Mind of Danger (Body of Danger, #3)

by Bristol, Sidney

He reached up despite the rubbery quality of his arm muscles and smoothed hair off her face.

  Her eyes popped open, and she stared at him with wide eyes.

  “You didn’t come?” she asked.

  He grinned at her. “yeti did.”

  “Oh, good. I just, sorry.”

  Elias wrapped an arm around her and pulled her down to lie across his chest. She pillowed her head on his shoulder and squeezed him.

  There was no more denying it. Elias had been, and might always be in love with Marjorie Walker. No other woman made him feel things like she did.

  And tomorrow he’d have to send her into battle alone.

  It just might kill him.

  WEDNESDAY. AEGIS GROUP Safe House, Seattle, Washington.

  Jo stroked her fingers up and down Elias’ arm. He held her so tight, as if he never wanted to let go.

  Why had she waited? What was wrong with her? Why now, of all the times?

  She turned her head, burying her face in the pillows.

  They’d taken turns in the bathroom, then collapsed back into bed. Half the lights were on, casting the room in a comfortable glow. She half-hoped they’d fall asleep and skip the talking bits. But sleep was avoiding her.

  When she’d known she needed help, Elias was the first person she’d thought of. Granted, after hearing the target was in Seattle, Elias had been in her head, anyway.

  Why couldn’t she tell him the whole story?

  He worked for Aegis Group, who did government contract work. There was a good chance he had a security clearance. She knew she could trust him. So why was she letting her MIA handler run her life like this? Why was she risking everything she could have just to follow some silly rules?

  Restless, she turned to face Elias.

  He had his head on the end of one pillow, one eye aimed at her.

  He wasn’t sleeping either. Because he’d picked up on her anxiety about tomorrow?

  If he asked, would she tell him? Did she really think he’d ask?

  They stared at each other for several moments, neither speaking a word.

  There was so much quiet understanding in him. She didn’t have to say a thing, he just knew. He’d always known, even when she didn’t. He got her in a way no one else did. Why had it taken her so long to act on it?

  “I’ll help, do whatever you need me to tomorrow, okay?” he whispered.

  “You don’t even know what I’m doing.”

  “I know.” He closed his eyes. “I know you can’t tell me—or you won’t—and that’s fine. I trust you to know what you’re doing. I just—no one has your back. I don’t trust this Isaac guy. I don’t like sending you off alone.”

  “For what it’s worth, I don’t trust Isaac either. Actually, I’ve screwed him over pretty big.” She wrinkled her nose. Back to the point. She focused on his eyes. He needed to know one thing before anything else. “I trust you, Elias. Maybe more than anyone else. You’ve always been there for me, even when I didn’t know I needed you.”

  “I just did my job.”

  “Bullshit.” She chuckled and pushed at his shoulder. “That’s so much bullshit and you know it.”

  His lips compressed into a tight line. “You were always going off on your own, overextending. I just watched your back.”

  “That pissed me off in the beginning.”

  “Yeah, you didn’t like me much, did you?”

  “Oh, no. I did. Maybe like the first two times you hauled my ass back I was angry, but it was always more about taking my embarrassment out on you. After that, I wanted to fuck you so badly.”

  She didn’t know if it was her word choice or the admission that made him start. His eyes went wider and for a moment he stared at her. She simply smiled at him, enjoying the shock value of it all.

  “I had a strong rule then. Don’t fuck where you work,” she said.

  He shook his head and shoved the pillow under his neck a bit more so she could see both eyes clearly now. “How can you lay all this on me then say, there’s a good chance I’ll die tomorrow? That’s not fair.”

  Jo bit her lip.

  She could trust him.

  “I thought this would be an easy job,” she said in a soft voice.

  He stilled, watching her intently while the weight of his arm lying over her waist kept her grounded.

  She lifted her head a bit to better look him in the eye. “I’m not telling you any of this, okay?”

  “Understood.”

  “I’m working undercover for the FBI. I’m supposed to do short stints. We thought that was what this would be back in February. Get in, document what we need and get out. But, it’s not that simple.”

  She couldn’t stay lying down for this.

  Restless, Jo sat up against the headboard and tucked the sheet under her arms. She hadn’t bothered with clothes, but she needed that flimsy protection right now. Elias mirrored her pose, sitting close enough his shoulder bumped hers.

  “His name is Giovanni Smirnov. His parents were the daughter of an Italian mafia boss and the son of a Russian oligarch. It was an arranged wedding. The parents split ages ago, but still maintain their own network. They have a working relationship, which was always the real goal. Giovanni handles the American side of things. But he’s been next to impossible to pin down. We haven’t gotten anything to stick, and the parents never come here.”

  “What’s this Giovanni doing now?” Elias asked.

  “The hope was, with an in we could get someone on the inside to finally get Giovanni giving orders. But the man never says, you go do that. He stream of conscious talks, and people just decide to do things based on what he says. It’s the most ridiculous thing ever. But also brilliant, because he can always say like, you’ve never said I wish so-and-so were dead in the heat of the moment? It’s not his fault if someone acts on that. But, if they do and he’s happy with the results, he rewards people.”

  Jo dropped her head back against the padded headboard.

  “I see,” Elias muttered. “Without anything concrete, you’re stuck there. Right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “How’s Isaac play into it?”

  “Isaac used to be one of Giovanni’s favorite errand boys. I’m not sure what he did, but he’s on Giovanni’s shit list right now. I figure, Isaac knows where the bodies are buried. If I can drag him down with me, back him into a corner, he’ll turn on Giovanni. I hate that’s my play, but I want out of this. I can feel the walls closing in, but my handler keeps telling me everything is fine, and no one suspects me.”

  “Where is this handler of yours?” Elias asked dryly.

  “With his family for the holidays? No idea.”

  He shook his head, muttering things Jo couldn’t hear.

  “So, you’re in Seattle to burn Isaac?”

  “No. Not exactly.” Jo blew out a breath. This was the meat of it. “Giovanni is working on something. What? I don’t know. He called a bunch of people over and started going off about this new thing he just heard about. Some sort of virtual, computer bomb that’s being developed, and he was going on about how great it would be to get our hands on that kind of technology.”

  “A virtual bomb?” Elias frowned. “I’ve never heard of something like that.”

  Jo waved a hand. “I’m not super tech-savvy. I can do what I need to, but don’t ask me to look at a DOS prompt.”

  “Your plan is to get the tech, and...?”

  “Get the tech and deliver the recording, Isaac and tech to my handler, then tell them I’m out. That was the plan when I thought I would be the first one here. Someone beat us to Seattle though, and clearly they want to be the ones to give Giovanni his prize.”

  “Are you open to help?” Elias asked slowly.

  Jo drew in a deep breath. “I can’t ask for it. Not when I know it’s dangerous.”

  He peered sideways at her. “So if I just happen to follow you, you won’t stop me?”

  She tried and failed to swallow the lump in her throat. N
o part of her wanted to risk him, and yet if he were with her she had a feeling, a sense that it would all be okay. But was it worth losing him? If she died, it would be because of her choices made in the line of duty. It was a risk she’d always known was there.

  Jo stared at the dark TV screen. “This is why I have that dumb rule.”

  “What?”

  “I’m scared. The idea of you out there with me, what if it all goes wrong? What if something happened to you?” She shook her head. “I don’t think I could live with myself.”

  Elias reached over and pulled her to his side, tucking her in close. He still smelled like soap.

  “How am I supposed to live with myself if I just send you off on your own?” he asked.

  There was no good answer. Not for them.

  Life was about risks, and now she’d have to take one of the biggest ones yet.

  5.

  Thursday. Aegis Group Safe House, Seattle, Washington.

  Isaac was up with the sun. In fact, he’d barely slept despite lying on the most comfortable mattress ever. It was hard to enjoy things when he worried about his life.

  This was supposed to be an easy job.

  Stick with Jo.

  Stay close to her.

  Wait for her to reveal if she was, or wasn’t FBI.

  Kill her.

  Why couldn’t they stick to that schedule?

  Isaac tiptoed out of the room. As far as he could tell, neither Jo nor her boy-toy had emerged last night. He crept down the hall on bare feet, moving slowly so as to not giveaway his presence. Jo in particular seemed to suspect the very shadows most of the time, and her companion was cut from the same cloth. If they hadn’t been fucking each other’s brains out last night, he’d have never gotten the microphone in under the door.

  Now he just had to retrieve it before they woke up.

  He’d hitched his trailer to Giovanni when the guy was just a young, rich prick with a notable name. Isaac had seen the potential, the forward thinking, and knew Giovanni was going places. It had been Isaac’s time to seize the moment. And he’d done it. Wholeheartedly.

  Jo would not screw up Isaac’s future. He couldn’t allow this. But how did he stop a one-woman army who had backup now?

  He knew she’d spent the night holed up with the guy. What plans had they made? What did she know? Could she be FBI? That was the running theory, though not everyone agreed she was a possible threat.

  Isaac bent, going down on hands and knees in the hall. For several moments he listened to the silence blanketing the condo.

  Not a soul stirred.

  This was his moment.

  He carefully pulled the omnidirectional microphone out from under the door and pocketed the receiver he’d had to leave lying in the hall. Holding his breath, he slowly backed up until there were several feet between him and the door. Only then did he push up to his feet and quickly pad back toward his room.

  At the last moment, he ducked into the bathroom and flushed the toilet.

  Just in case one of them was awake and aware, this was his alibi.

  Lately people had raised a lot of red flags. The problem was, it was too hard to figure out if those hiccups were due to some fuck up in the Giovanni camp, or if it was law enforcement closing in.

  Today the truth would come out. Isaac just hoped he could survive it.

  THURSDAY. AEGIS GROUP Safe House, Seattle, Washington.

  Elias tapped each finger against his thumb in time to a beat only he could sense. Every now and then he’d alternate tapping his toes against the sheets in time with his fingers, but that made too much noise.

  Jo was still asleep, nestled in next to him. Every time he’d woken up during the night, some part of her touched him. Her leg. A hand. And now she’d curled up against his side, locking him into place better than any restraint.

  He peered down at her. The room was still mostly dark shadows. They didn’t get much morning light on this side of the building. For anyone else, that would be a boon. Most people seemed to enjoy sleeping in.

  Elias wasn’t wired that way.

  He’d slept soundly, but still in spurts. And once the sun was up, he was rarely able to sleep again.

  Jo, on the other hand, still dead to the world. Given how much stress she’d been under, he didn’t want to wake her prematurely. She’d assured him she had a plan, but wouldn’t tell him more. She was playing some cards close to the vest, so to speak. But she was going to tell him. He hadn’t missed that.

  He drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes.

  The condo was quiet. Almost silent.

  Maybe he could go back to sleep?

  Elias closed his eyes and imagined this was another time and place. Where he and Jo were in their own bubble, safe from the rest of the world. It was a nice dream. He didn’t know what would happen today, but one thing was certain. He had something precious to protect.

  The minutes dragged on, but sleep still evaded him.

  Sighing, he carefully extracted himself from the sheets and stood. There was no need for another shower. He’d brought his things in once Jo made it clear she preferred to share the bed, which included the laptop and some gear he’d borrowed from a locker kept in one of the smaller rooms intended for company employees. He seriously doubted these two had things like Kevlar vests in their bags.

  “What was that?” Jo muttered.

  Elias cringed and glanced at the bed.

  Jo sat up, the blankets pooling around her waist.

  “Just me,” he said.

  “No, I thought I heard something.” She pushed the blankets back.

  “I thought you were dead to the world.”

  She got out of bed and turned on the lamp. “I heard a noise.”

  “I’ll have a look.” He pulled on clean jeans and socks, then shoved his feet into unlaced boots.

  Somewhat dressed, he reached for the laptop while Jo opened her backpack. His fingers barely brushed the track pad when an ear-piercing shriek resounded through the condo.

  The alarm.

  For one second Elias froze. His heart pulsed in his throat and fear paralyzed him.

  What he valued most was at risk. He hadn’t been careful enough. The ear splitting sound echoed the jumbled thoughts in his head.

  He had to do something. He had to act.

  Elias dove for the nightstand.

  Jo had on a pair of jeans along with the shirt she’d slept in. They each snatched their weapons up as a loud bang reverberated.

  “They’re at the front door!” He bolted.

  No one besides him knew the condo walls were reinforced. The front door had a state-of-the-art alarm system. The walls couldn’t be blown through, and the locks couldn’t be picked. Which meant the only way in was by forcing the front door down. That took manpower and time.

  Elias raced into the living room.

  Isaac froze halfway to the front door.

  Elias raised his gun. There wasn’t anything about the guy that put Elias’ mind at ease. He was a risk. One Jo needed. For now.

  The front door rattled as another blow rocked it.

  One hinge was barely hanging in there.

  “Away from the door, now,” Elias barked.

  “Do it,” Jo said from right behind him.

  Why hadn’t he told her about the Kevlar? None of them were wearing body armor.

  “They found us. How did they find us?” Isaac wailed.

  “Go get your shit. Now,” Jo ordered.

  Isaac glanced between them. Elias noted the man didn’t have a weapon.

  Another blow set the top hinge flying.

  Whoever was on the other side of the door wasn’t terribly strong. That, or they didn’t have experience breaking into places.

  Jo stared at the door with a coldness that was familiar to Elias, then raised her gun, aiming it at the door.

  “You can’t shoot through it,” he said.

  “Why not?”

  “Everything in this condo is r
einforced.”

  “Shit,” she muttered.

  Elias reached down and drew his gun. He’d kept his practice up, though it wasn’t something he enjoyed. Hell, the last time he’d aimed a weapon at a human was before the accident.

  Cold sweat broke out along his spine.

  He would protect Jo. He’d stand at her side, facing down the threat.

  “Does Isaac have a gun?” he asked.

  “Yes.” Jo turned her head, watching the hall. “You think he suspects us?”

  “I think these people couldn’t have found us without some help.” He’d have to think through their next moves if they believed Isaac was working against them. They could always use that to their advantage, but it had to be done with purpose.

  “Come on, Isaac,” she snapped.

  “Are you a fucking fed?” Isaac’s voice vibrated. Was that fear, anger, a combination or something else?

  Jo coolly glanced at the man. “Now isn’t the time to discuss that. You know I’m not.”

  The door rattled and someone called out something from the hall.

  “I don’t know anything,” Isaac said.

  This was going south fast. If Isaac was armed and suspected them, their flank was vulnerable.

  Elias would have to do something.

  “Get down!” Jo lunged for Isaac, tackling him to the floor.

  The front door banged open, halfway falling off the hinges.

  Elias fired. He couldn’t let these assholes get to Jo. It was his job to watch her back. He squeezed the trigger again, his eyes aimed at the figure in black standing in the hall. The man pitched backward while another stepped into sight. Elias ducked behind the kitchen counter to regroup.

  “Get me out of here, man,” a frantic male voice said in the hallway.

  “Elias,” Jo snapped.

  He moved, understanding her order without words. She had her eyes on Isaac, making sure he didn’t attack from behind. But they still needed to deal with the threat at their door.

  Elias crouched, crossing to the entry.

  Blood smeared the wall and pooled on the floor. Two figures were making a hasty retreat toward the elevator.

  “Let them go or go after them?” His voice sounded so unusual, almost as if it were far away.