Finn was right. He is an asshole.”

  Michael stood there impassively, letting Doug have his moment. Then, “Did he confirm that they were Russian?”

  Doug stood on the porch clutching the phone, looking like he wanted to crush it between his hands. “Yeah. He said three guys showed up, Russian or something. Looking for Finn and his girlfriend. Ted’s pissed at me because I lied to him.” Doug chuckled grimly. “He didn’t hesitate to tell them where Finn and Nika were headed. “

  “Doug, where are they?”

  Doug froze.

  “Doug, I am a trained agent. My job is to get Nika back. Finn’s only hope of surviving this mess is me. I could go to Ted and ask him, but that gives the Russian’s a bigger head start. They’re already going to get there before me. I have to hope that I can catch up in time.

  Doug relented. “I should go with you.”

  “No,” Michael replied. “You need to stay with your parents and make sure they’re safe.” He didn’t add that it would be a bad day if the McQueen’s lost both their sons.

  Doug considered this for a moment and then agreed. “Stay here. I’ll be right back,” he said as he turned on heel and went back into the house. Michael stood wondering if he should go after Doug, make sure he wasn’t loading a shotgun to blow him off the porch. Then Doug was back with a paper, not a gun, with the cabin’s coordinates on it. “Punch it into your GPS app – it’ll take you there.”

  “Thank you, Doug.” Michael turned and headed for his SUV without saying goodbye.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Finn’s leg ached as he stepped out into the snow. Nika was watching him from the window and when he caught her eye, she smiled broadly and waved at him. The sun was high in the sky, its long rays scolding him for such a late start to the day. But he decided not to feel guilty. If this was his last day alive, he would die a happy man.

  Last night was glorious. They stopped their lovemaking to eat. Nika delighted in making hot dogs, so that comprised their meal again. Finn found another bottle of scotch, this time a decent Glenfiddich Single Malt, a favourite of Doug’s. He poured a shot into two tumblers and handed one to Nika, who sniffed it and then placed it firmly on the table. “I could never drink this horrible smelling stuff,” she said, shuddering and then watched in awe as Finn threw back his shot and then hers, and then a third for good measure.

  He was relaxed and in love, though he still wouldn’t say it to Nika. He needed her safe before he dared to hope there was a chance for them. The sex was amazing. Nika was curious, adventurous and insatiable. She liked rough play, letting Finn take command, but she also gave as good as she got, at one-point pinning Finn to the bed with her hands telling him not to move while she rode him, teased him, played with him. But when he had enough of her play, he flipped her over and dropped on top of her, bringing her legs up to his shoulders and rode her hard. His orgasm almost knocked him out, it was that explosive.

  And then only five minutes later, Nika wondered if they could do it that way again. At some point, they fell asleep in each other’s arms and stayed that way until the sun was well up. As Finn crawled out of bed, Nika murmured sleepily, “I need to wash, Finn.” And so, he got the wood stove fired up and heated some water. It was not much of a bath, the wood was dwindling fast, but it was enough for them to wash. Finn was ready to tackle the day as he dressed, telling Nika that they could not have sex again until they had a plan.

  As he left the cabin to find some wood, she pouted. “How are we going to make a plan, if we are not together?”

  “You’re the genius. You figure it out.”

  Finn picked up the axe from the wood box and walked into the forest on uneven, slippery ground. The snow was deep and he didn’t have the right footwear. And his leg was throbbing – too much working out with Nika. And the fucking cold, seeping into his bones. He gathered up sticks and larger boughs as he walked, dragging them out of the trees and dropping them on the edge of the yard. Then he retraced his pathway, looking for a fallen tree or a large limb that had been laying there long enough to be dried out to burn.

  He was so intent on his mission, he didn’t hear the car at first. It wasn’t until the crunch of snow under tires jarred him to alertness. Someone was here. He reached for his gun and realized he didn’t have it with him. It was in the cabin. Fuck! His heart leapt i
nto his throat as he forced himself to quietly and slowly make his way back to the cabin. They didn’t know Nika was alone in there. They wouldn’t know yet that he wasn’t there. That gave him a chance to take them out – he hoped there was just one or two at most. After that he would be outnumbered.

  As he reached the edge of the forest, he heard their voices – Russians, three of them. The fucking Russians found them. How the fuck did they know? And then he grew cold from the inside out; if they knew where he was, they tracked down his family. Anguish welled up in him as he thought this. He would never forgive himself if his parents or Doug were hurt.

  The shot of a gun made him jump and duck down. Two more shots. Was Nika shooting at them? But no, as he looked cautiously around the tree. It was one of the Russians and he was shooting out the SUV’s tires. A precaution in case they couldn’t find Finn. He heard Nika screaming and he stilled, trying to shut out everything. If he were going to keep her alive, he would have to be calm, collected and brutal. He had to get to Nika but barreling down on them like a linebacker was only going to get him shot. And then he would be useless.

  Nika was in the front yard in bare feet, no coat, being held in a large Russian’s arms. Fighting him like a hellcat. Screaming and yelling at him in her native Russian. Scratching and kicking, until the Russian holding her dropped her in the snow, and then backhanded her across the face with force. Finn almost bolted from where he was. That fucking son-of-a-bitch. At first opportunity, he would shoot the fucker between the eyes.

  Then the asshole said something to the other Russian with him as he pointed towards the trees. The Russian nodded, pulled a gun from his holster and walked toward the treeline, towards Finn. Finn took a few faltering steps backward and then turned reluctantly. He didn’t want to let Nika out of his sight, but he needed to lead the Russian into the forest and incapacitate him. That would buy him time as the other two waited for him to return.